This small bedroom received a big makeover to take advantage of every inch of the limited space.
The newly renovated child’s room features a fold-down Murphy bed, built-in cabinets, a window seat complete with drawers, new closet shelving, a wall mounted TV, and an eye-catching paint job. here’s how we went about it.
Painting and Trim Molding
The first step was to clear everything out the room so remodeling could begin. Next, the walls and trim were prepped for painting. Any nail holes were filled with spackling and allowed to dry before painting began.
Installing crown molding
The electric blue and green walls—coupled with new crown molding and white trim—make a bold fashion statement. Two of the opposing walls were painted blue with green accents, while the remaining two walls reversed the color scheme with green walls.
Shelving for the closet was made from 3/4” thick x 16” wide stock and supported by 1”x 2” cleats attached to the studs in the walls. A vertical piece in the center provided support and divided the closet in two, with one side for hanging clothes and the other for storage.
Pull-Down Murphy Bed
Closet shelving
The hardware and frame for the folding bed was ordered from Murphy Wall-Beds Hardware, Inc. and came with complete instructions on how to construct the cabinet and install the bed. You can also watch step-by-step installation videos online at their website to give you an idea of the process involved.
While we constructed the cabinet from 3/4” medium density fiberboard (MDF), following the cutting list and instructions that came with the hardware, ready to assemble Murphy bed cabinets are available online as well.
Installing bed cabinet
Since Murphy bed hardware requires a precise fit, it’s important to make the cabinet to the exact dimensions given in the instructions. The cabinet was assembled with screws before being set in place.
It’s also important to attach the bed cabinet securely to the wall studs with steel angle brackets to prevent it from turning over when the bed is lowered. Make sure the cabinet is square and level before attaching it to the wall.
Installation Tip
To check to see is the bed cabinet is square, measure diagonally from corner to corner. If the two diagonal measurements are the same, the unit is square.
Spring loaded bed hinges
Once the cabinet was ready, the heavy duty spring hardware that raises and lowers the bed was mounted on each side. The steel bed frame was assembled with a sheet of MDF on the bottom.
After the bed frame had been attached to the hinges, it was raised and lowered to make sure everything worked properly. A handle was mounted on the outside of the bed to allow for easy opening and closing.
Storage and Accessories
When the bed was complete, matching bookcase cabinets were installed on either end of the wall to provide additional storage space. A window seat with two drawers finished out the wall. Colorful green curtains, a throw rug, and decorative accents tie the room together.
Finished bedroom
Other Tips from This Episode
Simple Solutions with Joe Truini:
CD String Storage Container
Rather than throwing empty CD containers away, reuse them to hold string or ribbon in your shop. Start by mounting the base of the CD container under a shelf. Drill a hole in the plastic top to thread the string through. Put a spool of string on the container’s hub and twist the top in place.
Best New Products with Jodi Marks:
Bosch Laser Distance Measurer
The Bosch Laser Distance Measurer can measure up to 130’ and is accurate up to 1/16”. Measurements can be displayed in inches, feet, or metric units and include calculations for area and volume. The Bosch Laser Distance Measurer is available at The Home Depot.
Thinking Green with Danny Lipford:
Reduce Litter from Cigarettes
Carelessly throwing cigarette butts on the ground is not only a fire hazard, it accounts for over 30% of all the litter in the U.S. Cigarette butts take 10-15 years to decompose and can leach harmful chemicals—including cyanide, arsenic, and lead—into water supplies.
