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 :)

Why wouldn't you get a used one on Facebook market place and then steam clean it? Cost is less than a couple of hundred pounds plus delivery. Steam cleaners are buttons on Amazon.

I wouldn’t get the IKEA Hemnes day bed. Is a bugger to pull in and out.

Have a look on FB marketplace. Lots of good buys on there, just got DD a new double bed for £30.

I find futons uncomfotable as a bed and as a sofa. we have a very comfortable sofa bed - comfortable as both. Wasn't cheap though

What is your budget? A good sofa bed would be worthwhile investing in for both a good nights sleep and comfort during the day. Ive used both of these and they were both comfortable for sleeping on every night.

£899;
www.barkerandstonehouse.co.uk/bedroom/Sofabeds/Sudbury-2-Seater-Sofa-Bed/2-6736-96735/

£260;
www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/lycksele-murbo-two-seat-sofa-bed-vallarum-grey-s89149941/

I'd just be wary of the fact that the vast majority of sofa beds with mattresses aren't really suitable for every day use, so you might get back pain etc.

Unsure about futons but have slept on them in the past for a year or so but a few years ago and they seem very comfy.

I have bought the ikea sofa for the same reason, some years ago. I stayed at a friends house on one and it was firm but very comfortable: so when I was looking for similar option, I bought this.

This was 10 years ago. I have moved since, and the sofa is no longer used as a bed - but it’s a sofa still in our living room. So considering I spent £450 on the sofa and have used it in the last 11 years, it was money well spent.

If you've lived on a houseboat then look into houseboat furniture - we wanted a sofa bed for the guestroom but it needed to be unusual size and found some good options that way.
I love the wayfair daybed that was linked to above. It has the look of a sofa, but is it a standard single mattress? that potentially I guess could be upgraded to give proper support if this situation is going to last for a while.
The other thing to look into is european styles. I'm of Polish background and it used to be that many families had the parents on the sofa in the living room - but they were designed for permanent use - called wersalka. Usually the fold is down the middle and there would be good storage underneath for pillows and duvet... A quick search came up with this which is the style of thing I remember www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SOFA-BED-POLSKIE-WERSALKI-/133515790390?var=

The best sofabed we ever had was from Ikea - given to us so I have no clue what it was called.

It was two 30cm deep slabs of foam attached by the upholstery IYSWIM. There were detachable, L-shaped, cylindrical foam sections to form the arms and back. Flopping the top foam block out made a 6ft bed. It was very comfortable.

I wonder if they still make them?

we recently bought one of these for the spare room £250

www.homebase.co.uk/freya-folding-sofa-bed_p574093

I would worry less about it looking like a bed than about how comfortable it is, especially since you already have back problems. Sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress won't do your back any favours!

I'd look for something with a decent mattress. A daybed, probably, accessorised with plenty of cushions along the back and a nice throw blanket or two.

Kinda placemarking as I'm considering something like this in the future when I move to a 1 bed for when guests visit.

My grandparents all slept on sofa beds in the living rooms as they were overcrowded housing wise. One set tolerated a poor quality one for years partly out of a sort of stubborn reluctance to admit it was rubbish! The other grandparents "invested" in a proper spring action one when they could manage financially which stood them in good stead. My siblings and cousins and I would sleep in it when staying over too and grandparents would sleep in the singles that were my uncles beds when they still lived at home. We had lots of fun inc jumping on it as little kids tend to and it still lasted years beyond that!

Definitely join local facebook/gumtree/freecycle groups/pages and look on ebay people are ALWAYS selling cheap/giving away free this kind of thing - my tip is jump on these pages whenever you spot one of the big high street furniture/sofa shops are doing a sale because people will buy a new one in the sale and need to get rid of their old one quickly to make space for the new one?

I'm VERY Fussy on cleanliness side (dx ocd) and I got my suite this way, I was very lucky that it was the colour I wanted (couldn't have matched more perfectly if I'd bought it!) it came from a smoke and pet free home and was honestly spotlessly clean! So definitely look at this option.

Out of pure curiosity I've just had a look on my local Facebook freecycle style page and there's 5 suites and 2 sofa beds advertised at the moment they'll be gone by the end of the week if not the day, you have to be quick but they look lovely.

Bear in mind too that you can use throws/blankets/rugs/other fabric to cover a bed in the daytime depending on the style you can even make it look like a different piece of furniture eg z-beds with the wooden flat piece at the top can easily be disguised with a thrown over tablecloth and a few ornaments strategically placed.

You need to think creatively.

Bedding - ottomans even a small footstool size one would likely work for storing bedding away.

@CaraDuneRedux

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.

That is the futon that I had. I have back and neck issues and found it very comfortable. It's very easy to put up/down. I had it for over a decade. It was actually used full time as a bed for about 5 years at one point. It was still as good as new when I gave it away.

DS has an Ikea Lykselle at his student house. The futon is 10 times as comfortable (but 3 times the price).

[quote mummacello]@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.[/quote]
Oh I see! Forgot there might be a time people could come in our homes again!!

Bed in a box from sofa.xom replace x with classic letter. Really comfortable and looks like an ottoman during the day/ extra seat etc.

www.sofa.com/gb/beds/bed-in-box

£500, but you quite often get discount sales etc

@peeweemermaid are those comfy to sleep on? Looks very cool!

This is nice but maybe a little pricey?

Looks nice as a sofa, pulls out to a double and it looks pretty easy so wouldn't be a pain to do it daily.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/holmsund-three-seat-sofa-bed-graesbo-light-blue-s79240752/

Yes very comfy Ie been sleeping on one fo 10 months....dont ask!

Easy to pull out as well and mak very quickly can keep sheet on etc so its just hiding the pillow and duvet

Or this one

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/sandbacken-corner-sofa-bed-ransta-natural-s49217908/

Another vote for the IKEA Friheten - we have one in our snug and guests say it is very comfortable. The storage is excellent and will take all the bedding, pillows etc. I'd say you would only spend a couple of minutes in the morning and again at night converting it.

Good luck in your new home.

www.argos.co.uk/product/3578704?clickSR=slp:term:sofa%20bed:1:139:1

Ive got something similar to this, its very comfy as a bed, ok as sofa but plenty of room behind and underneath to store bedding. I suspect you could get one much cheaper on eBay or facebook. Then when you have finished with it you can sell it on for the same

PS and like PPs said the Friheten is easy to find second hand - we got ours in near perfect condition for a couple of hundred.

Dreams Perth bed. Ours was used every night for about 2 years.

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

I’ve had this one ( well its previous incarnation) for over 20 years now.

It was my main bed for nearly 10 years in a bedsit, and, with the best quality mattress (the spring not the foam) it is really very comfy. It is still our sofa and now doubles as a guest bed and it’s always well received. Price wise, you can upgrade the cover if you want it to look smart. Bedding can be stored away in an under bed storage box underneath.

I am considering replacing the mattress - and am on my second cover but I bought mine in Feb 2002!