Because most days, it’s the backdrop to an office.
Emily Lindberg has built her fair share of Murphy beds. While based in Providence, Rhode Island, these days, her business, Emily Lindberg Design, kicked off in New York City, so she knows that a smart solution for a crammed space is a mattress that can disappear into the wall. “People really like the ability to put the bed away and have a little more space, often for doing work,” says Lindberg. Her client living in a historic building on Great Jones Street was no different. The passionate host and dad wanted the opportunity to have people come and stay with them—the problem was his apartment was only a two-bedroom, one-bath when he bought it.
Working her layout magic, the designer was able to squeeze in another bathroom and even expand the gathering areas. Then came the genius part: In the roughly 7-by-11 foot space off the kitchen, Lindberg realized there’d be just enough room for a desk and a wall bed. “On an everyday level, it’s a home office and extra storage, and potentially a TV room (you can pull down the bed and flop on there. Otherwise, it’s the guest space,” says the designer.
Unlike most wall beds that flip down from the foot, Lindberg opted for a custom design that drops from the side, that way the mattress doesn’t block the pocket doorway leading to the kitchen. The sideways orientation also made the tiny space feel airy and bright: there isn’t an imposing structure blocking the new sawtooth skylight and guests can access the deep ledge above the bed (a prime spot to stash their duffle bag).
For even more storage, Lindberg lined the wall with peg hooks and added a shallow shelf inside of the wall bed that can double as a nightstand. When the sun has set and the remote-controlled shade covering the skylight has been drawn, guests can simply tug on the pop-out sconces above the shelf for reading light.
The Murphy bed box (measuring 5’2″ x 6’10” x 1’8″) is clad in oak wood that is consistent with the paneling on the other two walls. “It was a way to add a lot of personality to a room where you can’t have a lot of extra furniture,” the designer says of the millwork. “Also, I didn’t want it to feel like the Murphy bed was just this object that we put into a box.” When the door is shut, you barely know it’s there.
