Murphy Beds With
Storage

How the storage integrates

Storage murphy beds flank the bed cabinet with fixed towers (bookcases, wardrobes, or drawer stacks) bolted to the bed cabinet and the wall. The bed pivots between them; the storage never moves. Some designs add a bridge cabinet across the top for the full built-in wall look.

The key detail: the side cabinets are structural. They widen the wall anchor footprint, which actually makes the whole assembly more stable than a standalone bed cabinet. But they also commit you: once you've built a 10-foot wall of cabinetry, that wall is decided for the next decade.

Who it's actually for

Anyone short on closet space: kids' rooms, studios, guest rooms that need to store linens. If you're choosing between a murphy bed and a dresser because only one fits, stop choosing. Build both into the same wall.

Skip the towers if you move often. A bed-plus-storage wall is a two-day disassembly job. Renters should stick to a standalone bed cabinet.

Dimensions and footprint

A queen bed with two 18-inch bookcase towers runs about 102 inches wide, 87 inches tall, and 20 to 24 inches deep. Add a top bridge and you're at the full 87-inch height across the whole span. Open, the bed needs 85 inches of floor in front.

Each tower interior is typically 16 inches deep, enough for books, folded clothes, and storage bins, not enough for hangers (that's what wardrobe towers are for). Measure your wall: you need the full 102 inches plus an inch of scribe on each side.

DIY vs buying: the real cost

Retail storage walls run $2,000 to $6,000 depending on width and finish. The cabinetry is where the money goes: it's a lot of plywood and a lot of shop time.

DIY is where this configuration shines, because bookcase towers are the simplest cabinets you'll ever build: boxes with adjustable shelves. Budget $600 to $1,000 for the bed itself, $200 to $400 for two towers in cabinet-grade plywood, and $100 for our plans, which include the tower dimensions matched to the bed cabinet so everything lines up. Total: $900 to $1,500 for a wall of furniture that retails for three times that.

What to watch out for

• Anchor every tower to studs, not just the bed cabinet. A loaded bookcase tips; the bed anchor alone won't save it.
• Keep heavy items low. Books on the bottom shelves, light stuff up top. A top-heavy tower is a tip risk even when anchored.
• Leave access to outlets. Plan outlet cutouts in the tower backs before assembly, not after.
• Scribe the towers to the wall. Walls aren't straight; a 1/4-inch gap at the top looks amateur. Scribe and trim.
• Don't block the bed's fold arc with tower depth. Keep towers flush with or shallower than the bed cabinet.

Frequently asked questions