Small Spaces Sofabeds
June 27, 2021 3:32 PM Subscribe
I have a guest room that turned into an office during Covid and now that things are opening up again, but we show no signs of going back to the office, now needs to become an office/guest room. There's enough room for a queen size mattress and my desk but only if the bed has it's long side against the wall, which rules out our current sofabed and the standard sofa bed format. Alternative options welcome! More details inside.
I basically want a futon I guess, but a fancy futon that will be comfortable enough for 2 adults, and not something reminiscent of crappy first apartments. I'm looking for advice or recommendations from people who own or have slept on such things, or have other thoughts of what might fit our needs.
Requirements:
- The furniture will spends most of it's time in a shape smaller than a bed
- Takes up no more floor space than a queen size mattress when in bedmode (it's fine if the actual mattress is a double).
- Comfortable enough for 2 adults for 3-4 nights
- Is available in Canada
- Budget: $1500-ish?
- Online shopping is a plus, but if we know what we're getting and can spend minimal time in store that's also possible. I just don't feel super comfortable spending all day wandering furniture stores and am unlikely to get to that point anytime soon.
I basically want a futon I guess, but a fancy futon that will be comfortable enough for 2 adults, and not something reminiscent of crappy first apartments. I'm looking for advice or recommendations from people who own or have slept on such things, or have other thoughts of what might fit our needs.
Requirements:
- The furniture will spends most of it's time in a shape smaller than a bed
- Takes up no more floor space than a queen size mattress when in bedmode (it's fine if the actual mattress is a double).
- Comfortable enough for 2 adults for 3-4 nights
- Is available in Canada
- Budget: $1500-ish?
- Online shopping is a plus, but if we know what we're getting and can spend minimal time in store that's also possible. I just don't feel super comfortable spending all day wandering furniture stores and am unlikely to get to that point anytime soon.
Yes, sounds like a wall bed would be ideal. Costco.ca regularly has them on sale to fit your budget. We've had them in our last two houses and although installation is a bit of a job, they're well worth it to have the bed out of the way.
posted by fish tick at 3:57 PM on June 27, 2021
posted by fish tick at 3:57 PM on June 27, 2021
I like the Ikea Vallentuna line for this; it's a "decent enough" couch and a better bed than most fold-out arrangements. I've got one in my home office in addition to a desk. It is, however, not quite as nice as a proper murphy bed (which, back in Chicago, I used as my own primary bed with good success).
posted by aramaic at 4:05 PM on June 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by aramaic at 4:05 PM on June 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Additional restrictions (always something) We rent so a couch thing would be a bit more flexible for when we move, and it would be nice to have seating in the room when it's not a bed (though I will look into horizontal murphy beds + cheaper chairs)
posted by platypus of the universe at 4:07 PM on June 27, 2021
posted by platypus of the universe at 4:07 PM on June 27, 2021
I would get some kind of day bed or trundle bed, which doubles as a sofa, single bed, or double bed.
posted by gudrun at 5:31 PM on June 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by gudrun at 5:31 PM on June 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
We rent so a couch thing would be a bit more flexible
In that case definitely Vallentuna (IMHO) since the various components can be separated; rather than having to move a single sofa you can disconnect the pieces easily and move each module separately. Note that it, like most Ikea sleeping surfaces, is a bit firm (especially for older guests; you may want to acquire additional foam sheets for them).
posted by aramaic at 5:31 PM on June 27, 2021
In that case definitely Vallentuna (IMHO) since the various components can be separated; rather than having to move a single sofa you can disconnect the pieces easily and move each module separately. Note that it, like most Ikea sleeping surfaces, is a bit firm (especially for older guests; you may want to acquire additional foam sheets for them).
posted by aramaic at 5:31 PM on June 27, 2021
not sure if it's available in canada but i extremely vouch for these loveseat sofa beds from raymour & flanigan
posted by wowenthusiast at 7:51 PM on June 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by wowenthusiast at 7:51 PM on June 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Some Murphy beds have built-in couches that you can use when the bed is up. They're a pain to move so you may be able to find one free on Craigslist (if you pay someone to move it) and then you could also give it away when you move.
posted by pinochiette at 8:10 PM on June 27, 2021
posted by pinochiette at 8:10 PM on June 27, 2021
Best answer: A classic bifold futon is perfect for this sort of situation. We sleep on a double just like this daily, and when it's folded, the long side is against the wall as a couch. It's very easy to move up and down (which is good, since we do it daily).
posted by jb at 9:34 PM on June 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by jb at 9:34 PM on June 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Also: our frame moved house very easily! We didn't realise that it would just fold flat and could be carried in and out without disassembly.
posted by jb at 9:35 PM on June 27, 2021
posted by jb at 9:35 PM on June 27, 2021
- The furniture will spends most of it's time in a shape smaller than a bed
- Takes up no more floor space than a queen size mattress when in bedmode (it's fine if the actual mattress is a double).
- Comfortable enough for 2 adults for 3-4 nights
- Is available in Canada
- Budget: $1500-ish?
Sorry - being disorganized, so I'm posting multiple times - pros of a bi-fold futon:
Even the cheapest futons are fine for 2 adults for 3-4 nights; a wooden frame like the one I linked to, paired with a decent mattress (e.g. not the cheapest, but one or two up), can be slept on daily for 5+ years. (Our frame is rated for 10 years). Wooden slats are the key for a better sleep on a futon, as opposed to the super-cheap ones with metal bars (the futons sag between the metal bars).
A futon with no sideboards takes up less space than any similar sofa-bed.
A good wooden futon frame and decent mattress should be about $400-700, depending on which model you go for. If you don't care (or the adults you are thinking of are young/have no back issues), you can get even cheaper.
That said, I would highly recommend buying from a futon specialty store (again, like the one I linked to) - they will know better which model would be best for your needs.
posted by jb at 9:43 PM on June 27, 2021 [3 favorites]
- Takes up no more floor space than a queen size mattress when in bedmode (it's fine if the actual mattress is a double).
- Comfortable enough for 2 adults for 3-4 nights
- Is available in Canada
- Budget: $1500-ish?
Sorry - being disorganized, so I'm posting multiple times - pros of a bi-fold futon:
Even the cheapest futons are fine for 2 adults for 3-4 nights; a wooden frame like the one I linked to, paired with a decent mattress (e.g. not the cheapest, but one or two up), can be slept on daily for 5+ years. (Our frame is rated for 10 years). Wooden slats are the key for a better sleep on a futon, as opposed to the super-cheap ones with metal bars (the futons sag between the metal bars).
A futon with no sideboards takes up less space than any similar sofa-bed.
A good wooden futon frame and decent mattress should be about $400-700, depending on which model you go for. If you don't care (or the adults you are thinking of are young/have no back issues), you can get even cheaper.
That said, I would highly recommend buying from a futon specialty store (again, like the one I linked to) - they will know better which model would be best for your needs.
posted by jb at 9:43 PM on June 27, 2021 [3 favorites]
For various reasons I decided against a Murphy bed or futon. Instead I bought a used pop-up daybed/trundle metal frame from Craigslist--no headboard, arms, etc. I bought excellent memory foam trundle mattresses for each of the twin frames. Most of the time, I have a solo friend or family member staying over--or just me napping in my home office--so the twin is fine. For two guests, the daybed turns into two comfortable twin beds that can be pushed together, or not. One end is against the wall with two large cushions (could be wedge pillow) to lean against. I bought two covers for it that don't look like bedspreads.
NB: daybed/trundle frames aren't always standard twin size, so note measurements carefully if you go this route. Mattresses for RVs sometimes come in trundle size.
posted by Elsie at 3:20 AM on June 28, 2021
NB: daybed/trundle frames aren't always standard twin size, so note measurements carefully if you go this route. Mattresses for RVs sometimes come in trundle size.
posted by Elsie at 3:20 AM on June 28, 2021
Room and Board has some good options . Both are wider than a lot of sofas that fold out futon-style - between a full and a queen, whereas it turns out most of these style sofas are actually slightly shy of a full when open. I think it’s tough to ask two adults to sleep in a bed that isn’t even really full sized.
Not clear about availability in Canada, though.
posted by yarrow at 5:17 AM on June 28, 2021
Not clear about availability in Canada, though.
posted by yarrow at 5:17 AM on June 28, 2021
East-West Futons also has sofa-beds which open the same way as a bifold futon - I'm not sure if this one converts to a double bed (it looks like it may be something between a single and a double), but there are others -- and you can get very similar designs from Ikea and other major sellers.
posted by jb at 9:31 AM on June 28, 2021
posted by jb at 9:31 AM on June 28, 2021
When faced with a similar situation, I opted for a trifold foam mattress that came with a zippered case, and a two-piece metal folding platform bed frame. All pieces fit easily in the closet. Total cost, ~$300 on Amazon.
posted by the_blizz at 10:57 AM on June 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by the_blizz at 10:57 AM on June 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
If you're looking for a permanent-ish solution, I'd agree with the votes for a queen-sized futon. You can even get "wall hugger" futon frames that can sit up close to the wall and then extend out from it when unfolded. Paired with a nicer futon mattress they can be quite comfy both for sitting and sleeping. My SO has one in their room that works this way.
If you're looking for a "this only needs to work sometimes and for the least amount of money possible" solution, stick your existing sofa in there and get an air mattress with fold-up cot when you need to sleep two people. One person sleeps on the (still folded) sofa, and the other on the air mattress. Not elegant, but you'll be out less than $100 and don't need to get rid of your old sofa.
posted by Aleyn at 3:33 PM on June 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
If you're looking for a "this only needs to work sometimes and for the least amount of money possible" solution, stick your existing sofa in there and get an air mattress with fold-up cot when you need to sleep two people. One person sleeps on the (still folded) sofa, and the other on the air mattress. Not elegant, but you'll be out less than $100 and don't need to get rid of your old sofa.
posted by Aleyn at 3:33 PM on June 28, 2021 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by kschang at 3:47 PM on June 27, 2021