We made the choice to make Odelia’s nursery double as a visitor room so my dad and mom had a spot to remain after they came over. Essentially the most sensible manner to do this was by constructing a Murphy Mattress!
This was BY FAR the biggest challenge we tackled on this house. There have been a LOT of ups and downs, a giant studying curve and many errors made, however we’re SO happy with what we created. It’s every little thing I imagined it to be and MORE.
So immediately I’m going to stroll you thru, as finest I can, all of the steps we took to create this masterpiece.
BUY A MURPHY BED KIT
We undoubtedly couldn’t have executed this utterly by scratch so fortunately we had a little bit assist from Custom Woodworks MO. They promote Murphy mattress kits you should buy which made issues loads simpler!
Additionally they construct Murphy Beds, together with many different issues, so in the event you aren’t feeling as fearless together with your DIY abilities, you’ll be able to have them construct it for you and ship you the items to place collectively!
We determined to make use of their full sized mattress equipment which was roughly round $500. We didn’t need it taking on an excessive amount of house, however it additionally wanted to be sufficiently big for my dad and mom to sleep on!
THE CUT LIST
The equipment comes with a minimize listing which is tremendous straightforward to comply with and tells you precisely what sizes to chop all of your wooden. You need to be sure you’re utilizing furnishings grade plywood and it’s beneficial to make use of 3/4″ width. We used birch plywood.
Full Measurement Murphy Mattress Reduce Listing
Face Panels (28 3⁄4″ x 77 5/16″) x 2
Sides (16″ x 82 1⁄4″) x 2
Headboard/Prime (15″ x 58″) x 2
Again (6″ x 58″) x 1
Toe Kick (3 3⁄4″ x 58″) x 1
Elective stiffener (similar measurements as toe kick)
Crown
Sq./with slight overhang (16 3⁄4″ x 61″) x 1
or
Conventional/requires crown molding round 3 sides (16″ x 59 1⁄2″) x 1
Upon getting all of your items of wooden minimize, you’ll need to edge band them for a cleaner look. Even in the event you’re portray your wooden, it’s nonetheless a good suggestion to cowl up these ugly edges and provides your piece a extra skilled look.
For those who’ve by no means used edge banding earlier than, it’s one in every of my favourite issues! Plywood is a superb choice for lots of wooden working initiatives as a result of it’s inexpensive, however it’s constructed from totally different layers of wooden so the uncooked edge isn’t the prettiest.
It has warmth activated glue on it, so all you do is put in place on the sting of your plywood, and use a scorching iron to press it on. Make sure to measure out the size you want first – you’ll be able to minimize it simply with scissors.
I like to carry the iron in a single spot for about 10 seconds after which transfer on to the following. After you’ve ironed the entire piece on, take one other piece of wooden or one thing agency and rub all of it the best way throughout the sting banding with agency strain to make sure that it’s totally adhered.
I minimize particular person items for all sides of the plywood – you don’t must try to fold it over the corners as a result of it would simply break. Simply try to measure each bit so it’s as near the nook as doable.
Regardless that the plywood is 3/4″ and the sting banding is 3/4″ I discover that it’s at all times a little bit bit wider. It leaves a tiny lip however to do away with that I simply use my handheld sander and clean it down till the sting banding is totally flush with the plywood.
STAINING THE MURPHY BED
As soon as all of the items of wooden had been sanded and edge banded it was time to stain them! I’ve been utilizing Varathane’s Dark Walnut Gel Stain on a ton of my initiatives currently in order that’s what I selected for this too.
There are quite a lot of totally different opinions about whether or not or not it’s worthwhile to situation your wooden earlier than making use of stain. Typically I do and generally I don’t. Truthfully, I really feel prefer it by no means makes an enormous distinction so I didn’t do it on these.
I gave each bit one coat of stain. I like utilizing these staining pads – they maintain the gel stain properly and provide you with a pleasant even end.
As soon as they had been dry, I high coated them utilizing Vermont Natural Coatings Poly Whey Furniture Finish in Satin. I’ve additionally been utilizing this on all my wooden initiatives currently and completely find it irresistible.
I used a 3″ vast black foam brush to use it.
THE ARCHES
I had this imaginative and prescient for the Murphy Mattress from the beginning which included cane and arches. I didn’t notice how tough it will really be to carry this imaginative and prescient to life, however Dan and I made it work and it was completely price it.
Anytime I point out the phrase, arch, Dan will get nervous 😉 They aren’t the best factor on this planet to make however let me let you know – he’s a professional now!
He began out by making an attempt to make use of the jigsaw and it simply wasn’t giving us the right curve that we wished. Then I used to be advised about Kristy from Benson Dwelling and the arch challenge she was engaged on. She constructed a candy mirror utilizing a circle guide kit – so off to Lowe’s Dan went to get one.
This instrument hooks as much as your router and lets you make circles and arches. It’s fairly candy. It has a little bit of a studying curve, however as soon as you work it out it’s pretty straight ahead to make use of.
You principally screw a pivot level into the middle of your wooden which permits the router to simply transfer in a wonderfully round movement. We went by way of a couple of items of scrap wooden first earlier than Dan lastly felt assured sufficient to make the ultimate arches.
Making the surface arch was the simple half – it was making the within arch that was trickier.
As soon as he had the preliminary arch executed – then he minimize the straight edge utilizing the desk noticed. He did this by doing one thing referred to as a drop in minimize the place you flip in your desk noticed first, then gently place the wooden down on high of the blade so you can begin a minimize from the center of a chunk of wooden.
It was arduous to get an ideal 90° nook utilizing the desk noticed, so he cleaned these up utilizing the jigsaw.
DANG! How good do these look?! We had been SO EXCITED.
Since we used plywood for these as properly, I needed to edge band them. And as soon as that was executed I stained them utilizing the identical stain coloration I used on the big wooden items for the mattress.
THE CANE
As soon as that was completed, it was time so as to add my cane. For those who’e been following me for some time, then you already know that I prefer to darken my cane. I do know that cane will naturally darken over time, however I can’t wait that lengthy :-p
I purchase my cane from Frank’s Cane and Rush Supply. That is the medium danish weave sample.
Pure cane tends to have a little bit little bit of a yellow undertone to it and I choose to tone that down a notch and make my cane look extra worn.
I had executed this as soon as earlier than on the bench within the child’s playroom however had a tough time monitoring down the identical product I utilized in time.
After some trial and error, what labored the very best for me was Liquid Polyshades within the coloration Mission Oak. I laid out my cane items on a towel, and used a black foam brush to softly wipe the stain on. I didn’t need the cane to be TOO darkish so after I brushed the stain on, I gently wiped it off with a paper towel. This helped even it out and provides me the right coloration I used to be on the lookout for.
I needed to put it up towards a lighter, strong background to see simply the way it seemed. This helped me see the place any splotches had been that wanted to be mounted.
Because the polyshades is a 2-1 stain and poly, you don’t must topcoat the cane and it doesn’t depart it feeling sticky!
As soon as the cane was dry, we connected it to the again of every arch just by utilizing a staple gun.
HOW GORGEOUS ARE THEY?!
ASSEMBLING THE MURPHY BED
Earlier than we connected them to the murphy mattress, we wished to truly construct the murphy mattress. Which was fairly the manufacturing.
The equipment from Customized Woodworks comes with thorough directions and Julie shared a video with me that was useful as properly. She additionally shared her and her husband’s telephone quantity with me in case we wanted additional assistant. Which we did ha.
We obtained a little bit combined up on a couple of of the steps however they walked us by way of it and had been SO useful.
It took a little bit fenangaling to get the “door” to open and shut correctly which is regular. After a little bit tweaking had been in enterprise! I believe we had been all shocked that it was really functioning the best way it was speculated to ha.
Now that that half was executed, we might add the ending touches. I wasn’t certain at first if I favored how the darkish cane seemed towards the darkish wooden. I thought of portray behind it with a lighter coloration and even including some cloth behind it for extra distinction however in the long run determined to maintain it as is. And I’m glad I did!
To connect the arches, we utilized some wooden glue to the again after which additionally shot in a couple of ending nails at an angle. They’re barely seen and provides it a little bit further help.
The following choice I needed to make was whether or not or to not add one other factor I had been serious about for some extra visible curiosity. Wooden slats!
I taped some up there and stared at them for WAY too lengthy earlier than determined to lastly do it.
Since we made the arches the peak we did, it left some open house in the direction of the underside which I felt wanted to be crammed. Wooden slats added some extra texture and sample!
We really had some left over from the Slat Wall within the child’s playroom. They’re poplar 1x1s. Since I had painted them within the playroom I didn’t care what sort of wooden they had been. However poplar can generally stain form of humorous. Fortunately it didn’t look too far off from the remainder of the plywood and so they blended proper in.
Utilizing an additional slat as a spacer on the highest between the arch and slats after which a 1/4″ piece of plywood between every one allowed us to maintain even spacing.
We used some wooden glue and some small ending nails at an angle once more to connect them.
BOOM! DONE!
This factor was a labor of affection that’s for certain however it felt so good to see it completed realizing all of the arduous work we put into it.
The mechanism in it’s completely protected and permits the mattress to slowly be pulled down and pulled again up. It additionally comes with a strap that holds the mattress in so it doesn’t fall out.
I used this mattress on it and truthfully nonetheless haven’t styled the mattress a lot when it comes to bedding or art work above the headboard. That’s on my listing for this yr 😉
My dad and mom have slept on it many instances because it was first constructed and completely approve! They stated it isn’t the finest mattress they’ve ever slept on (they’re fairly tall and are used to their big king sized water mattress ha) however they’re grateful to have this room to remain in after they come go to!
Constructing a Murphy Mattress was undoubtedly not straightforward however it was price it! We had quite a lot of enjoyable with it and I like having such a singular piece in such a particular room.
