Which Space-Saving Option Is Right for Your Room?
A spare bedroom rarely serves just one purpose. It may function as a home office during the week, welcome grandchildren over the holidays, and, for much of the year, sit unused behind a closed door.
For homeowners across Austin and San Antonio, fitting a bed into a room like this might come down to a choice between a cabinet bed or a Murphy bed. A cabinet bed is a freestanding piece of furniture, finished on every side. It looks like a low credenza and opens into a queen-size bed in about two minutes, with no installation. A Murphy bed is a cabinet that attaches to your wall and holds a mattress out of sight. It can be just the bed cabinet, or you can add matching pieces such as bookcases, extra storage, or a desk alongside it. A cabinet bed is furniture you place in a room. A Murphy bed is installed and stays with the room.
In more than twenty years of designing custom storage throughout Austin and San Antonio, we’ve learned that clients usually come to us because something in their lives, or their homes, has changed. They may be downsizing to a home in Sun City, building in Kissing Tree with an extra room they haven’t yet defined, welcoming an aging parent, or reclaiming a guest room that now needs to function as an office. The need comes first. The decision between a cabinet bed and a Murphy bed follows.
Cabinet Bed vs. Murphy Bed at a Glance
| Cabinet Bed | Murphy Bed | |
| What it is | Freestanding furniture piece | Cabinet that attaches to your wall |
| Sizes | Queen | Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King |
| Floor space when closed | 24 inches deep and ten square feet | 16 inches deep |
| Installation | None required, white glove delivery available | Professionally installed by our team |
| Setup for guests | Unfolds in about two minutes | Folds down with one hand |
| Storage | Rolling drawer and flip-up trays | Optional side cabinets, shelving, desks, and media units |
| Style options | Five models with a range of finishes | Wide range of style and finish options |
| Design consultation | Not required | Complimentary |
| Best for | Clients who need to flexibility to move the bed to another room or another home | A long term investment in your home |
What a Cabinet Bed Is, and When to Choose It
Closed, a cabinet bed looks like a low credenza. It takes up about ten square feet, roughly the footprint of a console table. Open it, roll the drawer forward, and unfold the mattress, and the room is ready for a guest in about two minutes.
Ours are built from solid hardwood and rated to hold up to 500 pounds. A six-inch gel foam queen mattress stores inside the cabinet and folds into a single piece, so there are no separate sections to fit together. An outlet with two standard plugs and two USB ports is set into the frame for charging overnight, and a drawer on casters holds spare linens and tucks away while the bed is in use. Flip-up trays hold a phone, a book, or a glass of water, and are standard on all five models: Clover, Sagebrush, Poppy, Daisy, and Ranchero.
A cabinet bed is a good fit when you are happy with how you use the room day to day and need a comfortable place for your family to sleep a few times a year. Cabinet beds are typically kept in stock, which matters when family is arriving for the holidays and you need a bed this month. You can see floor models and all finish options at our Austin and San Antonio showrooms, and choosing one does not require a full design consultation. We deliver, place, and assemble it for you, or you can collect it from our Austin or San Antonio warehouse.
What a Murphy Bed Is, and When to Choose It
A Murphy bed is a cabinet that attaches to your wall. Because it is designed for the specific wall you have, it can fit on an open wall or into an alcove and when the bed is folded up, the floor is clear. With the bed closed, the room looks like a study or a sitting room rather than a bedroom.
A Murphy bed works well when one room has to be used for more than one purpose. On its own it is a single cabinet, and you can add matching pieces alongside it: side cabinets for guest linens, open shelving for books and photographs, a media unit, or a desk. With a desk added, one room can be a home office during the week and a guest room on the weekend. We build Murphy beds in sizes from Twin through King, and because they use standard mattress sizes, the sheets you already own will fit.
How We Design and Build Your Murphy Bed
A custom Murphy bed starts with a conversation about your space, either in your home or at one of our showrooms. We measure the wall and go over how you want to use the room: which way the door swings, whether you want the room to work as an office during the week and a guest room on weekends, and how often guests stay and for how long. We use those answers to shape the design.
Because we plan the details before anything is built, revisions are rare, and you know what will happen, when, and who will be in your home. Our own installers anchor the frame and square the cabinetry in your home. Many of our clients come to us as referrals or return for a second or third room.
We build for the long term. Our cabinet beds are crafted from solid hardwood, while our custom Murphy beds feature cabinetry and hardware selected to withstand years of regular use. Even the mattress is designed specifically for the system: it can be stored upright between uses without losing its shape, unlike many standard mattresses that are not made to be stored vertically.
More Space Place is a locally operated, woman-owned company with more than twenty years of experience serving Austin and San Antonio. Our designers live in the communities they serve and understand how Central Texas homeowners use—and need to make the most of—their space.
See Both in Person
To compare a cabinet bed and a Murphy bed, it helps to see both in person. Our Murphy beds are set up and working in both showrooms, on West Anderson Lane in Austin and Proton Road in San Antonio, and our cabinet beds are on display in both Austin and San Antonio. Visit either showroom, or book a free in-home design consultation and we will measure the wall for you.
Choosing Between a Cabinet Bed and a Murphy Bed
The choice usually comes down to a few practical questions.
How often will the room be used for guests? If you are happy with how you use the room day to day and only need a bed when family visits, a cabinet bed is enough. If you need the room the rest of the year for something else, a Murphy bed folds up to clear the floor, and you can build storage or a workspace around it.
Do you want it built in or freestanding? A Murphy bed is anchored to a dedicated section of wall and built to fit it. Closed, it sits about sixteen inches deep, and when the bed folds up the floor in front stays clear, so you can add a desk, shelving, or storage around it. A cabinet bed is freestanding furniture. It needs no installation and can be moved if you rearrange the room, but it sits about twenty-four inches deep and holds a footprint of roughly ten square feet whether the bed is in use or not.
What size do you need? Cabinet beds come in queen. Murphy beds come in sizes from Twin through King, which covers a grandchild’s room, a guest room, and a larger primary bedroom.
How soon do you need it? If your timeline is short, both options can often be ready quickly. Cabinet beds are typically kept in stock, and certain Murphy bed models are stocked in select finishes as well. The longer timeline applies to a fully custom Murphy bed, which is measured, designed, built, and installed for your specific requirements. When demand is high those lead times can run longer, and the trade-off is cabinetry made to fit your room and built to last for years.
Cabinet Bed vs. Murphy Bed FAQ
Q: Is a cabinet bed comfortable enough for guests?
A: Yes. A cabinet bed uses a genuine six-inch gel foam queen mattress, not a thin fold-out pad, and it folds and stores in one piece, so it keeps its shape between visits.
Q: Does a Murphy bed have to be attached to the wall?
A: Yes. A Murphy bed must be securely anchored to the wall because its spring-assisted mechanism relies on a stable frame to raise and lower the bed safely and smoothly. When properly installed, the bed folds neatly into its cabinet, leaving the floor space open when it is not in use. The surrounding cabinetry can also be customized with shelving, storage, or a desk.
Q: Which is better for a small room?
A: Both options save considerable floor space compared with a traditional bed. A Murphy bed is often the best choice when the room has a suitable wall because it has a shallow profile when closed and can be customized with a desk, shelving, or storage. Side cabinets are optional, so the design can be kept compact.
A cabinet bed may be a better fit when wall space is limited or you do not want the bed permanently attached. It is self-contained and compact, although it typically extends farther into the room when closed than a Murphy bed. The best choice ultimately depends on the room’s dimensions and how you plan to use the space.
Q: Can I use my own mattress in a Murphy bed?
A: Yes, as long as it meets the Murphy bed’s size, thickness, and weight requirements. However, we generally don’t recommend it. The mattress and spring mechanism need to work together for the bed to open and close smoothly, so we recommend a mattress designed and selected specifically for your Murphy bed. This ensures the best fit, comfort, and performance.
Q: Can I see both in person?
A: Yes. Our Murphy beds are set up and working in our Austin and San Antonio showrooms, and our cabinet beds are on display at both showrooms, where you can roll out the drawer, lift the trays, and compare finishes side by side.
Whether you need a bed for the occasional holiday guest or a custom design that allows one room to serve multiple purposes, seeing both beds in person can help you understand the options and choose the best fit for your space. Browse our custom Murphy beds or our cabinet beds, then book a free in-home design consultation and let a designer who lives here help you Make Room For Life®.
Austin Showroom: 2438 W. Anderson Ln. Suite C7, Austin, TX 78757 | (512) 419-7911
San Antonio Showroom: 930 Proton Rd. Ste 306, San Antonio, TX 78258 | (210) 840-6648
