Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This was a fun project that allowed us to turn a grown kid's bedroom into a home office that accommodates guests. The biggest lesson I learned from this is you MUST "read and follow the directions" which is not easy for me because I tend to grab the cut-sheet and go. But when it says to read the plans AND watch the video, it's critical advice since I found details missing in the plans that were included in the video and vice versa. Sometimes the order of steps is different in the plans and the video shows why the order of steps is important. You really need both plans and video and lots of attention to detail to make sure the hardware is installed exactly where it needs to be. I found it easiest to convert the DVD to video on my iPad and keep it handy in the workshop. PROS: Easy to follow plans when accompanied by video. High quality hardware that installs easily if plans are followed. Operates smoothly and looks great! Lots of options to customize. CONS: One shortfall of the kit is the fact it shows options without providing any details or dimensions. For instance, you can build decorative picture frames for the plywood front to simulate doors and drawers. But you must leave a 1/2 to 3/4" gap between the bottom of the picture frame and the baseboard trim or it will bind when opening. MODIFICATIONS: I found that as long as strict attention was paid to the mechanical portions, you can extend vertical supports to create a taller wall unit with bookcase. Just ensure you retain a header that is firmly attached to wall studs. We added a light bridge/shelf and installed the Rockler Murphy Bed Lighting Kit that is available on their website, but not on Amazon for some reason. There is a 12" and 60 lb limit on mattresses and after consulting with Create-a-bed folks, I learned the horizontal bed is much more forgiving on weight when the mattress is hinged on longitudinal axis vs. the traditional vertical Murphy bed. We used a 78 lb, hybrid inner-spring/memory foam mattress that is VERY comfortable, reasonably priced, and works perfectly in the horizontal bed. I am attaching a few photos that show the basic bed I built. Missing is the matching bookcase and crown molding that ties the two together, but you'll get the idea. (The mattress looks a little lumpy in the picture because it just came out of the packaging and is still inflating. After a few hours, it grew to a full 12" pillow-top and looks great!)