Guides / How-to

How to Hide a Murphy Bed

Closed, a wall bed is a 23-inch-deep box against a wall. Whether that reads as a hidden bed or as a wardrobe in the living room comes down to six decisions, none of them expensive.

The short answer

Give the closed cabinet a job. A wall bed closed is 23 to 26.4 inches deep, which is the same depth as a bookcase, a desk wall or a credenza - so flank it with shelving at the same depth, run one continuous surface across the top, keep the handles flush, and hide the bed's own hardware rather than the cabinet. The two formats that hide themselves are a bed-and-sofa unit, where the sofa sits in front of the closed cabinet, and a cabinet bed, which is already a credenza.

A wall bed does not hide itself. Closed, the Bestar Key West cabinet is 88.05 inches tall and the AMERLIFE 91.3 - a floor-to-near-ceiling box against one wall. Left on its own in a living room, it reads as a wardrobe that wandered in from the bedroom.

The fix is not camouflage, it is context. Twenty-three inches is bookcase depth, desk-wall depth, media-unit depth. Give the box neighbours at the same depth and a continuous top, and the eye stops reading it as furniture-out-of-place and starts reading it as a built-in wall.

Why depth is the whole trick

People read furniture by its silhouette against the wall. A 23-inch-deep box flanked by 12-inch-deep bookcases has a step in the plan that the eye catches instantly. The same box flanked by 23-inch-deep cabinets has no step at all, and the wall becomes one object.

Closed depths and heights to match cabinetry to

Bestar Claremont 80W: 84.41 in. W x 19.53 in. D x 64.23 in. H closed
AMERLIFE vertical queen: 23 in. closed depth
Claremont 80W horizontal queen: 84 in. W x 23 in. D x 64 in. H closed
Night & Day Murphy Cube: 64.1 in. W x 26.4 in. D x 36.6 in. H — a credenza
Arason Creden-ZzZ: 64 in. W x 25 in. D x 39 in. H, with an 11 in. drawer
Typical bookcase, for reference: 11 to 12 in. deep — half the depth of the cabinet

Note the horizontal wall bed in row three: 64 inches tall closed instead of 86, which is credenza-and-shelving height rather than wardrobe height, and far easier to absorb into a living room. It costs 84 inches of wall. The field is the best horizontal Murphy beds.

The two formats that hide themselves

The first is the bed-and-sofa unit. Bestar’s MERITLINE queen is a queen wall bed with a sofa configured as part of the same set, so the sofa sits in front of the closed cabinet and does not have to be moved when the bed comes down. That solves step four permanently, and it is why it leads the picks here. The trade-off is that you are buying both pieces together and the combined footprint is large - the full comparison is in the best Murphy bed and sofa combos.

The second is the cabinet bed, which does not need hiding because it is already a piece of low furniture. 36.6 inches tall on the Night & Day Cube, 39 on the Arason, and both freestanding so nothing is anchored to the wall. You lose mattress choice: both use a 6-inch tri-fold, and the Arason’s included mattress measures a sleeping surface Arason does not publish despite the bed being sold as a queen.

What not to do

Do not modify the bed mechanism or the panel structure. On a piston-assisted bed the front panel is part of the system that counterbalances the mattress, and adding weight to it - a mirror, a heavy shelf, a stone top - changes the forces the pistons were specified for. Decorate around the cabinet, not on the moving face.

Do not build anything into the open path. Bestar's horizontal Claremont 80W extends 69.43 inches from the wall and we allow 30 to 36 inches of clearance around the open bed. A console that looks right closed can block the bed entirely open - the arithmetic is in how to measure for a Murphy bed.

Do not steal the ceiling clearance. A cornice or a shelf across the top is the best single trick on this page and it eats the headroom the bed needs to rotate. The Key West has an 88.05-inch cabinet; measure what is actually above it before you add to it.

Rented walls

Everything in steps one to five is cabinetry, and cabinetry usually means fixings. If the lease forbids holes, skip to step six: a cabinet bed is freestanding and the Arason states explicitly that it needs no bolting. The rest of that field is the best renter-friendly Murphy beds.

In a studio, hiding is the point

In a one-room flat the wall bed is not decoration, it is the mechanism that lets one room be two. The closed face is what you look at for sixteen hours a day, so it earns more attention than the open bed does.

The combinations that do the most work there are the desk wall and the sofa wall, because they give the closed cabinet a second function rather than just a disguise: the best Murphy bed desk combos and the best Murphy bed cabinets. The wider set of ideas for a single room is in studio apartment guest bed ideas.

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At a glance

The beds that hide most easily

Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. Scores are our own, from the rubric on how we choose — not customer ratings. They score each product across the whole site, so the order here reflects how well a pick answers this page’s question, which is not always the same as the highest score.

#	Product	Best for	Score	Price
01	MERITLINE Queen Murphy Bed with Couch A queen wall bed with a sofa built into the front of it — the only configuration that gives a studio a real couch and a real bed in the same square footage.	Studios that need a sofa and a queen bed	8.5	$849.99 · View on Amazon #ad how we earn · price as of November 14, 2026
02	Night & Day Furniture Murphy Cube Cabinet Bed (Queen) A queen bed inside a solid hardwood credenza that bolts to nothing. Closed it is 26.4 inches deep and about ten square feet of floor, and the mattress is in the box.	Renters who want a queen and cannot drill	8.6	$1,897.00 · View on Amazon #ad how we earn · price as of November 14, 2026
03	Bestar Key West 69W Queen Murphy Bed The reference wall bed: a dual-mount queen that takes a real 60 by 80 mattress, on a dual-piston mechanism Bestar expects to be slept on every night.	A full-size guest bed in a small apartment	8.7	$1,403.02 · View on Amazon $1,599.99 12% off #ad how we earn · price as of November 14, 2026
04	Arason Creden-ZzZ Queen Cabinet Bed The original cabinet bed: 24 inches deep closed, a usable 39-inch-high top surface, a memory foam mattress included and a drawer for the bedding.	—	8.1	$2,019.00 · View on Amazon #ad how we earn · price as of November 14, 2026

How we picked

The picks are the four beds whose closed form is easiest to disguise, which is a different question from which bed is best: the wall bed with a sofa configured in front of it, the two cabinet beds that are already furniture when closed, and the vertical wall bed with the shallowest published closed depth so flanking cabinetry can match it. Every figure is read off the manufacturer's live listing on the date in its spec block. Nothing on this page involves modifying a bed mechanism, and we do not suggest it - the changes described are cabinetry and styling around a bed installed as the maker intended.

Studios that need a sofa and a queen bed

MERITLINE Queen Murphy Bed with Couch

MERITLINE

A queen wall bed with a sofa built into the front of it — the only configuration that gives a studio a real couch and a real bed in the same square footage.

What it's bad at

239 lb of solid pine and MDF, a 12-month warranty, and no published weight capacity or mattress specification. For a bed that folds down over a sofa, those are the numbers you most want and none are stated.

Our score — 8.5 / 10

Footprint9

Mattress8

Mechanism8

Renter fit4

Value9

$849.99 · View on Amazon

#ad how we earn · price as of November 14, 2026

Specifications

Folded footprint: 88 in. W x 67 in. D x 87.5 in. H as listed, with the sofa in place
Open footprint: NOT STATED BY MANUFACTURER
Clearance in front: No extension figure is published. The sofa stays put and the bed comes down over it, so plan on the mattress length clear of the cabinet front and measure before ordering.
Doorway minimum: NOT STATED BY MANUFACTURER
Sleep surface: Queen, per the listing. No mattress dimensions published.
Mattress: Your own. Not included. Maximum thickness not stated.
Fold mechanism: Folding wall bed cabinet with an integrated sofa and two LED lights
Weight capacity: NOT STATED BY MANUFACTURER
Assembly: Required. 239 lb. Instructions and tools supplied. 12-month warranty.
Renter-safe?: NOT STATED BY MANUFACTURER
Price: $849.99 · View on Amazon
#ad how we earn · price as of November 14, 2026

Source: Amazon.com product listing, read via the Amazon Creators API, recorded 16 Oct 2026. Any field the listing does not state is marked as such rather than estimated.

Renters who want a queen and cannot drill

Night & Day Furniture Murphy Cube Cabinet Bed (Queen)

Night & Day Furniture

A queen bed inside a solid hardwood credenza that bolts to nothing. Closed it is 26.4 inches deep and about ten square feet of floor, and the mattress is in the box.

What it's bad at

172 lb assembled and it does not come apart again. Getting it into a third-floor walk-up is the whole problem with this category.

Our score — 8.6 / 10

Footprint8

Mattress8

Mechanism9

Renter fit10

Value7

$1,897.00 · View on Amazon

#ad how we earn · price as of November 14, 2026

Specifications

Folded footprint: 64.1 in. W x 26.4 in. D x 36.6 in. H — about 10 sq ft of floor
Open footprint: 64.1 in. W x 80.3 in. D x 25.7 in. H
Clearance in front: Gains 53.9 in. of depth when opened (26.4 in. to 80.3 in.). No walkway figure stated by the manufacturer.
Doorway minimum: Arrives flat packed, so any standard doorway
Sleep surface: 80.3 in. long; a queen sleeping surface per the manufacturer
Mattress: Included cabinet-bed-specific 6 in. tri-fold gel memory foam mattress
Fold mechanism: Front panel folds down, mattress tri-folds out on a sliding platform
Weight capacity: NOT STATED BY MANUFACTURER
Assembly: Flat packed, ready to assemble, with instructions and video links. 172 lb. 10-year cabinet warranty, 3-year mattress warranty.
Renter-safe?: Yes — freestanding, explicitly does not need anchoring to a wall
Price: $1,897.00 · View on Amazon
#ad how we earn · price as of November 14, 2026

Source: Amazon.com product listing, read via the Amazon Creators API, recorded 16 Oct 2026. Any field the listing does not state is marked as such rather than estimated.

A full-size guest bed in a small apartment

Bestar Key West 69W Queen Murphy Bed

Bestar

The reference wall bed: a dual-mount queen that takes a real 60 by 80 mattress, on a dual-piston mechanism Bestar expects to be slept on every night.

What it's bad at

Dual-mount means it anchors to both the floor and the wall, and Bestar says a professional or qualified person should install it. That is why it is stable, and it is also why most leases make it a conversation with the landlord. 354 lb.

Our score — 8.7 / 10

Footprint10

Mattress10

Mechanism9

Renter fit3

Value7

$1,403.02 · View on Amazon

$1,599.99 12% off

#ad how we earn · price as of November 14, 2026

Specifications

Folded footprint: 68.5 in. W x 68.5 in. D x 88.05 in. H as listed
Open footprint: NOT STATED BY MANUFACTURER
Clearance in front: Bestar publishes no extension figure for this model. Plan on roughly the mattress length from the wall plus a walkway, and measure before ordering.
Doorway minimum: NOT STATED BY MANUFACTURER
Sleep surface: 60 x 80 in. — a true queen
Mattress: Your own: 8 to 12 in. thick, 60 to 90 lb, 60 x 80 in. No futons, no box spring.
Fold mechanism: Dual-mount wall bed mechanism with a dual piston system, anchored to floor and wall
Weight capacity: NOT STATED BY MANUFACTURER
Assembly: Required, two people, and Bestar specifies a professional or qualified installer. 354 lb. Flexible slat mattress support.
Renter-safe?: No — anchors into the wall structure and the floor
Price: $1,403.02 · View on Amazon
$1,599.99 12% off
#ad how we earn · price as of November 14, 2026

Source: Amazon.com product listing, read via the Amazon Creators API, recorded 16 Oct 2026. Any field the listing does not state is marked as such rather than estimated.

Arason Creden-ZzZ Queen Cabinet Bed

Arason Enterprises

The original cabinet bed: 24 inches deep closed, a usable 39-inch-high top surface, a memory foam mattress included and a drawer for the bedding.

What it's bad at

Arason calls it a queen, but it does not publish the sleeping surface, and at 240 lb this is a two-person delivery that then lives where you first put it.

Our score — 8.1 / 10

Footprint8

Mattress7

Mechanism8

Renter fit10

Value6

$2,019.00 · View on Amazon

#ad how we earn · price as of November 14, 2026

Specifications

Folded footprint: 64 in. W x 24 in. D x 39 in. H
Open footprint: NOT STATED BY MANUFACTURER
Clearance in front: No open depth is published for this model. Plan on roughly the mattress length clear of the cabinet front and confirm with the seller.
Doorway minimum: NOT STATED BY MANUFACTURER
Sleep surface: Sold as a queen; the listing publishes no sleeping dimensions
Mattress: Included memory foam mattress. Depth not stated.
Fold mechanism: Fold-down front with the mattress on a pull-out platform
Weight capacity: NOT STATED BY MANUFACTURER
Assembly: Required. 240 lb. Freestanding — the listing states no bolting to floor or walls. Storage drawer for pillows or blankets.
Renter-safe?: Yes — freestanding, explicitly needs no bolting
Price: $2,019.00 · View on Amazon
#ad how we earn · price as of November 14, 2026

Source: Amazon.com product listing, read via the Amazon Creators API, recorded 16 Oct 2026. Any field the listing does not state is marked as such rather than estimated.

Answers

Common questions

How do you make a Murphy bed look like a cabinet?

Match the depth of whatever sits beside it. A closed wall bed is 23 to 26.4 inches deep, so flanking it with cabinetry of the same depth removes the step in the plan that the eye reads as out-of-place furniture. Then carry one continuous shelf or cornice across the top, and use flush or recessed handles instead of a pull at chest height.

Can you put shelves on top of a Murphy bed?

Only if the ceiling clearance allows it. A Bestar Key West cabinet is 88.05 inches tall and an AMERLIFE 91.3, so there is very little to spend. Measure the actual gap above the cabinet before adding anything, and do not add weight to the moving front panel - on a piston-assisted bed that panel is part of the counterbalance.

Can furniture sit in front of a Murphy bed?

Yes, and it is the most effective way to break the plane - as long as it clears the open bed. Bestar's horizontal Claremont 80W extends 69.43 inches from the wall and we allow 30 to 36 inches of clearance around the open bed. The purpose-built answer is a bed-and-sofa unit like the MERITLINE queen Murphy bed with couch, where the sofa is configured so it does not have to move at all.

Which Murphy bed is easiest to hide?

A cabinet bed, because it does not need hiding - closed it is a credenza. The Night & Day Murphy Cube is 64.1 by 26.4 by 36.6 inches, about ten square feet of floor, and the Arason Creden-ZzZ is 64 by 25 by 39 inches with an 11-inch drawer. Among true wall beds, a horizontal model at 64 inches tall closed is far easier to absorb into a living room than an 86-inch vertical one.

Is it safe to modify a Murphy bed cabinet?

Build around it, not on it. The front panel on a piston-assisted bed is part of the system that counterbalances the mattress, so adding a mirror, a heavy shelf or a stone top changes the loads the pistons were specified for. Flanking cabinetry, a continuous top line across neighbouring units and different handles are all changes that leave the mechanism alone.

Sources

Keep reading

Why depth is the whole trick

The two formats that hide themselves

What not to do

In a studio, hiding is the point

The beds that hide most easily

MERITLINE Queen Murphy Bed with Couch

Night & Day Furniture Murphy Cube Cabinet Bed (Queen)

Bestar Key West 69W Queen Murphy Bed

Arason Creden-ZzZ Queen Cabinet Bed

Common questions

Related on Fold & Futon