BUSINESS & INDUSTRY: Space-saving Beds in New Jersey

The thought of "Murphy beds" often conjures up images of old movies, in which beds fold down from walls and comedians get folded up into them, much to the amusement of laughing audiences.

However, the Murphy Bed Center of New Jersey, Ramsey, is anything but slapstick comedy. In fact, its elegant

beds don't resemble the Murphy beds of the past, as they come in a variety of attractive designs, systems and finishes. The 1,000 square-foot store showcases nine models, but there are approximately 40 models to choose from and the store's computer aided drafting (CAD) equipment allows customers to see precisely what beds will look like in specific room dimensions. At press time, the center has definite plans to open a second, 1,000 squarefoot store in Cliffside Park.

"The response [to the beds] has been excellent," enthuses Sal Riggi, partner. "People have many reasons for needing a Murphy bed: children returning home from college, a marriage that didn't work, parents getting older and children taking in parents."

He says the beds allow rooms to serve more than one function, thus saving space.

"If you buy a conventional bed," he says, "that bed stays there. That room is a bedroom and that is all that it can be used for. In our case, during the day the room can be an office [for example]."

He adds that the beds use traditional mattresses, providing the same comfort as standard beds. He says one of his challenges has been alerting people that his company offers more than just Murphy beds. In fact, The Murphy Bed Center offers solutions for closets, attics, garages, basements, home offices and other areas.

Riggi says that for every three customers who enter the store, two end-up buying a bed within 30 days.

"When they come in and look at Murphy beds, they are not just shopping around the way a person would shop for furniture. They know specifically that this is going to convert their bedroom to a home office during the day, and at night give them a very comfortable bed to sleep on ... the challenge is letting them know where we are and exactly what we do."

As for the future, Riggi says he wants to have five or six New Jersey stores within the next three years.