Ever seen a piece of furniture perform a magic trick? Voila! Check out this queen sized murphy bed plan! When in the closed position, this plan looks like a cabinet with 2 shelves and tons of storage. Need a bed and not a cabinet? Simply remove shelf items, remove the carriage bolts that secure the bed in the upright position, and you have a fancy bed! If only everything could be this magical.
As with all of our plans, you are building at your own risk and you should have a firm understanding of building in general before you attempt many of our plans (some are easy as pie and perfect for beginners). With that, go forth, have fun, take lots of pictures and share them in a showcase on the site or on social media with the hashtag #builtTDCtuff and we will share our faves! Be sure to tag @thedesignconfidential on Instagram / FB and @thedesconf on Twitter / Pinterest. If you are a blogger and you post about your build, don’t forget to include a link to your post on your showcase here. Don’t forget… for all of our newer plans, clicking on the images will let them expand to enormous sizes with much greater clarity. The older plans may need updating so please let us know if you need one fixed!
$325-$375
- Tape Measure
- Saw – Jig Saw, Circular, Table, or Miter Saw
- Drill
- Multi-Square and Carpenter’s Square
- Sander
- Kreg Jig – if you build frequently, invest in this one.
- Nail Gun – optional
- Router with Patterning bit – or bit set – optional
- 16 – 1×2 at 8’
- 2 – 1×6 at 8’
- 4 – 1×8 at 8′
- 3 – 1×12 at 8’
- 3 – 2×4 at 8′
- 2 – 2×6 at 8’
- 2 – 1/4″ plywood at 4’x8′
- 1-1/4″ Wood Screws
- 1-1/4″ Pocket Hole Screws
- 2-1/2″ Wood Screws
- 1/2″ Drill Bit
- 2 – 1/2″ x 6″ Carriage Bolts
- 3 – Door Hinges
- Countersink Drill Bit
- Pocket Hole Plugs – Paint Grade, Pine, Oak – optional
- Clamps
- Safety Gear
- Wood Filler
- Wood Glue
- Sanding Supplies
- Paste Wax
- Finishing Supplies
- 1 – 1×12 at 66” – Cabinet Top
- 2 – 1×12 at 90” – Cabinet Sides
- 3 – 2×4 at 64-1/2” – Cabinet Supports
- 2 – 2×6 at 64-1/2” –Bed Frame Supports
- 2 – 1×8 at 62-1/2” – Bed Frame Header and Footer
- 2 – 1×8 at 83” – Bed Frame Sides
- 2 – 1×2 at 61” – Mattress Support Header and Footer
- 2 – 1×2 at 81-1/2” – Mattress Support Sides
- 6 – 1×2 at 61” – Mattress Supports A
- 4 – 1×2 at 61” – Mattress Supports B
- 2 – 1/4” plywood at 32” x 83” – Cabinet Front
- 2 – 1×2 at 64” – Shelf Supports
- 2 – 1×6 at 64” – Shelves
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Cut the piece for the Cabinet Top.
Cut the pieces for the Cabinet Sides. With the Kreg jig for 3/4” material, drill pocket holes in the top end of the Cabinet Sides.
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Assemble the Cabinet Top to the Cabinet Sides as shown with glue and 1-1/4” pocket screws.
Cut the pieces for the Cabinet Supports. With the Kreg jig for 1-1/2” material, drill pocket holes in each end of the Cabinet Supports. Attach the Cabinet Supports to the Cabinet Sides as shown with glue and 1-1/4” pocket screws. Make sure that the back sides of the Cabinet Supports are flush with the back sides of the Cabinet Sides.
Attach the Cabinet Assembly to the wall with 2-1/2” wood screws through the Cabinet Supports into the wall studs.
Cut the pieces for the Bed Frame Supports. With the Kreg jig set for 1-1/2” material, drill pocket holes in each end of the Bed Frame Supports. Attach the Bed Frame Supports to the Cabinet Sides as shown with glue and 1-1/4” pocket screws. Make sure that the front of the Bed Frame Support is flush with the front edge of the Cabinet Sides.
Cut the pieces for the Bed Frame Header and Footer. With the Kreg jig set for 3/4” material, drill pocket holes in each end of the Bed Frame Header and Footer.
Cut the pieces for the Bed Frame Sides. Attach the Bed Frame Header and Footer to the Bed Frame Sides as shown with glue and 1-1/4” pocket screws.
Cut the pieces for the Mattress Support Header and Footer. With the Kreg jig set for 3/4” material, drill pocket holes in each end of the Mattress Support Header and Footer.
Cut the pieces for the Mattress Support Sides. Assemble the Mattress Support Header and Footer to the Mattress Support Sides as shown with glue and 1-1/4” pocket screws.
Attach the Mattress Support Assembly to the Bed Frame Assembly with glue and 1-1/4” wood screws. All pieces should be flush on the bottom edge.
Cut the pieces for the Mattress Supports A and B. With the Kreg jig set for 3/4” material, drill pocket holes in each end of the Mattress Supports A and B.
Assemble Mattress Supports A and B to the Mattress Support Sides as shown with glue and 1-1/4” pocket screws. Make sure that the bottom edges of the Mattress Supports are flush with the bottom edges of the Mattress Support Header/Footer and the Bed Frame Assembly. Attach each Mattress Support B to Mattress Support A with glue and 1-1/4” wood screws.
Cut the pieces for the Cabinet Front. Attach to the Bed Frame/Mattress Support Assembly with glue and 1-1/4” wood screws. Be sure to only screw into the Mattress Support B pieces, the Bed Frame Assembly, or the Mattress Support Assembly so that screw ends are not exposed.
Cut the pieces for the Shelf Supports. Attach the Shelf Supports to the Cabinet Front with glue and 1-1/4” wood screws. Be sure to only screw into the Mattress Support A or B pieces so that screw ends are not exposed.
Cut the pieces for the Shelves. Attach the Shelves to the Shelf Supports with glue and 1-1/4” wood screws.
Attach the Cabinet hardware as shown. Make sure it is at a height that can be reached by most people.
Position the Bed Frame/Mattress Support Assembly as shown and attach the door hinges to the Bed Frame Header and Bed Frame Support. There should be a 1/4” gap on each side of the Bed Frame Assembly.
Fold the Bed Frame Assembly up so that the Cabinet Front is flush with the front of the Cabinet Sides. You may need to use a screw to temporary secure into place. There will be approximately a 1-1/2” gap between the Cabinet Top and the Bed Frame Assembly. This space is needed so the Bed Frame Assembly can clear the Cabinet Top when folded into place. This gap will also vary slightly due to the specific type of hinges used.
Drill a 1/2” diameter hole as noted through each Cabinet Side into the adjacent Bed Frame Side and Mattress Support Side. Slide the 1/2” x 6” carriage bolt into this hole to secure the Murphy Bed.
Nice project 🙂