Murphy beds are so named because of William Lawrence Murphy, an inventor who refined the fold out or pulldown bed by adding a pivot and counterbalance. Mr. Murphy is said to have created the bed because he was courting an opera singer. In San Francisco in the late 1800s inviting a woman into a bedroom was frowned upon, and Murphy was living in a one-room rental. By adding the Murphy bed, he was able to convert his room into a parlor and was thereby able to entertain his lady friend. An oak Murphy bed is a great way to save daytime floor space.