6 Best Murphy Beds For Apartment Guest Rooms That Serve Multiple Needs
Beds that work even when guests aren’t there.
That spare room in your apartment is a paradox. It’s the home office you desperately need, the workout space you dream of, and the guest room you feel obligated to have. In a small footprint, you can’t have all three—unless you rethink the largest piece of furniture in the room.
A Murphy bed isn’t just about hiding a mattress anymore. The best modern designs are multi-functional systems that reclaim your square footage for everyday life. They transform a room’s purpose in seconds, turning a comfortable bedroom at night into a productive office or a spacious living area by day.
This guide isn’t about finding a place for guests to crash. It’s about finding a strategic piece of furniture that unlocks the full potential of your apartment. We’ll explore systems that integrate desks, storage, and even entire libraries, so you can choose the one that solves your specific space problem.
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Your Guide to the Best Multi-Use Murphy Beds
The biggest mistake people make is thinking of a Murphy bed as just a bed. A truly effective wall bed is a room transformer. It’s the key to making one room serve two or even three distinct purposes without feeling cluttered or compromised.
Look for models that do more than fold away. The real value comes from what the system offers when the bed is closed. Does it have an integrated desk that stays level when you lower the bed? Does it provide the storage your apartment is desperately lacking? These dual-use features are what separate a good Murphy bed from a great one.
Remember, this is an investment in your daily life, not just in your occasional guests. The goal is to choose a system that enhances how you use the space 95% of the time. Whether you’re a DIYer on a budget or looking for a high-end engineered solution, the right multi-use bed is out there.
Bestar Nebula: Your Ultimate Home Office Bed
Transform your space with this queen Murphy bed, folding neatly into a cabinet to maximize floor area. Its dual piston system ensures smooth operation, while flexible slats provide comfortable support for nightly use.
If you’re locked in the classic "home office vs. guest room" battle, the Bestar Nebula is your peace treaty. This system is designed from the ground up to be a functional workspace first. It integrates a full-width desk and shelving directly into the bed cabinet.
Its standout feature is the clever mechanism that keeps the desk surface perfectly parallel to the floor as you lower the bed. You can leave your laptop, monitor, and papers right where they are. This small detail is what makes the transition from work to sleep—and back again—truly seamless and practical for daily use.
The trade-off is its presence; this is a substantial piece of furniture that commands a wall. Installation is also a serious consideration, often requiring two skilled people. But for those who need a dedicated, full-time office that can vanish on command, the Nebula’s pure functionality is unmatched.
The Lori Wall Bed: Your Rustic, Minimalist Pick
Transform your space with this Queen size Murphy bed, seamlessly folding into a stylish cabinet. Enjoy integrated storage with two five-layer cabinets and a comfortable mattress support system, perfect for maximizing any room's utility.
The Lori Wall Bed challenges the idea that a Murphy bed needs complex, hidden machinery. Instead of springs or pistons, it uses a simple and clever manual lifting system. This isn’t a high-tech transformer; it’s a thoughtfully designed, minimalist solution.
When the bed is stored vertically, the underside of the bed platform rests on beautifully crafted wooden shelves. You can use this space as a standing desk, a display area for plants, or for simple storage. The lack of a metal mechanism gives it a warm, rustic aesthetic that you won’t find in more conventional models.
This simplicity comes with a physical requirement. You have to lift and lower the mattress platform yourself, using your own strength. It’s not for everyone, particularly if you have mobility concerns or plan to use it nightly. But for an affordable, stylish, and mechanically simple system in a guest room that doubles as a quiet study, the Lori Bed is a brilliant pick.
Daily Delight: Maximize Your Guest Room Storage
For many apartment dwellers, the biggest challenge isn’t finding space for a guest bed—it’s the critical lack of storage. The Daily Delight (and similar storage-centric models) addresses this head-on. It frames a high-quality Murphy bed with a full wall of integrated cabinetry.
Think of this less as a bed and more as a complete closet system that happens to contain a mattress. These units typically include a combination of hanging rods, deep drawers, and adjustable shelves. You’re essentially gaining an entire wardrobe or pantry while also solving your guest problem, making it one of the most efficient uses of a single wall.
Be aware that these are often the most permanent and large-scale options. They essentially become a built-in feature of the room, so the style needs to align with your long-term vision. But if your primary goal is to conquer clutter and add serious utility, a storage wall bed delivers the biggest impact per square foot.
BredaBeds Urban: Perfect for Your Low Ceilings
Vertical Murphy beds are the standard, but they demand significant ceiling height that many apartments just don’t have. The BredaBeds Urban series solves this by flipping the concept on its side. This is a horizontal Murphy bed, also known as a landscape or side-mount bed.
The multi-use genius here is what you get when the bed is closed. Instead of a tall, imposing cabinet, you have a long, low credenza. This surface is perfect as a media console for a TV, a display shelf for art and books, or a low-profile workstation. It also keeps the upper half of your wall free, making the room feel more open and airy.
The main consideration is floor space. A horizontal bed projects further into the room when open, so measure your layout carefully. However, for basements, attics, or any room with low or sloped ceilings, this orientation isn’t just a good option—it’s often the only one that works.
Create-A-Bed Kit: Your DIY Murphy Bed Solution
Build a durable queen-size Murphy bed with this American-made kit, designed for lasting quality. It includes detailed instructions, video, and a lifetime warranty for peace of mind.
If you can’t find the exact configuration you need, or if you’re working with a unique space, the DIY route is your answer. A kit like the one from Create-A-Bed provides the most crucial component: the professional-grade, piston-lift hardware. You provide the lumber and the vision.
This is the ultimate in multi-functional design because you are the designer. You can build the bed into an existing closet, surround it with custom bookshelves, or mount a fold-down table to the face of the cabinet. The kit is the engine; you get to build the custom vehicle that perfectly fits your life.
Let’s be clear: this is a serious woodworking project that demands precision, the right tools, and a healthy respect for safety. But for the confident DIYer, it’s the most rewarding and cost-effective path to a truly bespoke, multi-use piece that solves your exact spatial challenges.
LGM Tavolo: The Ultimate Luxury Transformer Bed
When a Murphy bed transcends furniture and becomes a piece of mechanical engineering, you get something like the LGM Tavolo by Clei. This is the pinnacle of transforming design, offering a seamless transition between multiple functions with an elegance that other systems can’t match.
The unit operates on a rotating axis. One side is a full wall of shelving with an integrated desk; the other side is a pull-down bed. With a simple, fluid motion, the entire unit pivots 180 degrees to reveal the bed, while the desk and all its contents remain perfectly horizontal and slide neatly underneath.
This level of innovation comes at a premium price, placing it firmly in the luxury category. It’s an investment for those who value flawless design, cutting-edge mechanics, and a solution that feels truly magical. It’s not just saving space; it’s fundamentally redefining it.
Choosing the Right Murphy Bed for Your Apartment
The "best" Murphy bed is the one that solves your room’s primary identity crisis. Don’t start by looking at beds; start by defining what you need that room to be on a daily basis. Is it your 9-to-5 office, your creative studio, or your main storage hub?
Before you buy, run through this simple checklist to narrow your focus:
- Primary Function: What will the room be used for 90% of the time? Prioritize the features that serve that daily need, whether it’s a desk, a sofa, or shelving.
- Space & Orientation: Do you have high ceilings for a vertical bed, or is a horizontal model a better fit for your room’s dimensions? Measure the wall space and the open floor plan.
- Frequency of Use: Will the bed be used nightly or just a few times a year? This will determine whether you need a smooth, effortless piston mechanism or if a more manual system will suffice.
- Installation: Are you prepared for a complex DIY project, or do you need to factor in the cost and logistics of professional installation?
A multi-use Murphy bed is more than a piece of furniture—it’s a strategic tool. By choosing a system that adds a critical function back into your home, you’re not just making space for guests. You’re making your entire apartment more livable, functional, and valuable for yourself, every single day.
Ultimately, reclaiming a room in your apartment isn’t about finding a clever way to hide a bed. It’s about being intentional with every square foot you have. The right multi-functional Murphy bed empowers you to do just that.
Instead of sacrificing a home office for a guest room you rarely use, you can have both. You can add a full wall of storage where none existed before. You can design a space that fluidly adapts to your needs from morning to night.
Think of it as an upgrade not just to your guest room, but to your entire lifestyle. By investing in smart, adaptable design, you unlock the hidden potential in your home and prove that living well has nothing to do with living large.
