Beehive Wall Beds
Free design visit
Questions people ask before they buy a murphy bed
Short answers to the questions that come up on every design visit. If yours is not here, put it in the form and a person will answer it.
Safety
A piston mechanism holds the bed at any angle and is balanced to the mattress, so it neither drops nor springs. Legs fold out on their own as the bed comes down. A strap holds the mattress when the bed is up. For kids rooms and rentals we add a lock on the release. Every cabinet is anchored into studs or concrete. Nothing about a properly installed murphy bed is a trap.
Mattresses
Standard sizes, up to about 11 or 12 inches thick depending on the mechanism, no box spring. Most people use a 10 inch memory foam or hybrid. Heavier mattresses are fine; the mechanism gets tuned to them at install.
Ceilings, walls and floors
A vertical queen needs about 90 inches of clear height at the wall. A horizontal queen needs about 67. Studs, plaster, brick and concrete all anchor. We check for plumbing, vents and electrical before drilling. Carpet, hardwood, tile and concrete floors all work; the legs sit on the floor when the bed is down.
Timing
Four to eight weeks from design approval to install along the Wasatch Front, longer in the fall rush. Installation is about half a day for a cabinet bed, most of a day for a wall unit.
What we do not do
We do not have a showroom. We do not sell flat-pack beds, though we will install one you bought. We do not quote a price without seeing the wall, because the wall is half the price. And we do not say a wall works when it does not.
Questions people ask
Are murphy beds safe? Can it close on someone?
A modern piston mechanism is balanced to the mattress weight. The bed does not spring up on its own, and with the legs down and the mattress in it stays flat. It takes a deliberate lift to close it. We add a release lock for kids rooms and rentals.
What mattress do I need?
Any standard mattress up to about 11 or 12 inches thick. No box spring, no adjustable base. Memory foam and hybrids are the most common. You can keep the one you have if it fits the limit.
How long does it take from order to install?
Four to eight weeks for a custom bed, sometimes longer in the fall when everyone wants it before the holidays. St. George runs on a trip schedule, six to ten weeks.
What is the warranty?
Mechanisms carry the manufacturer's warranty, typically lifetime on the lift hardware. The cabinet and our installation are warrantied by us for workmanship. We will put it in writing with the quote.
Do you take payment up front?
A deposit when the design is approved, the balance at install. Card, check or financing where available.
Can I move the bed to a new house?
It can be uninstalled and reinstalled by a crew, but it was built to one wall and may need trim work in the next one. If you expect to move soon, a cabinet chest bed is freestanding.
Do you build the beds yourselves?
We design and sell. Beds are built to order by Utah cabinet shops we work with and installed by our partner crews. That is how we keep a custom bed at a sane price without a showroom to pay for.
Will it look like a bed when it is closed?
Not if it is done right. Shaker doors, a matching finish and side cabinets make it read as a built-in wardrobe or a wall unit. The giveaway is usually the handle placement, which we plan.