For centuries, humans were unable to marry beds and compaction. Try as they might, the people were stymied at how to ensure they were provided with the requisite lumbar support of a full and sturdy mattress while not sacrificing the sacred space that boat would encompass. Stymied, that is, until one forward-thinking and hopeless romantic/ hornypants inventor named William Lawrence Murphy burst onto the scene.

Says the Smithsonian, (and really, who are any of us to question their sources) W.L. Murphy was living in one room apartment in San Francisco in the late 19th century. The less-than-expansive accommodations boded quite poorly for Murphy where the bitties were concerned; customs (a thing which ladies and gentlemans used to adhere to- since, like, deceased, mostly) forbid a woman from entering a man’s bedroom. As Willy’s entire living quarters were ostensibly his bedroom, he was out of luck.

When Sir Murphy drew a liking to a young opera singer, he knew he’d have to put his inventor mind to work for him, lest he wind up an old maid. Refusing to take prudish tradition for an answer, the clever gent began experimenting with ways to hide away his bed during visiting hours with his lady friend. And thus, The Murphy Bed was born.

The original intent of this post was simply to say, “Hey! Those Murphy beds! Check those out! So space-effecient! So sneaky! So trick-up-your-cabinet-sleeve-y!” But after further thought on the matter, I concluded that it felt only fair to give The Mr. Murphy his share of the spotlight. And so the backstory became the focal point– a fact which I am all together content with.

Story aside, these truly are a first-rate innovation. Perfect for those with extremely limited spaces, or those who simply want some optional guest accommodation. Bed when you need it, a wall when you don’t. It doesn’t get much better than that, folks.