Choosing between vertical and horizontal cabinets for a murphy bed is easy when you think about the room you’re placing it in now and potentially in the future. If the room now has low ceilings, a tall cabinet may not fit or will throw the feel of the room off balance.
Horizontal murphy beds won’t give you the height to help a room feel taller, or as much shelf space for storage as a vertical one with cabinets, so if space and decluttering are a priority, vertical cabinets make more sense.
Here are some of the most common questions and scenarios murphy bed shoppers come across, and the recommendations we give when people ask us as they're shopping our collection of murphy beds.
More Storage
Vertical cabinets tend to have more storage as they can be lined with shelves more easily than a horizontal murphy bed cabinet. Designs that use a rotating fixture vs. a lowering functionality like the Compatto series in our collection of rotating murphy beds swivels so the mattress and bed frame lower on one side, then with a simple rotation you have complete shelving and bookcase system.
Horizontal murphy bed cabinets can have a long shelf vs. multiple stacked shelves which is normally used as a desk rather than shelving and storage. The reason it is used as a desk rather than display unit is because of the way the bed lowers.
Since the shelves would become vertical rather than parallel with the ground instead of rotating into the cabinet as you transform the desk into a bed, you'd need to empty the shelves each time you or a guest wants to sleep. That's why horizontal murphy beds are not as good for shelving and storage units as vertical ones. If the murphy bed is for short term vs. regular use, the ledge can be a storage shelf, but you’ll need to clear it each time you want to use the bed for sleeping.
Larger Beds
Interestingly enough the alignment of the cabinet does not impact the mattress or bedframe size. Horizontal cabinets can be built slightly taller and contain a queen or king size murphy bed just like a vertical cabinet. If a large bed is your preference, both can be a good choice, it is more about style and future usage.
If you have a two bedroom apartment now with low ceilings, or are using a den as a guest room and it is tight on space, this is how you’ll make the decision. If the den in your home has narrower walls, go with the vertical rotating option so you can store books and office supplies, then have a king or queen murphy bed when it becomes a guest room.
For apartments with lower ceilings, the horizontal murphy bed with a slimmer cabinet will free up space as it can align more smoothly with the wall. Depending on the length of the wall, you could use the vertical lines to create the feeling of height. For shorter walls, because space is tight in an apartment or condo, you’d have to sacrifice mattress size for the same effect because a larger and wider cabinet will become overpowering visually.
Bonus-tip: The cabinet size might not impact the size of the mattress you can use with your murphy bed, but the building materials of the cabinet can. Manufactured wood can be stronger and more durable than real wood for murphy beds, and can be thinner so you can use a larger and more supportive mattress.
Larger Bed Sizes for Murphy Bunk Beds
The mattress sizes are the biggest difference with vertical and horizontal murphy bunk beds. Vertical ones are normally slimmer and expand outwards across a room so they work perfect for narrow spaces like a hotel room or vacation property, or where you need to sleep a lot of people.
Because you can fit more people in the area, this makes vertical murphy bunk beds perfect for cabins, lodges, hostels, hotels, campgrounds, and anywhere you need to maximize sleeping spaces with living spaces, including tiny rooms. The top bunks may also be shorter due to the space limitations within the cabinets, but the efficiency makes up for it.
Horizontal murphy bunk beds can lie more flush against the wall as the bottom that supports the mattress replaces the doors of the cabinet for a modern and smooth finish. Because the two beds lower horizontally, you can free up the walking space across the room, and you may be able to have larger sized beds.
You do however lose more wall space for decor items because the beds line up against it. You are also limited to how many sleep spaces as they are connected to the walls vs. the cabinets which can be lined up next to each other giving an advantage to vertical murphy bunk beds.
Taller Walls
For taller walls go with vertical murphy beds. The height of the cabinets won’t be an issue because of the height of the room, and the large cabinets add to the decor. There is less wall space being taken up, so you can feature larger art prints, mirrors, and have more space to line furniture along the wall like a sectional couch.
The vertical lines may help add a feeling of height to the space by bringing your eyes up and down the wall, and you can find options with shelves to make the murphy bed a stunning display while it isn’t being used for sleep.
Longer Walls
If your walls are longer and ceilings are shorter, horizontal murphy beds are a better choice. You will lose wall space here height wise, so instead of a taller or larger piece of portrait orientation artwork, go with a long horizontal or landscape aligned piece.
The sleek and low profile may feel more sophisticated while it isn’t in use, and if it has a desk you can use it for shelf space to display decorative items, work, or fold laundry.
Supports a TV
The height and width of some vertical murphy bed cabinets make it perfect for supporting a large flat screen TV. Our Compatto revolving bookshelf murphy bed for example has shelves to display your favorite items and can hold a 75” flat screen. Because the cabinet is higher off the ground, the TV can be placed at the same height you’d hang it from on a wall.
This cannot be done on a horizontal cabinet as it lacks the height, and horizontal cabinets normally lower vs. rotate so the TV would need to be secured on tightly, or it may fall and break. That’s why vertical murphy beds are better than horizontal when the furniture is in a multi-purpose room for entertaining and sleeping.
Has a Desk or Table for Function
Both horizontal and vertical murphy beds can have desks, but the size and length will change substantially. Desks on horizontal murphy beds can go longer like a shelf or be standard size, they tend to be less lengthy so they may only be a two or four person table for dining.
Vertical murphy beds can have longer tables making it better for apartments, studios, and multi-functional households as the tall cabinet lets you fold a table across the room to seat four or more people comfortably. The added size of the table can make it multi-purpose for game nights, folding laundry, crafting, or situations where you need a larger table surface area.
Both horizontal and vertical murphy beds can be space saving and multi-functional. Vertical gives you longer tables and more options for storage, while horizontal can free up living area without a large cabinet and fit in rooms with shorter ceilings.