Hiddenbed: Beauty in small spaces
Carla Christian
50plus Magazine
Years ago when Keith and Jo Cobb were planning an adult foster home in their house, they had one problem. Once the bedrooms filled with residents, they would have to move into their family room. But the room was too small for both working and sleeping.
Their dilemma led them to Hiddenbed, a piece of furniture that is a desk, wall cabinet or credenza by day and a bed by night. The Cobbs never opened an adult foster home, but they did craft the imagined furniture, and loved it.
“We thought, it’s so neat, why don’t we put out a shingle,” says Keith.
The Cobb’s Mt. Angel store, Hiddenbed of Oregon, now offers three types of hidden beds with many styles and finishes. The most popular, the cabinet bed, is compact, relatively inexpensive and great for smaller bedrooms. Looking like a credenza, the rear half can hold a television or décor while the front section folds out to form a bed platform. A sectional mattress is stored inside. The setup required makes it a good choice for an occasional guest bed.
Another favorite is the wall bed. Modeled after the classic murphy bed, invented around 1900 by a New York opera singer to convert his small sleeping area into a parlor when entertaining a lady.
A wall bed can be flanked by shelves or include a drop-down table. Piston lifts support the mattress platform, so lifting and lowering requires only a light pull.
The desk bed provides a work surface up to 85 inches long with 17 inches of height clearance when the bed is folded out. This makes it possible to keep in place items like a sewing machine or computer.
Desk beds are a good option for craft or work space, and daily or occasional sleeping. One customer used a desk bed to divide a long living area in an apartment, providing a separate home office and space for guests to sleep.
With so many options, consider the size of your space, how you want to use it, and how often you’ll need a bed.
Keith delivers and installs every Hiddenbed and says he can usually find a way to get it into any space. He once got one in by forklift — through the backyard, up a steep hill and over a second-floor balcony. As a rule of thumb, he says, if the box spring can access the room, a Hiddenbed can also.
Jo wishes she’d had a Hiddenbed when she was a journalist living in tiny studio apartments in New York City and Paris. She recalls a heavy Japanese-style futon she dragged from a cabinet each night and folded away in the morning. “I wish I would have had this product!” she says.
A smaller space doesn’t have to be overcrowded or messy, or cost you room for activities you love.
“A Hiddenbed can help you reclaim your space,” says Keith. “We love doing something that helps solve people’s problems.”
Carla Christian is passionate about telling stories that build businesses, brands and communities.