Don’t have space for a guest bed or sofa bed? Step forward the Murphy bed (defined as ‘a bed designed to be folded or swung into a cabinet when not in use’). This ingenious piece of kit will allow you to fit an extra sleep space into the most spatially-challenged area.

Create a luxe hotel feel

How to fit a fold-down bed into this chic apartment without ruining the contemporary feel? The owners of the apartment decided to turn it into a beautiful feature in its own right.

At first glance this looks like a standard row of cupboards……but once opened, the doors reveal a full-size double bed that pulls down to convert this one-bedroom loft into a ‘two-bedroom’ property.

Thanks to an upholstered headboard, charcoal-painted interior and the inclusion of contemporary art above the bed, this petite sleeping space has the snug, polished feel of a boutique hotel room.

Hover above the sofa

Don’t have space for a fold-out bed and a sofa? Be inspired by this clever London studio. A double bed pulls down from the wall behind the sofa (see below) and ‘floats’ just above it to create sleeping space.

“You just tuck the back cushions down the side and then it’s ready,” says Olga Alexeeva of interior design company Black and Milk Residential. “It’s nice and high, just right for watching TV. You feel as if you’re in a boutique hotel!” The bed, sofa and shelves are a set, which Alexeeva sourced from an Italian manufacturer. ‘It’s not bespoke, but the company was able to modify the shelves to fit with the sloping wall,’ she says.

Tuck in a single bed

If you’re faced with a really tiny room and you don’t want a bed to take up the entire space, there are smaller designs available that are perfect for children or solo adults.

As shown here, a small cupboard folds down to reveal a single bed. This is a great solution for a really small room, as the bed unfolds very neatly to provide a compact sleep space that doesn’t take up too much floor area. This means the room can be used for other activities even when the bed is out.

Transform a home office

The owners of this home have managed to pack plenty of functionality into this relatively compact room thanks to some hardworking furniture. A slim built-in desk and bespoke shelving ensure the space can be used as a work space or reading room during the day…

…then at night-time the chair stays tucked away under the desk and the cupboard opens to reveal a double pull-down bed with integrated lighting. This design is perfect for a hardworking spare room or even a bijou studio flat.

Ensure privacy in an open-plan room

This looks like a regular open-plan living space with a central staircase. But look behind the wall…

…and a hidden bed is revealed. The cupboard door and nearby bookcase have been cleverly employed as screens for privacy. They also help to create the feeling that the bed is in its own separate room.

Utilise a sliding wall

This is a rather more bespoke solution, but something to consider if faced with the redesign of a truly tiny studio flat. The designer has created a sliding wall that allows the space to be used as a living room during the day……and a bedroom at night.

A built-in bedside unit with electrical sockets and shelves is tucked into the bed opening, and the TV in the sliding wall swivels so it can be viewed from either side.

And finally… don’t forget your pets

Inspired by these Murphy beds? Maybe the furry members of your household need one. If you think this seems like a regular utility room, look again…Ta-da! A dog-sized Murphy bed.