Made for Hong Kong mini-flats: foldaway bed makers get creative
Forget the old-time comedies, today's sophisticated range of offerings, including custom-made options, warrant more attention in cramped Hong Kong
At the turn of the 20th century, it just wouldn’t do for a bachelor to have a lady-friend sleep over, so besotted American William Lawrence Murphy invented a bed that would disappear into a closet, transforming his one-room apartment into a love nest without anyone being the wiser. He patented the design around 1900.
According to manufacturer Murphy Wallbed USA, demand peaked in the 1920s and 30s, ebbed after the second world war, and rose again during the economic recession of the 1970s, which forced many Americans back into smaller spaces.
Today even in affluent urban households, few have either the space or desire for a rarely used guest room. A foldaway bed again provides the solution to one of society’s domestic dilemmas, with lots of clever extras built in.
The Murphy bed has of course spawned a number of spin-offs, and you’d think that they would be everywhere in Hong Kong – but, seemingly not. Jason Yung, of Jason Caroline Design, agrees that it’s “surprisingly very difficult to find a good one”, although lots of local furniture stores can make them for walk-in customers. “I guess the good ones are too expensive for people who own small flats. And most large flats don’t need a Murphy bed,” says the designer, who does not recommend cheap imitations.
Jason Caroline Design imported an Italian-made Clei wall bed from a British supplier for a two-person household in Deep Water Bay, to accommodate parents who visit from overseas about once a month. The unit is fitted into the study, where it functions as bookshelves for everyday use, and transforms into a bed as needed. The books don’t even need to be removed; they rotate 360 degrees behind the headboard.
I guess the good ones are too expensive for people who own small flats. And most large flats don’t need a Murphy bed
The Clei is pricey (around HK$80,000) but Yung feels a high-end manufactured model is worth it because the mechanism, structure and frames are usually lighter, and therefore easier to operate. They are also proper beds with ribs that support the mattress, which makes for a comfortable night’s sleep, he added.
