MODERNIST MURPHY BEDS
by Jill Fehrenbacher
Readers of Inhabitat may have noticed that I have a thing for folding furniture. Transformer furniture is just so much more space-saving and efficient than regular furniture. I really feel that all furniture should have some sort of multipurpose element to it.
Murphy beds are the original folding furniture, dating back to the turn of the century. Unfortunately, they have been around (and been neglected) for so long that most of them have a kitschy grandma look: nostalgic but not something you really want cluttering your house. Fortunately, it is possible to find fold-up furniture that will save space AND maintain your minimalist aesthetic.
Clei UK makes modernist Murphy beds in a variety of shapes and styles. They have bunk beds, double beds, single beds, and beds that transform into desks and shelves. This particularly awesome LGM piece folds up seamlessly into a
shelving unit ? and has a work desk that folds out of it as well.
Of course, there are drawbacks to folding furniture. The biggest one is probably the time involved in moving stuff around clearing the space. Also, there is the constant unfolding and re-folding. But think of it this way: transformer furniture imposes self-discipline on its owners. It forces you to always keep your space tidy and clean. Plus it is a mini work-out to unfold and refold that stuff, so folding furniture is efficient in more ways than one!
Clei Uk furniture is available through bonbon.co.uk
Via Mocoloco
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I wonder if that converting bed/bookshelf unit has some clever mechanism to keep the shelves horizontal to the ground as it’s lowered, or if it’s just such a complete pain in the arse that the shelving would remain unused?
It’d be fairly easy to rig something like that up - the only problem would be the extra weight of the shelf contents when lifting the thing back into the ‘daytime’ position.