These days, with many of us choosing smaller homes, there’s isn’t always space for a designated guest room. But that doesn’t mean you can’t accommodate friends and family who want to stay overnight. To the rescue – the sofa bed! Forget that uncomfortable and unattractive armless pullout your grandmother had – today’s sofa beds are as beautiful as they are functional. And as always, what’s best about a sofa bed is the versatility. It can be a sofa by day, a bed by night. It can be used in your living room, family room, office or as an extra bed and seating area in a guest room. Here are some things to consider when choosing a sofa bed:
SPACE. It may sound obvious, but make sure the sofa bed will fit in your room. Measure it folded as well as made into a bed; allow room for easy access when it’s opened.
SIZE. This depends on your space of course, but also on the type of guests you have most often. If you have couples staying over, opt for a 3 seater that opens to a queen. If your guests are mostly singles (a stay-over friend or a kid’s sleepover), a smaller footprint will work. There are sofa beds in various sizes from twin to queen.
USE. Will it be used more as a sofa or a bed? If the piece will be in your living or family room with use every day as a sofa, support is your main consideration. Look for a sofa bed with a slat base and an interior crafted with a high-quality steel frame structure. When you sit on the sofa bed, it should provide the same level of support and comfort as a standard sofa.
If you intend to tuck away the sofa bed in a spare room and use it only for guest visits, the mattress is your primary concern. The mattress should be about 5-6 inches thick. Generally, innerspring mattresses offer a longer life and more evenly distributed support and comfort than foam. (You don’t want that thick metal bar digging into your guests all night.). Test out the sofa bed mattress just as you would a traditional mattress.
MATERIAL. There are so many options out there now, including durable material like leather or high end suede. There are also some great fabric choices available. Whatever you choose, I recommend that you make the investment in quality so your sofa bed will stand the test of time.
STYLES. Whatever your decor, there is a sofa bed to complement it. Modern, traditional, shabby chic – let the shopping begin! And while traditional sofa beds with the pullout mechanism are still the most popular, explore. There are sofa beds sectionals, bunk beds and more – it’s really quite amazing.
One of my favourites is the My Comfort Sofabed by Palliser. It looks great, stylish and chic, but the real beauty is the simplicity of converting it to a bed. Without even removing cushions, it literally unrolls into a bed! And it’s so easy to do, no heavy lifting or pulling. See for yourself!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf6Fo-EYMGo
LINENS. You can try to make regular sheets do the job, but there are special sheets designed just for sofa beds. For your special guests, indulge them with something luxurious. For added comfort you can also buy a plush sofa bed mattress pad. So snugly! When you dress up the bed for your guests, add lots of pillows. Even toss a fun fake fur throw on the corner of the bed. There’s no reason to compromise on style.
So bring on the guests, have fun and sleep well! Sweet dreams!
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