Bed in a Box
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In their Barcelona apartment, architects Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores sleep inside the box. -
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The bed in a box: Now you see it... -
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...now you don't. -
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A plywood unit in the center of the apartment holds the bed, as well as many other modules for living.
Posted by ReadyMade
Project by Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores, Written by Mimi Zeiger: Photos by Eugenie Pons
The House in a Suitcase was inspired by ReadyMade patron saint Marcel Duchamp’s Boîte-en-valise—the artist’s mini-museum packed in a briefcase. Spanish architects Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores designed the Barcelona apartment for minimum consumption. They’ve taken the idea of the Murphy bed and applied it to every inch of the 290-square-foot apartment.
Everything tucks away efficiently but can be unpacked when needed. Plywood boxes open like a cabinet of curiosities to reveal living spaces. The double bed slides out from under the living area platform, and the kitchen box hides a stainless-steel sink, refrigerator, and countertops. There are even compartments for easily lost items: earrings, hairpins, and pills. The architects, a bit obsessed with Louis Vuitton trunks, designed the pad for a couple of frequent flyers who used to old-fashionedly cover the furniture with sheets every time they left town. Now the dust cloths are replaced with the surprise of unpacking the plywood boxes. Still, Prats has an operating tip: “Before you leave, everything must be hidden again.”
Was: Dusty Barcelona Apartment
Now: An Efficient Flat
Who: Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores
Day Job: Architects
Hometown: Barcelona, Spain
Maker of: House in a Suitcase
Square Footage: 290 square feet
Site: floresprats.com
Skill Level
Hard
Active Time
More than a weekend
Cost
$$$
- 7 sheets Finnish birch plywood
- Ten 1×4s
- Six 2×4s
- 6 plate-mounted casters
- Screws
- Wood glue
Materials
- Table or rotary saw
- Drill
Tools
Pratt and Flores’ box is designed to fit a full-size mattress (54×75 inches). If you sleep like a king or queen, adjust dimensions accordingly. Build a box 83 inches long, 63 inches wide, and 17 inches high. Leave the bottom and front open.
To build the box, cut five sheets of 3/4-inch-thick Finnish birch plywood to size. (For a cheaper project, use grade plywood, which can be stained or painted.) Screw into place. Use 1×4’s to add additional support to the casement. Evenly space the lumber across the top and brace corners. This will give you a sturdy box that won’t sag if you host a dinner party on top of it.
The mattress sits on a rolling platform that can easily move on casters in and out of the drawer. Cut two sheets of ¾-inch-thick Finnish birch plywood to the size of your mattress for the platform. Arrange 2×4’s along the perimeter for bracing and evenly spaced flat across the underside of the platform. Screw into place.
Install three wide wheel plate casters on each long side of the platform.
Cut a piece of plywood for the front of the drawer (63×17 inches) and attach to platform with wood glue and screws. This is both your footboard and a handle to pull your bed out from hiding. Pratt and Flores like a minimalist look, but you can install additional hardware as the whim strikes.
Place your mattress on platform. Align with casement and push into place. When sleepy, pull your bed out from the drawer and slide between the sheets.
