Optimize Your Guest Room With This Underutilized Trick

April 4, 2026

Furnished home office with built-in white cabinetry, a desk, and a gray lounge chair.

How many days a year does someone actually sleep in your guest room? It's an important question, given that the cost of an additional bedroom in the Bay Area can be anywhere from $80,000 - $300,000+.

If you've got a room with a bed that goes unslept in for most of the year, it's time to reclaim that space.

What's the answer? A murphy bed.

A home office converts into a guest bedroom with a lowered wall bed.

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We are always shocked that Murphy Beds aren't used more often in Bay Area homes. They're such a practical, elegant, and relatively affordable way to maximize space. Plus, it's like having your very own Transformer, but instead of turning from a sports car into a battle robot, it turns from a sleeping area to a chic little workstation. Or a bookcase. Or that extra closet space you've probably thought about.

Yellow Bumblebee robot against a starry sky, with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

Costs range from: $3k to $10k+ and you can customize them for both the form and function that completes your space the best.

Options and features include:

Integrated shelving and bookcases
Built-in desks
Horizontal or vertical configurations
Various bed sizes
Styles from traditional to contemporary, with lots of hardware options
Wardrobe/Closet Space (perfect for Edwardian/Victorian "double parlours" repurposed as bedrooms!)

One of our clients recently purchased a very stylish unit from https://www.murphybeds.com/. The caveat with this company is that assembly is required after delivery. You might want to hire a Task Rabbit or your favorite handyman to take on the heavy lifting.

Bedroom comparison showing a bed replaced by a closed built-in wardrobe, with an arrow pointing to it.

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If you're looking for something you can see and touch before ordering, check out Murphy Bed Designs in San Carlos or Closets By Design with multiple Bay Area locations.

And if you're wondering about how your project will affect resale, we're here to weigh in! You can always send us a note with photos and a description, and we'll let you know if it's ROI positive, negative, or neutral.