5 IKEA-Style Murphy Beds (+ DIY Model w. IKEA Parts)

Murphy beds have been gaining a lot of popularity during the last decade.

This has driven the prices down so you now can get affordable Murphy beds and wall beds.

They used to cost a fortune but there are several places you can get them cheap now.

Ikea still don’t sell Murphy beds (no clue why!) so we have found a list of the cheapest Murphy beds you can buy online. We have focused on stylish beds that cost no more than you would expect from Ikea.
Before we look at how you can build an Ikea-style model yourself we will take a look at what you can get ready-made.

The Best Online Stores With Murphy Beds

There are many great alternatives online with cheap Murphy beds that can be delivered at your doorstep.

If we had found these ready-to-ship wall beds we wouldn’t have built our own Murphy bed, that’s for sure!

Stores	Price range	Murphy beds	Visit
Wayfair	$-$$	179	Visit here
the Lori Bed	$-$ (!)	4	Visit here
Expand Furniture	$$-$$$	35	Visit here
Amazon	$-$$$	+200	Visit here

Popular Murphy Bed

The best affordable option online is the Wall Bed system from Lori Beds.

Here’s the store where you find this bed at $699 (with a $100 discount for our readers)

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PS: We asked Lori Beds about a discount for our readers. They were kind enough to offer a $100 discount to you guys! When you use the link above with the discount code “GODOWNSIZE100” you automatically get the discount!
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The next Murphy bed is also a really good model when you’re on a budget. It’s ALMOST under the $1,500 mark:

We found it here for $1,079.

When you think about it, 1,079 dollars is pretty cheap, when the price includes shipping to your address in the U.S. or Canada.

This is a very simple and stylish design that looks a lot like the bed designs we normally find at Ikea. The designer behind this bed certainly has a feel for Scandinavian design.

It can hold a 12” mattress (so no compromise there!) and it’s made from manufactured wood.

It comes with a 9-page and very detailed step-by-step guide that tell you exactly how to assemble all the parts. Just like you would expect from an Ikea product.

A Horizontal Model

We also find a horizontal model from Lori Beds:

Check the store here for more details.

It’s a great and robust system that you can have for many years to come.

We’ve gotten to know the guys behind this company and they are REALLY great guys so we’re happy to send you over there!

The next horizontal option is also around the $1,000 dollar mark:

We found it here for $1,099.
(Note: Scroll down a little bit on the shop page to find it).

It’s a little pricier than the first model but with this model, you actually get the foam mattress as well. For the first model, you will have to buy that separately.

Otherwise, the models are actually pretty similar.

It’s a horizontal Murphy bed which means that you can use this for a room with a lower ceiling. The first model we saw requires around 96” to the ceiling but this model can be installed anywhere.

It can hold a 7.5” mattress.

Another option With A Minimalist Design

We found it here at $1,220 incl. shipping.

This bed is another vertical design with a very stylish finish. You have a comfortable spring-based base and a steel frame foot.

It can hold 1,000 pounds and a 12” mattress for the queen size version. There’s also a slightly smaller full-size model available through the same link (above) that can hold a 12” mattress.

If you prefer a foam mattress like me, this bed is a great option because you have the wooden springs that make it super comfortable. 

Murphy Bed With Closet Built-In

We found it here at $1,399 incl. shipping.

I love how they have managed to build everything together in this piece of furniture.

When you think about it the price is actually really good. You get a closet, a bed, and they actually ship the whole thing to your doorstep.

Chest Beds Are A Little Cheaper

This model is only $869 including shipping.

They work a little differently than the classic Murphy beds.

You have the bed system hidden in a smaller piece of furniture and you pull the foam mattress put by folding it three times.

We have a separate post where we list all the cheap Murphy bed models we could find online. It’s a great place to start if you are looking to find the best deal right now.

Many stores are still very pricy and we have spent a lot of time researching this in order to find some cheaper alternatives for you guys!

Murphy Beds Built From (Mainly) IKEA Parts

Here are some easy solutions you can build out of cheap IKEA parts.

We have also listed exactly what you need in order to build each project. You just buy the parts and assemble it like our instructions. There are several options.

Let’s start with the simplest solution.

This is a standard twin Murphy bed you can build as a DIY project. We will list exactly what you need to buy to build a comfortable bed you can hide away during the day. It’s a great Saturday project if you like building stuff.

Here’s what you need:

1. A foam mattress (From $179 at IKEA)
2. A Murphy bed lifting mechanism (at Amazon)
3. A closet (From $99 at Ikea)
4. Strong screws for wall mounting

The inner construction will look something like this example depending on which lifting mechanism system you get.

You need to consider whether you can mount the system into the wall or into the floor. It’s important to mount it properly to keep it from tipping down.

The pistons/spring system will pull down the cabinet if it’s not properly mounted one way or the other.

You then get a nice modern closet from IKEA and built mount the hardware into the closet.

There are several types of hardware kits for Murphy beds and depending on which style you choose you will choose either a spring-based system or a piston-based system.

We have a post here with great info on DIY kits for Murphy beds.

Here are the pros and cons of each type of system:

• Pistons
  Pistons are great because they are easy to operate and you won’t accidentally hurt your finger from getting caught up in between the springs. The pistons will get weaker over a period of many years. We have used the same two pistons for seven years now and the momentum is weakened a bit. But it’s still pretty easy to open and close the bed and I’d say the lifting ability of the pistons is probably 20% lower than when we first got them.
• Springs
  Springs can also work just fine for Murphy beds. I haven’t tried them personally but I have heard from people that they tend to work well. If you feel like they get worn over time and will not lift as much weight as they used to there are things you can do. With some systems, you can change out the springs or you can just change one or two.

Here’s an example of a closet that’s only $99 at IKEA.

It’s a fine basic closet which you can use to hide the bed system inside. The closet will have to either be attached firmly to the wall or you will have to mount it into the floor.

This is to ensure the bed will not fall down unintendedly.

You will have to modify the closet a bit. But it’s an easy hack compared to building a Murphy bed from scratz. We made a Murphy bed ourselves and it was a huge project.

First, you need to dismantle the doors in order to attach them to the back of the bed frame. You will need to make sure you choose a closet that is tall enough to fit the mattress.

IKEA has closet from 71” to 91” (180 cm – 230 cm) and this should leave plenty of room to cover the bed frame and hide all the mechanic parts around the bed in order to raise and lower the bed.

Kids Chest Bed Built From (Mainly) IKEA Parts

You can also build your own Chest-style bed.

A Chest bed is a mix between a chest cabinet and a bed. It’s a great alternative to a Murphy bed because it’s easier to build and you can place anywhere without having to drill holes in the wall.

A great option if you are renting your apartment space and don’t want to get in trouble for installing a wall bed on the wall!

You will hide a foldable foam mattress inside a chest cabinet in order to have an extra bed when you need one. Or you can build a really nice one with a better mattress in order to use it every day.

Here’s how we would do this using primarily parts from IKEA:

1) Find a foldable foam mattress

You can find a mattress like this one for around a hundred bucks at IKEA.

These foam mattresses can last for many years but they are not made of memory foam. If you want a better mattress you can use every night you will need to invest more and get one somewhere else than IKEA. The IKEA models are not great but for kids or for a guest bed they can work just fine.

2) Find a chest cabinet in the right size

A chest cabinet like the one below cost around $149 at IKEA.

There are many models to choose from and you just need to make sure the cabinet has the right measurements to hide the mattress. Most cabinets will not be deep enough to hold the mattress so you might need to adjust either the mattress or the cabinet a little bit.

3) Adjust the cabinet

Remove the drawer runners and apply a piece of wood on the back of the three front pieces of the drawers to turn them into a cabinet door.

You now mount the cabinet door with hinges on one of the sides so you can open the chest cabinet.

You might have to remove one of the four parts of the foam mattress which is why the finished bed will probably not fit an adult. So the idea is most suited for as a way to hide an extra bed in a kids room.

Now you should have extra space at the top or bottom of the cabinet for a pillow and a comforter.

The “Poor Man’s Murphy Bed”

The idea here is basically just to use a closet to hide a mattress during the day. Plain and simple.

If you want to hide your bed in a closet during the day in the easiest possible way you can just go with a mattress you can store away inside a closet during the day.

If you don’t mount the mattress on a bed frame it won’t be heavy.

A foam mattress only weighs around 7 Lb for a light-weight twin size and around 20- 30 Lb for a light queen size model. 

So it will be easy to tuck the mattress away inside the closet during the day when you don’t need it.

Combine this mattress with a $100 closet like the one we showed above in this article and you have a very easy solution where you don’t have to build anything or even assemble more than a simple closet.

This can be a fine solution for a temporary stay at an apartment or if you don’t care about sleeping on the floor. But be aware that you might need to clean and vacuum more often if you intend to sleep on a mattress that is laying directly on the floor.

IKEA Inspired Murphy Bed With Couch

If you want to build something a little more extensive you can combine the idea at the top with a couch from IKEA.

IKEA has some small couches that can be placed in front of a cabinet. But an even better idea is to use a daybed instead and use some pillows for a backrest.

This is what we have done in our bedroom/office where we have a homemade Murphy bed with a couch in front. We haven’t mounted the daybed-sofa to the bed system – it is just placed in front of the bed to make the space into a lounge area during the day.

Here’s what it looks like:

The bed then folds down on top of the couch during the day. So we have cut off a little on the length of the legs. The table is also lower than an ordinary table.

We just cut it down a few inches to match the height of the bed system exactly.

This is an easy way to draw the attention away from the bed and on the wall and at the same time create a great little lounge area.

If you are interested in getting the plans for our Murphy bed on the picture above you can get it here from this blog post.

This is what our bed looks like when it is folded down:

We use it every day and it works just great.

As we mentioned above, the pistons are losing some tension as they get older. We bought the hardware kit for this bed 6-7 years ago so the pistons could be changed in order to strengthen the lifting mechanism. But other than that we are very happy with our bed.

We can definitely recommend building your own wall bed whether you will do so from Ikea parts or you are up for the bigger challenge of a totally bespoke solution.

Best Online Stores with Murphy Beds

Stores	Price range	Murphy beds	Visit
Wayfair	$-$$	179	Visit here
the Lori Bed	$-$ (!)	4	Visit here
Expand Furniture	$$-$$$	35	Visit here
Amazon	$-$$$	+200	Visit here