Wall Beds in Dubai: How to Choose a Murphy Bed for a Guest Room or Studio
Updated for 2026.
A wall bed, also called a Murphy bed, is a full-size bed that folds vertically or sideways into a wall-mounted cabinet, so a single room can be a bedroom at night and a study, gym or sitting room by day. Choosing one well in a Dubai apartment or villa comes down to five measurable things: the wall it anchors to, the room's depth and ceiling height, the mattress, the lift mechanism, and what the closed cabinet does during the day.
Creative Closets builds fitted wall beds as made-to-measure joinery for UAE homes, designed around the room rather than picked from a catalog size. This guide walks through each decision in the order a designer checks them on site, so you know what to measure before you book a visit.
When a wall bed is the right answer
A wall bed solves one specific problem: a room that has to do two jobs, where a permanent bed would block the second job. If the bed would stay down every day and nothing else happens in the room, a conventional bed is simpler and cheaper.
The rooms where it earns its place in the UAE tend to fall into four groups:
- The guest room that is really a home office. Visitors stay a few nights a month; the desk is used every weekday. The bed folds away and the room stops feeling like a spare bedroom.
- Studio and one-bedroom apartments. Folding the bed away in the morning can return most of the floor to living space, which matters more than any single piece of furniture in a compact layout.
- A second living area in a villa. A family room or upstairs lounge can host overnight relatives without losing its everyday purpose.
- Children's rooms that need play space. Older children gain floor area for play and study, provided the safety points covered below are built in.
If you are planning storage across a whole compact apartment rather than one room, start with our guide to whole-apartment storage planning for small Dubai homes, then come back to the bed.
Not sure the room qualifies? Schedule your complimentary design session and a consultant will tell you on site whether a wall bed, a storage bed or a standard bed fits the way the room is used.
Five things to check before you order a wall bed
Each of these is measurable before anyone draws a design. Getting them right is what separates a bed that lowers smoothly for a decade from one that sticks, tilts or blocks a door.
The wall the cabinet anchors to
A wall bed is a heavy, moving load. The cabinet, frame and mattress must be fixed securely so the unit cannot tip as the bed lowers, which means the fixing points need to land in solid structure.
Many UAE apartments use gypsum or lightweight block partitions between rooms. That does not rule a wall bed out, but it changes how the unit is fixed, and occasionally which wall it goes on. A designer checks what the wall is made of, and whether pipes, electrical conduit or an AC duct run behind it, before the position is agreed.
This is the step homeowners most often skip when they buy a ready-made unit online, and it is the one that matters most for safety.
Floor depth and ceiling height
A wall bed needs space in two states: closed and open. Closed, a vertical cabinet typically projects around 40–50 cm from the wall. Open, the bed extends roughly the mattress length plus 15–25 cm, so a 200 cm mattress needs about 2.2 m of clear floor in front of the wall.
Add walking space at the foot of the bed. Planning at least 60 cm of clearance keeps the room usable with the bed down and stops the foot of the bed meeting a wardrobe door or window sill.
Orientation changes the numbers:
- Vertical (portrait) beds fold head-up. They suit longer rooms, and the cabinet stands a little taller than the mattress is long, so check ceiling height, bulkheads and AC split units above the wall.
- Horizontal (landscape) beds fold sideways. The cabinet is lower, often fitting under a window or a sloped ceiling, but the open bed projects the mattress width across the room, so the room needs to be wider.
Measure the wall width, the floor depth in front of it, and the ceiling height at the wall. Photograph anything mounted high up, such as AC units, curtain boxes and sprinkler heads. Those five facts settle most orientation questions in one visit.
The mattress
The mechanism is balanced for a mattress of a particular depth and weight. A mattress that is much heavier than specified makes the bed hard to lift or reluctant to stay down; a much lighter one can make it rise too eagerly.
UAE retailers sell mattresses in both 190 cm and 200 cm lengths, and widths vary between brands. Confirm the exact size and depth of the mattress you intend to use before the cabinet is drawn, or choose the mattress at the same time as the bed. Ask for the maximum mattress depth and weight in writing.
A mattress that stays in the bed also needs retaining straps or brackets so it does not slide when the bed is raised. Deep memory-foam and pillow-top mattresses are the ones most likely to need a different mechanism setting.
The lift mechanism
Wall beds are counterbalanced so an adult can raise and lower them with one hand. Most systems use either springs or gas pistons to do this. Both work well when they are sized for the mattress and adjusted at installation.
What to look for, whichever system is quoted:
- Controlled movement. The bed should lower slowly and stay where you leave it, not drop the last few centimeters.
- Legs that deploy automatically as the bed comes down, so the foot end is supported on the floor.
- A way to lock the bed closed. In a home with young children this is essential, not optional.
- Adjustability. Tension should be adjustable after installation if you later change the mattress.
If a quote does not say how the balance is set, or who adjusts it later, ask before you sign.
What the closed cabinet does all day
The daytime face of the unit is where a fitted wall bed differs most from a ready-made one. Because the joinery is drawn for your wall, the bed cabinet can sit between wardrobe towers, under a run of shelves, or beside a desk.
Popular combinations in UAE homes include a wall bed flanked by hanging space in a guest room, a bed with side shelving that reads as a bookcase when closed, and a study wall with the desk alongside the bed. For shelving ideas, see our built-in shelving and reading nooks.
Finishes can match the rest of the room's joinery, drawn from the same wood-finish catalog used for our wardrobes. Sensor lighting that switches on as a compartment opens is useful in the side cabinets, where bedding and pillows usually live.
Want to see finishes and mechanisms in person? Visit our Dubai or Abu Dhabi showroom. The Dubai showroom on 51st Street, Jumeirah, is open Sunday to Friday from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM, and Saturday from 1:00 PM.
Wall bed, storage bed or sofa bed?
All three save space, but they save it in different ways. The right choice depends on how often someone sleeps in the room and what the room must do the rest of the time.
| Wall bed | Storage bed | Sofa bed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floor space by day | Almost all of it returned | None; the bed stays down | Partly returned; the sofa stays |
| Sleeping comfort | Full-size mattress on a proper base | Full-size mattress on a proper base | Usually a thinner fold-out mattress |
| Storage it adds | Side and top cabinets around the bed | A large compartment under the mattress | Little or none |
| Installation | Fixed to the wall, fitted on site | Freestanding or fitted | Freestanding |
| Best for | Rooms that host guests but work as something else | Main bedrooms short of wardrobe space | Occasional guests in a living room |
If the bed will be slept in every night and the problem is really a lack of storage, a lift-up storage bed is usually the better investment. If the problem is floor area, a wall bed is.
How a fitted wall bed is planned and installed
A fitted wall bed follows the same design-and-build path as the rest of our joinery, but a few steps carry extra weight because the unit moves.
The site visit. A design consultant meets you to understand how the room is used, then surveys the room in person: wall construction, floor level, ceiling height, and anything mounted on or inside the wall. For a wall bed, this visit is where the fixing method and orientation are decided.
The design. Following the consultation, the design is typically ready within 2–3 days, showing the bed open and closed with the surrounding cabinets. This is the moment to check door swings, window sills and the walkway at the foot of the bed.
Production. The unit is manufactured at our factory in Umm Al Quwain on automated machinery from HOMAG, Altendorf and Biesse, which is what allows side panels and bed frame to be cut to the tolerances a counterbalanced bed needs.
Installation. Installation day is scheduled in advance. Our technicians are trained for real site conditions such as uneven floors and walls that are not perfectly plumb, which matters more for a wall bed than for a static wardrobe. A bed cabinet that is out of level will not lower straight.
Sign-off. After installation, a supervisor checks the work and the site is cleaned. Ask the team to demonstrate lowering, raising and locking the bed, and to show you how the tension is adjusted.
Because our systems can be dismantled and reassembled, a fitted wall bed does not have to stay behind when you move, which is worth knowing for tenants. Our answers on relocating a fitted system cover what that involves.
Ready to measure your room? Call our design team at +97143809660 or use the toll-free number 8005405 to arrange a visit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Wall Beds
How much floor space does a wall bed need when it is open?
Plan for the mattress length plus roughly 15–25 cm, measured out from the wall, then add at least 60 cm of walking space at the foot. For a 200 cm mattress that means about 2.8 m of clear floor for comfortable use. A horizontal wall bed needs less depth but more width, because it projects the mattress width into the room instead.
Can a wall bed be installed on a gypsum or partition wall?
Often, yes, but the fixing method changes. A wall bed must be secured so it cannot tip as it lowers, and lightweight partitions may need a different fixing approach or a different wall. A designer should confirm the wall construction, and check for pipes, conduit and AC ducts behind it, before the position of the bed is agreed.
Is a wall bed comfortable enough to sleep on every night?
A well-built wall bed uses a proper full-size mattress on a supportive base, so comfort is comparable to a conventional bed. Daily use is fine as long as the mechanism is balanced for your mattress and the bed is raised and lowered as shown at handover. If it will stay down most nights, a storage bed may suit the room better.
Can I use my own mattress in a wall bed?
Usually, provided its size, depth and weight fall within what the mechanism is balanced for. Measure the mattress before the cabinet is designed and share the figures with your designer. Very deep or heavy mattresses, such as thick pillow-tops, may need a different tension setting or may not suit a particular mechanism, so confirm this in writing before production.
Are wall beds safe in a home with young children?
They can be, when three things are in place: secure fixing into suitable wall structure, a bed that lowers under control rather than dropping, and a lock that keeps the bed closed. Teach children that the bed is opened only by an adult. Avoid storing toys in cabinets that a child must stand in front of the bed to reach.
What happens to a fitted wall bed if I move apartments?
Our fitted systems are designed to be dismantled and reassembled, so a wall bed can be taken down and installed in a new home. Whether it suits the new room depends on that room's wall, ceiling height and floor depth, so it is sensible to have the new space measured before the move is scheduled.
How long does it take to plan and install a wall bed in Dubai?
The design is typically ready within 2–3 days of the free consultation, once the room has been measured. Production and installation timing depend on the size of the unit and the finishes chosen. The installation date and expected duration are agreed with you in advance, so you can plan around the visit rather than wait at home.
Related Reading at Creative Closets
- Reach-in wardrobes that fit compact bedrooms
- Choosing between fitted and freestanding furniture
- Planning a child's wardrobe that grows with them
- Bedroom layout and design ideas for Dubai homes
- Board materials that cope with the Gulf climate
- Storage for compact apartments in Bahrain
- How custom storage is priced in Dubai
- Complete bedroom furniture sets
Plan Your Wall Bed With a Designer
A wall bed only works when the wall, the room, the mattress and the mechanism have been measured together. Bring those measurements, or let us take them, and we will show you the bed open and closed before anything is made.
Book a free consultation with our Dubai design team, see what is included in our warranty and after-sales support, or walk through the Jumeirah showroom experience before you decide.
