The Murphy bed, or wall bed as it is sometimes called, goes back to the 1800's when many people simply lived in rooms. At that time they were beautiful pieces of furniture that could act as a bed at night, then during the day, the actual bed part would lift up and the entire piece would become a mantle of sorts.

Todays Murphy beds can be an ornate piece of furniture like those of the past, or simply a piece that fits right into the wall or a cabinet. Todays wall beds are easy to lift and hare great for people with small rooms, that have one room living or that want to make a guest room do double duty. Wall beds can also be used at dormitories, hospitals, firehouses and hotels.

Today, they use the latest technologies to design these beds. With these new designs you get a comfortable place to sleep as well as a great piece of furniture. Murphy beds can also help you gain space, something that is much needed in small living quarters. When you have a studio or loft, having a murphy bed can open up the room into a whole new living room. Once you fold the bed up, it no longer needs to serve the purposes of a bedroom and can be used for most anything! An office, a bar, a home theater, a gym - the possibilities are endless.

The first step in choosing a wall bed is selecting the cabinet size you want. Wall beds are available in queen, twin and double bed sizes. Measure the area where you want to put the bed. If you want side cabinets you will have to think about placement carefully to make sure the whole unit, along with the side pieces, fits.

Secondly, decide on the type of mattress. These beds can be made with the mattress attached to the cabinet itself or you can put the mattress in afterwards whenever the bed is being used. An air mattress, or a foam mattress or a coil spring mattress can be used.

Side cabinets are optional but a great way to add more storage space to your room. Two or more side cabinets can be attached to the main wall bed cabinet. Side cabinets will give the whole unit a finished look much like a big wall unit - no one will ever know there is a bed hiding in there! The side cabinets can be built in a library style with shelves for keeping books, photo frames and other articles.

Wall beds are great for getting added use in small spaces as well as extending the use of your guest rooms. Instead of the typical sofa couch, surprise your overnight guests with a bed that folds down from the wall!