King Murphy
Beds

The heavy-duty project

A king murphy bed is not a bigger queen. It's a different engineering problem. The 76 by 80-inch mattress is only the start: the finished bed frame with mattress weighs 200 to 250 pounds, the cabinet is over seven feet wide in horizontal orientation, and every force in the system scales up. This is a build for someone who needs a king (a master bedroom that must convert to a living space), not a build for someone who wants the biggest option. If a queen would do, build the queen. If you need the king, build it like you mean it: thicker stock where it counts, more anchors, and zero improvisation on the hardware.

Dimensions that matter

Vertical king cabinet: roughly 82 inches wide, 87 inches tall, 18 inches deep. That's nearly 7 feet of wall width and the same ceiling demand as a queen. Horizontal king: about 87 inches wide, 56 inches tall, and this is where most king builds land, because the lower height suits the scale and the wide cabinet reads as intentional furniture rather than a monolith. Open projection runs about 7 feet from the wall either way. Plan on 4 to 5 sheets of 3/4-inch plywood, and don't even think about 1/2-inch stock for structural parts at this size.

• Mattress: 76 x 80 in. (standard king); verify kit weight rating first
• Vertical cabinet: ~82 in. wide x 87 in. tall x 18 in. deep
• Horizontal cabinet: ~87 in. wide x 56 in. tall x 18 in. deep
• Assembly weight (frame + mattress): 200 to 250 lb
• Follow the chosen hardware manufacturer’s current mounting instructions. Have a qualified professional verify the wall structure, attachment points, and fasteners for your installation.

Cost and time

Four to five sheets of plywood ($240 to $400), extra solid stock for the wider spans ($120 to $200), a king-rated hardware kit ($400 to $750; confirm the kit is actually rated for king, not just "large"), heavy-duty fasteners ($70), finish ($90 to $120). Total: $1,000 to $1,500. Build time: 35 to 50 hours for a first-timer, because every part is bigger, heavier, and less forgiving. The king is also the size where a helper stops being a convenience and becomes a requirement. You will not safely maneuver an 82-inch cabinet side alone.

Why horizontal usually wins for kings

Three reasons. First, the lift: a horizontal king pivots on its long edge, so the weight travels a shorter arc and the pistons work less hard, so the fold feels noticeably easier. Second, the look: an 82-inch-wide, 56-inch-tall cabinet looks like a sideboard or a media console, while an 82-inch-wide, 87-inch-tall one looks like a wall. Third, the structure: the wider, lower cabinet distributes anchor loads across more studs naturally. None of this means vertical kings don't work. They do, in rooms with the ceiling height and wall presence for them. But if you're on the fence, the horizontal king is the better piece of furniture.

Frequently asked questions