A desk that turns into a bed – how does it work?

If you're working with limited space - a studio flat, a spare room that needs to earn its keep or a home office that doubles as a guest room - a wall bed with desk is one of the most practical solutions available. You get a full-size workspace during the day and a proper bed at night, all housed in a single slimline cabinet against the wall.

Here's how it works, what to look for, and why Furl's wall bed desk solution is worth considering.

Working on bed
wall bed with a desk

What is a wall bed with a desk?

Also known as a Murphy bed, or a wall murphy bed with desk in its desk-equipped form, this type of bed folds flat into a slimline wall-mounted cabinet. When you're not sleeping, it's completely hidden from view.

There are a lot of wall beds with desks on the market, but ours is a little different. We think this type of bed should be just as functional when it’s folded away as it is when you’re using it for sleeping.  

The Furl wall bed can be customised to include a desk or shelves so that you’re actually getting two pieces of furniture in one. 

How does a wall bed desk work?

We have a complete range of wall beds with desks that are designed to do more with less. 

The Murphy desk bed uses gas springs, so it’s easy to pull down and fold away despite the fact that it’s got a full-sized mattress on it. They can be plain fronted or you can add a desk so that your wall bed can become your office during the day.

And when you want to use the bed you don’t need to clear the desk. This cleverly designed space-saving desk bed keeps everything flat and in place when you pull down the mattress. 

You can also use any mattress with our wall beds too – as long as it’s no more than 22cm deep. That’s a full-depth mattress, so having a pull-down bed with a desk doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on sleep comfort.

How do desks that turn into a bed work
What is the Vertico wall bed desk from Furl

The Vertico: Furl's Fold Away Wall Bed with Desk

Wall beds are absolutely brilliant for smaller spaces because they can be tucked away out of sight. The Vertico wall bed is a foldaway bed with a desk that is housed in a slimline cabinet so it doesn’t encroach on your living space. 

Despite being compact, the wall beds in the Vertico range are big enough to fit a full-size, full-depth mattress on its wooden slats.   

We have a number of mattresses available for our wall beds. They are made for us by mattress specialist, Health Beds. You can choose from the Slim 1600, Memory Flex 750, and Latex 750.

No longer do you need to tuck your wall bed into a wardrobe out of the way because a folding bed with a desk is a multi-functional piece of furniture that doubles up as two pieces of furniture.   

Horizontal Wall Bed with Desk: Is it an Option?

Most wall beds fold down vertically - the bed pulls down from a standing position. A horizontal wall bed with desk works differently: the bed slides out sideways from the cabinet, which suits rooms with lower ceilings or different wall configurations.

Horizontal configurations are less common but can be a better fit for rooms where the standard vertical fold-down would sit awkwardly-— for example, rooms with a sloped ceiling on one side, or where the only available wall is too narrow for a full vertical unit.

Furl's Vertico range is primarily a vertical fold-down system, but our team can advise on the right configuration for your specific room during the measuring service. If you're not sure which orientation works for your space, that's exactly what the home measure visit is for.

Frequently asked questions on wall beds with a desk

If you’ve got a question about our desk wall beds, you might find the answer here. 

What is a fold-up wall bed called? 

A fold-up bed is sometimes called a Murphy bed but this is largely an American term. In England, we also call this type of bed a pull-down bed, fold-down bed, or a hidden bed. 

You can read more on this in our blog post on Murphy wall beds vs. Furl wall beds.

How does a foldaway bed work?

 

A foldaway bed is attached to a wall-mounted structure – usually a slimline cabinet – with hinges at one end so it can be folded away when it’s not in use. Most wall beds are fitted with gas springs to make lifting the bed and mattress easier.  

Are wall beds comfy to sleep on? 

A desk that turns into a bed doesn’t sound like it would be comfy but our Vertico wall bed fits the full range of UK and European-sized mattresses, so it’s just like sleeping on any normal bed. 

Can you use a desk wall bed everyday?

Yes, we designed our wall bed with a desk so you can use it every day, but it would work just as well in a guest room for occasional use.

We’re always looking for space saving ideas for our customers and this multi-functional wall bed ticks all the right boxes.

Is a wall bed with desk right for you?

A wall bed with desk isn't the right solution for everyone - but for the right room, it's one of the most effective space-saving decisions you can make.

It makes most sense when:

  • You're working with a room that needs to serve two purposes – home office by day, bedroom by night – and can't dedicate floor space to both permanently.
  • You want a proper full-depth mattress, not a compromise. A fold away wall bed with desk doesn't mean accepting a thinner sleep surface. Furl's Vertico range fits any mattress up to 22cm deep.
  • Your guest room barely gets used and the wasted floor space bothers you. A wall bed desk transforms it into a functional room every day, not just when someone stays over.
  • You've looked at sofa beds but want to keep the desk permanently accessible. With a wall murphy bed with desk, the workspace stays usable without needing to clear or convert anything.

It's less suited to rooms where the bed is in use every night by someone who doesn't need the desk function, or where the wall configuration doesn't support a cabinet-depth unit. 

Browse the Vertico Range

The Vertico is Furl's wall bed and desk solution - available in a range of finishes with desk, shelf, or plain-front configurations. See the full range online or visit our showrooms in Swiss Cottage, Fulham or the Barbican and our team can walk you through the mechanism, mattress options, and customisation choices. 

  • Updated :
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  • Author David
  • label Guides