My bed in the living room - what would you do?

[mummacello]

Hi all,

I'm after some advice. DS, DD and I just moved to a very small flat, having left an abusive relationship. I'm in the living room as budget doesn't allow for a separate bedroom. I'm looking at ways to hide a bed that's suitable for every night use but not insanely expensive (what the hell is up with the sofa beds that cost more than a car?!?).

I teach in the living room (when we're not in lockdown), so the bed needs to be hidden, and the room isn't big enough to divide into separate spaces.

I've considered a wall bed but there isn't room to hide it. I also wondered about a folding mattress in some kind of chest (which could also be a window seat?). And then there's sofa beds, but I'm struggling to find one that's useable every night and affordable. Are folding mattresses ok to use every night?

Any ideas or recommendations? I'd like a double size ideally.
Thanks :)

I considered this from Costco. I tried it in person before lockdown and it's comfy and sturdy. It fold to a pouffe-type seat

www.costco.co.uk/Furniture-Home/Living-Room-Furniture/Sofa-Beds/Synergy-Home-Furnishings-Grey-Fabric-Sleeper-Ottoman/p/269019

I spent 3 months sleeping on a futon company sofa bed (the ones with legs, not like a traditional futon). It was very comfortable. They aren't cheap but you can pick them up for a lot less secondhand. You could buy a secondhand frame and a new mattress.

I have a made.com chaise longue that converts to a double bed in my study. It's foam so it is very soft but comfortable enough. Their Yoko sofa bed is similar. It's £200 new but there are plenty for £100 on ebay. I'm not sure how well the foam would last but it would probably be a lot better than a folding mattress.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/nyhamn-3-seat-sofa-bed-with-foam-mattress-knisa-grey-beige-s59306372/

This one looks easy to swap over from sofa to bed.

My sofa bed was £50 from.a charity that renovated donated furniture

Yeah sorry I should have made it clear I meant a sofa-style futon.

Thanks for all the suggestions!
It doesn't need to be put away, but wouldn't fit behind a screen as the room is fairly small, so it needs to not look like a bed because I teach in the room where I sleep at the moment.
I used to have a Hemnes on a houseboat, but it wasn't very comfy as a sofa.
@BlueDaysTillChristmas How would you make the Ikea stackable beds comfy as a sofa? Are they heavy to unstack? I have a wrecked back.
@Gliblet what is your sofa? Sounds doable!

Futons are very heavy to move.

You can get bi-fold futons that convert to a bed just by pushing on the back and it's quite easy. I agree that the type with a mattress that folds in three are hard work!
www.futoncompany.co.uk/sofa-beds/size/double-3-seaters/vienna-3-seater-birch-sofa-bed.html

What about an Ikea Vallentuna? It's a chair sofa-bed and £160-£230 www.ikea.com/gb/en/cat/chair-beds-16296/

Futon sofa company do good sturdy sofa beds for small spaces that are easy to fold up

www.futoncompany.co.uk/sofa-beds/size/single/oak-switch-sofa-bed.html

www.futoncompany.co.uk/sofas/collection/small-space-sofas/milly-sofa-bed.html

www.futoncompany.co.uk/sofa-beds/size/double-3-seaters/vienna-3-seater-birch-sofa-bed.html

www.dunelm.com/product/zodiac-velvet-day-bed-1000108486

We have this in the spare room OP, I put some big cushions along the back.

Been in the same situation with bedrooms

Slept on an airbed in the front room for 2 years, stuck it on the stairs during the day. It's hell. But when you get a proper bed and room it feels luxurious

Don’t go for the Ikea stackable beds. DS has them. Great as singles, they make a big double but you’d need help stacking/unstacking. They’re not heavy, just unwieldy. Also, not good as a full time sofa.

I had one of these for about a decade
www.futoncompany.co.uk/sofa-beds/size/double-3-seaters/cocoon-3-seater-birch-sofa-bed.html
and it was very comfortable. It may fail your "must cost less than a small car" test though (I don't remember them being that expensive when I bought mine).

In my experience, sofa beds are never very comfortable, and certainly not what you'd want to use every night. You'd definitely be better off with a futon, but it's worth spending the extra on one like the one I've linked to - the 3 fold mattress on concertina-type frame ones are a hell of a faff to get out and put away every day.

Futons are also better than the IKEA Hemnes, IMO (currently sleeping on my son's Hemnes for dog-related reasons... not very impressed with it for an adult to be honest.)

Don't buy one of these
www.wayfair.co.uk/Ebern-Designs--Chaplin-Futon-Chair-GJOU4798-L978-K~FINT3687.html?cjevent=686439056d4611eb82a301080a18050d&refID=CJUK4653527&PID=7947610
They are rock hard to sleep on.

I would echo the recommendation for the Ikea 'friheten' sofabed. DH and I lived in one room for several years and it ticked all the boxes for us. It's a super comfy, roomy double sofabed and also a v comfy sofa. We've had it for years and it's great quality. The 'L' part lifts up and has storage underneath which easily fitted our double duvet, sheets and pillows.

Not the solution you were asking for, but can you put a different background on when you're teaching? I know you can do it in Teams but don't know about other platforms.

@AuntyFungal

Don’t go for the Ikea stackable beds. DS has them. Great as singles, they make a big double but you’d need help stacking/unstacking. They’re not heavy, just unwieldy. Also, not good as a full time sofa.

We’ve just ordered these! Is it uncomfortable to sleep on?!

@mummacello my mum has a single bed that she uses as a sofa in a spare living room.

Essentially she just has big cushions leaning against the wall and a throw over it during the day. The bedding comes out when someone needs to sleep in it and is stored elsewhere when they don’t!

Pretty workable and definitely doesn’t look like a bed in the day.

@Daydreamsinglorioustechnicolor that's what I do at the moment (hours of fun), but at some point my students will start coming here! I used to teach them in the kitchen but we wouldn't fit at this new place.

How firm a mattress do you like? What about a Japanese futon? You have to be “into” it though, or you’ll be miserable.

@orangenasturtium

I spent 3 months sleeping on a futon company sofa bed (the ones with legs, not like a traditional futon). It was very comfortable. They aren't cheap but you can pick them up for a lot less secondhand. You could buy a secondhand frame and a new mattress.

I have a made.com chaise longue that converts to a double bed in my study. It's foam so it is very soft but comfortable enough. Their Yoko sofa bed is similar. It's £200 new but there are plenty for £100 on ebay. I'm not sure how well the foam would last but it would probably be a lot better than a folding mattress.

Don't get the Yoko, we have one in our playroom and after two years it's very wobbly, and the seat and back are of noticeably different hardnesses. DS (8) also managed to break a spring while leaping off it. It's obviously had some hard wear as a sofa in 3DCs playroom but you'll need something more substantial as a daily bed and sofa.

What's your budget like?

IKEA gronlid or vimle sofa beds. They are both comfy as sofas and have a proper mattress inside sofa bed not just foam. You can upgrade the mattress also if your prefer. They come in 2 seater, 3 seater and sofa bed so depending on price and size you would like.
The corner one has lots of storage

I few years back I stayed at a friends on a 'clic clac' style sofa bed and was amazed at how comfy it was. I was with XH at the time...I'm overweight and he's 6'4 so the fact we slept well is probably a decent recommendation!

They start at £150 but you could spend a bit more depending on your budget. I think the one we slept on was fairly basic.

www.argos.co.uk/sd/clic-clac-sofa-bed/

One here which doesn't look too bed-like.

Before buying anything new I would Contact charities/ shops that sell furniture to see if they have a second hand sofa bed. Post on local free cycle Facebook page for sofa bed someone may be getting rid etc

Loads to look at! Does anyone have experience with tri-fold mattresses - like this? www.amazon.co.uk/Milliard-Folding-Mattress-Removable-Non-Slip/dp/B07F1XXQ31?tag=mumsnetforu03-21
Are they workable as a regular bed, or just for occasional use?