Lee Buchanan's Murphy Bed Build Shows Big Ideas Can Fit into Small Spaces
Follow along with woodworker and custom furniture maker Lee Buchanan as she tackles a unique Murphy bed makeover.
A few years ago, I got a call from clients who had bought an original Sea Ranch condominium designed by renowned architect Charles Moore. They asked me to rebuild a twin Murphy bed closet to fit a full-size bed—without changing the footprint or straying from Moore’s original design.
I demoed the closet’s original 2x4 framing and replaced the sides with 3/4-in. plywood, but I was worried about structural integrity, so I came up with a few methods of reinforcement. I installed a 3/4-in. plywood floor, toe-kick, 2x4 bracing and a small header box to conceal lighting.
Black powder–coated aluminum L-brackets along the bottom of the cabinet strengthened the sides. Adding felt feet on the doors allowed the floor to support their weight, alleviating stress on the left wall. I also glued solid wood edging on the doors and closet sides to provide a strong connection for the brass screws that hold the piano hinges.
Given the room’s high sun exposure, I rubbed Osmo UV-Protection Oil on all the panels before installation. The warm, natural finish matched the rest of the Douglas fir millwork in the house.
