Friday, October 12, 2012

The Weekender: The Lori Wall Bed


Watch out Moddi. There's another Murphy bed on the block from Lori Wall Beds. A reader who was attempting to build a Moddi Murphy bed actually told me about the Lori. The Lori is a stylish bed with many options that easily transforms into a functional storage area when folded. Like the Moddi, plans for the Lori Wall Bed can be bought and downloaded for a small fee, however Lori takes it one step forward by also offering the bed already completed! To see more, take a peak a the video below:



The Lori has SO many awesome features. Here are a few of my favorites:
  • The Lori DOESN'T NEED A LIFTING MECHANISM!!!!! Since this is where most problems building the Moddi occur, skipping this step with the Lori will make your life 10x easier. Instead of a lifting mechanism, the Lori uses the rounded edges of its base to simply rock up into position (don't worry, it's only 50lbs). Once up, there are two latches at the top to keep the bed in place. SO EASY!!
  • There's a nightstand above the bed and storage on the outside. Yep. When the bed is folded, the base forms into 2 shelves (on the middle, one at the top) for you to store knick-knacks, mail, etc. When it's time to go to sleep, there's a shelf on the inside of the bed frame that folds down and acts like a nightstand to hold your cell phone, night light, and favorite book. Ingenious! While I love the look of the Moddi, it's not functional when folded up and you don't get the extra nightstand.
  • An important part: easy customization! Don't get me wrong, the Moddi is a great looking bed, however it limits you in a lot of ways. For the outside, you end up with the Lack grid. It's not horrible, but if it doesn't exactly blend in with your style, you're stuck. The Lori is made of plywood and can be stained or painted any colors you like. You could do all sorts of things with the shelving to help it stand out or blend in. The fact that the bed looks like an actual bed when in use is an added bonus. I would play with the dimensions a little to allow room for under cabinet lights to add mood/accent lighting. You can also hang art on the outside of the bed when in the up position or above the nightstand when the bed is down. Plywood is strong enough that if you were using the bed in a studio apartment, you could easily mount a medium sized flatscreen to the outside for when company comes and then move it inside when it's time to go to sleep. You could also add bookcases around the bed to give it a built-in look. My mind is already whirling with more customization ideas...
All images via Lori Wall Beds Myspace. Yep, Myspace.
  • Want a queen? Finally you CAN have a queen wall bed. Not only does Lori offer queen sizes, but they also have both vertical and horizontal plans for sizes from XL twin to queen.
  • It's sturdy. Now I've never seen a Lori or a Moddi in person, but a lot of you have emailed to say that the Moddi isn't a bed you would use on a nightly basis because of fear that the mechanisms would malfunction or the base would give out. Lori's strong base design provides plenty of support for nightly sleeping.
  • Lori will help you out! The reader who told me about the Lori said he emailed her for help and she quickly got back to him. There's also a discussion board on the site for you to post questions and show your bed.

 The Moddi (image via Moddi)

Like the Moddi, you'll spend anywhere from $150-$300 building the bed. It really depends on the types of wood you use and how much customization you use. The one place where Moddi has the upper hand is in price when it comes to the plans; Moddi's plans are only $7.95 while Lori charges $18. Still, the Lori appears to be SUPER easy to build so your frustration level will be down which makes the extra $10 worth it!

So what will you choose? The Moddi or the Lori?

15 comments:

  1. I am so glad i came across this post! I am looking for a way to DIY a wall/murphey bed and this is perfect!

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  2. This bed is really a space saver. With a normal bed in my room, it was very difficult to move around, but with this wall bed i am getting more useable space.

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  3. Looking for a KING plan. Can your queen to modified to King?

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    1. You could definitely modify the plan. Just increase the dimensions to accommodate a king sized bed and make sure you're anchors and wall supports are capable of supporting the extra weight. Good luck and make sure to send pictures when you finish!

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  4. Would the shelves on the outside have to exist? I'm hoping for more of a armoire type look. Thanks!

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    1. Hi Jessi! The shelves on the outside are necessary to support the bed and to provide the rocking motion that makes the bed easy to put up and down. You could always add doors to cover the shelves and give the look of an armoire, however you'd have to make sure the bottom was rounded (as in the pictures) so that you could rock the bed up.

      Another option would be to do the Moddi which uses a spring mechanism instead of the braces/shelves. The Moddi is a little more complicated to build but it might give you the look you're going for. Here are some pictures of a completed Moddi: http://blog.apt528.com/2008/10/moddi-pictures.html

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    2. Wow what a fast reply! Thanks! I thought the rocking on the rounded bottom might be necessary. I was wondering if those could actually hinge to lay flat when not in use or if that would not be strong enough. I also likes your idea of adding cabinet doors.

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    3. Hmm...your idea of hinging the shelves/shelf supports should work! Just make sure you use strong hinges and secure them with bolts. Awesome idea!! If you go ahead with the plan, please send pics. I'd love to see how it turns out!

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  5. Hi India,

    I'm interested in building something like this for a spare room in my new house, and I have a unused good quality double mattress.

    I was wondering how hard it would be to make the bed higher. Would making the bed pivot higher to do so make it not fit under most ceiling when folded, or make it too hard to lift. It's just if my grandparents in law stay I'm worried it may be too low for them.

    Regards

    K.

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    1. Sorry for taking so long to answer! Your idea of making it higher sounds good. As you said, you'd have to check your ceiling height to make sure it would fit. I would double check with the folks over at Lori Wall Bed to see if they've built a taller version before...they might have more insight. Good luck and send pics of your finished project!

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  6. I need a murphy bed that can be bolted to the floor for support instead of to the wall. Could this be easily converted to do that? Thanks!

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    1. I'm not totally sure about this one. Because of the weight and movement of the bed, having it bolted to the wall might be necessary. I've never built the bed though so you might want to check with the people at Lori Wall Beds to see what they have to say. Good luck and send pics!

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  7. Are there any plans to make the bed horizantal, instead of vertical? Also, would it be possible to add a "covering" to the bottom that would look like the Moddi, when closed? Thanks

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    1. Good news, it looks like they now offer horizontal beds! As for a covering, you need the rounded edges of the shelves to help with the rocking motion of the bed, however if you came up with a covering that included rounded edges that could work. You could make the rounded part look like part of the art!

      Good luck and don't forget to send pics if you go ahead with your project: india@apt528.com.

      Horizontal Bed: http://www.loriwallbeds.com/#!diyloriwallbedplans/c1yws

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