Have you ever wished you had more space for overnight guests? One of the easiest ways to add temporary sleeping quarters is with furniture that can double as a sleeper. It might seem odd to put a living room sofa or chair in a bedroom, but in reality, it is a modern evolution of the sitting room and bedroom combo once used in castles and now in luxury homes.
Besides, the sofa we are talking about is actually a combination of bedroom and living room furniture. Traditional pull-out bed couches required quite a bit of space, as the mattress folded out to be about the same size as a standard full size or queen size bed. Clearly, most bedrooms could not accommodate such a sofa bed, but you may not be aware that there are other solutions available.
For example, you can get more than just a sofa with a bed. There are also sleeper chairs available that fold out into a twin bed. Loveseats are usually about the size of a full bed, while a longer couch or modular sofa may accommodate up to a queen bed when needed.
Contents
Choosing the right sleeper sofa or chair for the right bedroom
You might not want to furnish every bedroom in your home with temporary sleeping accommodations, there are a variety of ways that sleeper sofas can be incorporated into almost any bedroom you wish. Chairs that fold out into a twin bed are perfect for children’s bedrooms. Get two or three of them and space them out along one wall so that your child can have sleepovers without needing to sleep on the floor.
Putting a twin-size sleeper chair in the master bedroom can also be helpful for parents of younger children. When a child is ill or otherwise needs to be comforted for the night, you can allow them to sleep on this easily pulled-out twin bed where you can keep an eye on them and they can feel safe.
However, if you have older children and you are thinking only of visiting friends and family, a queen-size sofa bed is by far the better choice. A full-size bed is inappropriate for most men, whose toes will undoubtedly hang off of the end. A queen-size mattress is designed for taller people.
Embracing modern minimalism
It is no surprise that the modern reincarnation of the bedroom sofa bed shows how furniture designers are meeting the trends of minimalism, space-saving multifunction furniture, and furniture made for small spaces. But even though they don’t take up much space, most consumers agree that they are much more comfortable and easier to maintain than traditional sleeper sofas. Some of the modular sleeper sofas may even offer their own interior hidden storage.
Get a storage ottoman or bedroom bench
The easiest way to both keep everything for your guests handy and provide them with a place to stow their belongings is to get a storage ottoman or a bedroom bench with interior storage. These very versatile pieces of furniture give you a handy, nearby place to store the linens with which to make the bed for a visitor. Once the bed is made and the bins are empty, your guest can use them to store their own things for the duration of their stay.
As you gather bedding to store in the ottoman or bench. Don’t forget to include a sheet or other covering as a barrier between your guest and the sofa bed. If you don’t have somewhere to store extra pillows, get some comfortable throw pillows for the couch, then include pillowcases that can accommodate them for the ones your guests will sleep with.
Give your guests a convenient surface
There is no need to create an entire bedroom setup for the occasional guest. However, it is a good idea to offer some convenience. A small side table, nightstand, or accent cabinet should be placed near the sofa bed so that they have a place to put drinks, eyewear, jewelry, medications, and other sundry items with which people inevitably travel. Include a small low wattage, soft LED, or lava lamps, or other designer’s low light solutions. This will give your guests a way to shed some light when needed without needing to hunt for the light switch.
Charging station
Everyone has at least one device to charge. Even children as young as 8 years old have one or more devices to charge for themselves, while adults could have several depending on the reason for their visit. Businesspeople may require charging for both personal and business devices, which can add up. There are several options for such. Some nightstands have built-in charging stations, but if you have opted for a different design you can also make a simple charging station from an open corner shelf or a console table.
Leave a Reply