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?

The Weekender: Another Murphy Bed

I know all of you love the Moddi, but today I have an alternative for you that I found while browsing through Andrew Sinclair's blog.  Andrew used the Create-a-Bed system for to make his murphy bed.  With just a few easy mods and the addition of bookcases, he was able to make a super stylish guest bed that can fold away when they leave.  The Create-a-Bed system ($299) is a little more expensive than the Moddi but it comes with the major parts, all you have to do is buy the wood and provide the tools!

Head over to Andrew's blog and check out his video for more on his stylish murphy bed.

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Move over Boring Daybeds...

Talk about a space saver!  The DOC sofa bed from BonBon Trading goes from couch to bunk bed in just a few easy steps.  Now you can fit not one, but two guests this thanksgiving.  Not to mention, this is way more stylish than a normal daybed!

Prices aren't listed on the website which usually means it's pricey.  Maybe the Moddi folks (inventors of the DIY Murphy Bed made from Ikea parts) can come up with a bunk bed design!

Thanks to the ShearYadi blog for tipping me off to this awesome find!

Space-Saving Bed

First there was the Moddi Murphy Bed. Now there's the couch/bed/loft.

A friend found this unique bed on Apartment Therapy. Notice the purple couch against the wall. In about three seconds that couch is going to transform.

3...

2...

1...

Pretty amazing huh? The wall behind the couch opens up to reveal the bed and the top has a loft for the couple's 4 year old daughter. I hope they paint/stain the plywood to give it a finished look...

Check out more of this Brooklyn apartment here.

Moddi Pictures!!!

I've received several emails and comments asking for pictures of a completed Moddi bed. I was going to build one myself and share the process with you, but after moving in to the new apartment, we discovered there was no room in the lounge.

Thankfully, Apt528 reader Stacy built a Moddi of her own and was kind enough to send in pictures. There were a few steps she had to modify, but other than that, it was a pretty easy process. Looking good!!

UPDATE Jan 2, 2013: Many of you have asked about modifications. Unfortunately, I've never built the bed (we don't currently have a need) so I don't personally know what the mods are. If you've built a Moddi and have pictures or modification suggestions, PLEASE email them to india @ apt528.com so we can feature them here as a way to help other DIYers.

By the way, if you're looking for an alternative Murphy bed design, check out our post on the Lori Wall Bed.

More Murphy

It's been five months since I wrote about the Moddi Murphy Bed and yet it still continues to be my most popular and most searched blog post. It's easy to see why. The Moddi is affordable (made from Ikea parts) and looks great.

But, there are other options. I did a little digging and came up with a few other choices. Many of the murphy kits come with the option of hiding the bed in a cabinet or behind bookcases which adds to the functionality and gives you even more useable space.

Murphy Beds Direct - as seen on HGTV's Fix It Up!

Murphy Wall-Beds Hardware

Bayne's Quality Custom Furniture

Old Creek Wallbed Factory - says you can DIY in under 2 hours!

Bedtime

Looking for a bedding solution for your crowded apartment? Try a murphy bed!

Thanks to Moddi, everyone can have a modern, sophisticated, loft-style murphy bed of their own. The catch: you have to make it yourself using Ikea parts. But don't fret. According to reviews from people who have actually put a Moddi bed together, it's pretty darn easy and perfect for beginners.

First, go to Moddi's website and purchase the DIY instructions for $8. The instructions are packed with awesome illustrations and straightforward directions (unlike Ikea's). Take your parts list and head to Ikea to purchase your parts. Any tools or hardware you can't find at Ikea can be found at your local hardware store. While Moddi quotes a price of $275 for a twin bed and $375 for a queen, you can go even cheaper by shopping the As-Is section of Ikea or finding used Ikea stuff online. One of the main components of the Moddi bed is Ikea's Lack coffee table which you can find a gazillion of on craigslist.

After gathering your parts, follow the Moddi instructions to put the thing together and, Voila, you've got a bed!

If you don't want to shell out the $8 for instructions, you can still get the parts list for free from Moddi, you'll just have to figure out how to put it together on your own.

For those of us who rent, the Moddi murphy bed WILL put holes in your wall, however, they're nothing a container of spackling can't fix when it's time to move out. I'll be trying this out soon in my workroom...I'll let you know what happens!