Murphy beds have been in existence since about 1900, when William L. Murphy invented the patented mechanism to hide his bed away in the closet of his
one
room apartment while he entertained.

The beds have been in use ever since, always appreciated by city
apartment dwellers and homeowners who needed an extra bed in a multipurpose
room.

During World War II and directly afterwards, the beds dropped in
popularity, first because of the scarcity of steel, and then because people
were moving out of the city to larger, suburban homes, and space was not at
such a premium.

In the decades of the fifties and sixties, the beds were mainly
remembered as props in slap-stick comedy, or the place to hide the body in a
mystery story.

Now, Murphy beds are experiencing resurgence, as professional people
move back into the cities and make their smaller living spaces more
functional.

 Many apartment dwellers are finding these beds already existing in older
buildings, especially in places like San Francisco, where the Murphy bed was
invented, and where many Murphy beds were sold for the apartments built
between the 1906 earthquake and World War II. Antique Murphy beds are now
much sought after conversation pieces and design focal points, as well as
practical, still-functioning pieces of furniture.

Antique Murphy beds are also being sold in fine antique stores all
over the country. Many of the original mechanisms still function and the  cabinetry used to create the units can be quite beautiful. Buyers should remember, however, that a true Murphy bed is not going to be older than the invention, patented in 1900.

The piece may be housed in a cabinet that is older than the patent, but
the mechanism cannot be older than that. The buyer should be knowledgeable
about the furniture of the period as a whole, and about the mechanism
itself. Intelligently purchased, these beds can be an investment and a
functioning piece of furniture.