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Original poster

Sleeping in the living or dining room - making it work

249 replies

gwrachod · 04/03/2023 23:17

We're 4 people in a 3 bed - my DC's dad and I live as if a couple still, even though we haven't shared a bed for years, and never will again.

Eventually, we'll either split or move to a bigger house, but neither are on the cards just now, so I need to work out a semi-permanent solution.

The DC are 10 and 15.

I was on the sofa in the living room for the first few years, then we swapped last summer. DP is on the sofa, but it just isn't working having the living room doubling up as his bedroom, I knew it wouldn't (which is why I chose the sofa originally). So, I need to work out how else to do it.

There is one v. large bedroom. DS (15) is in it and I'd like to keep him there, as he's getting bigger and needs space for his hobbies and studying for his GCSEs.

Then there's also a double bedroom, a single bedroom and the dining room, the same size as the double.

I'm thinking DD in the double, so she has space to play and have mates round, "DP" in the single and me in the dining room.

But I'm not keen on losing the dining room completely.

Am I mad to think I could keep it as a dual function room? I've been looking at daybeds and thinking of having it as a dual function room. Is this a crazy idea?

If I do that there's no space for a wardrobe, I'd maybe have to get a large wardrobe for DD's room and share it, or convert the hall cupboard into my wardrobe.

Or, should I just accept we lose the dining room, and always eat in the front room?

What would you do?

OP posts:
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Original poster
gwrachod · 05/03/2023 12:02

It's available in green, but that would clash with the walls and mean we need to redecorate. Not worth it for a day bed!

OP posts:
sashh · 05/03/2023 12:07

OP I have an Ikea day bed that can convert into a double and has storage space. It can also become two singles.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/brimnes-day-bed-frame-with-2-drawers-white-00228705/

I would say get the best mattress you can with whichever bed you go for.

Wall beds / AKA Murphy beds are also an option, you can buy a kit to make your own if you are handy with a screw driver.

Original poster
gwrachod · 05/03/2023 12:12

I'm liking the look of the clic-clac beds. They'd fit well with the room being dual purpose.

It'd need a mattress topper or similar - that could be kept in an ottoman (thanks for the suggestion upthread).

Sleeping in the living or dining room - making it work
Sleeping in the living or dining room - making it work
Sleeping in the living or dining room - making it work
OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

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Home improvement
Original poster
gwrachod · 05/03/2023 12:13

Or this one

Sleeping in the living or dining room - making it work
Sleeping in the living or dining room - making it work
OP posts:
Original poster
gwrachod · 05/03/2023 12:14

Does anyone have either of those? I'm wondering how comfortable they are. They look comfy in the pics, don't they?!

OP posts:
Calmdown14 · 05/03/2023 12:14

My son has the IKEA brimnes and I sleep like a log on it. But the two mattresses might get annoying as a sofa as they slide about.

I would think about where the bedding goes easily.

Those folding ottomans are good (and cheap) and double as an extra place to sit or to put your feet on. Or some sort of box style coffee table that you can roll it all up and shove it in so it's not a massive effort.

Original poster
gwrachod · 05/03/2023 12:15

sashh · 05/03/2023 12:07

OP I have an Ikea day bed that can convert into a double and has storage space. It can also become two singles.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/brimnes-day-bed-frame-with-2-drawers-white-00228705/

I would say get the best mattress you can with whichever bed you go for.

Wall beds / AKA Murphy beds are also an option, you can buy a kit to make your own if you are handy with a screw driver.

That's a cunning use of space!

OP posts:
Calmdown14 · 05/03/2023 12:17

I don't know about the suggestions bit from camper van experience, a thin memory foam or quilted topper transforms the sleeping experience on something that folds down

Caspianberg · 05/03/2023 12:18

Those click type sofa beds I find super uncomfortable when we have stayed somewhere. There’s no actual mattress so I don’t think very good for back using daily

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/hemnes-day-bed-frame-with-3-drawers-white-90349326/ - I would get this. The drawers underneath huge storage. Add nice bedspread to hide duvet etc daytime. Much more comfortable with actual mattress and you aren’t having to set up and put away every day

Original poster
gwrachod · 05/03/2023 12:42

Caspianberg · 05/03/2023 12:18

Those click type sofa beds I find super uncomfortable when we have stayed somewhere. There’s no actual mattress so I don’t think very good for back using daily

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/hemnes-day-bed-frame-with-3-drawers-white-90349326/ - I would get this. The drawers underneath huge storage. Add nice bedspread to hide duvet etc daytime. Much more comfortable with actual mattress and you aren’t having to set up and put away every day

The grey one I shared gets pretty good reviews. I think it's be OK, it's not forever.

OP posts:
Original poster
gwrachod · 05/03/2023 12:42

(Aware I might be being hopefully naive, thought!)

OP posts:
Secondsop · 05/03/2023 12:44

Personally I find the click-clac beds extremely uncomfortable (either you can feel the hard middle bit, or you end up choosing one narrow side. Others have already mentioned but if you’ve got space in the dining room an IKEA hemnes or similar daybed can just be kept as a single with a proper mattress and with cushions on it during the day as an additional seating/reading area in the dining room. I’ve got one in my home office (which is downstairs) and it functions really well. You can keep bedding and some clothes in the big drawers. Hope you find a solution that works for you all.

C152 · 05/03/2023 12:45

What about some type of Murphy bed for the living room? They vary in price from about £800 upwards, but I think they look more comfortable than sleeping permanently on the sofa.

www.wesleepwell.co.uk/best-murphy-bed/

Secondsop · 05/03/2023 12:51

On the habitat day bed - you could get the green one plus a throw in whatever colour your prefer?

Caspianberg · 05/03/2023 12:52

Not forever no, but staying on those click fold sofa beds for just 3 nights was awful. Even my 2 year old slept badly on one

AinmÁlainn · 05/03/2023 13:20

We have the hemnes ikea day bed in our kitchen/diner and it's really comfortable the odd time I sleep on it (most recently when the dog was sick Hmm). It's great as a couch too. We have two mattress stacked (also allow the bed to be a double when dd has a gang of friends over for a movie night) so to keep them together I have them inside a king-sized duvet cover! Definitely looks good enough to have in a public rom of the house without raising an eye.

CrapBucket · 05/03/2023 13:22

Click clack beds are constantly posted on gumtree and Facebook marketplace, I assume people buy them as a good idea then discover they are horribly uncomfortable... sorry to say.

Original poster
gwrachod · 05/03/2023 13:44

I quite like this Ikea one too. It also folds out to a double.

Sleeping in the living or dining room - making it work
Sleeping in the living or dining room - making it work
OP posts:
Original poster
gwrachod · 05/03/2023 13:48

CrapBucket · 05/03/2023 13:22

Click clack beds are constantly posted on gumtree and Facebook marketplace, I assume people buy them as a good idea then discover they are horribly uncomfortable... sorry to say.

Hmmm.... perhaps not then. You all seem to be telling me the same thing.

I did sleep on a clicclac for my main bed for a while when I was a student and I don't remember it being a problem. But that was a very long time ago - I was practically half the weight I am now! And so excited to be living away from home I could probably have happily slept on a pile of rocks and convinced myself it was fine.

I used to like futons then, too. No longer, far too curvy for regularly sleeping on a futon these days!

OP posts:
Original poster
gwrachod · 05/03/2023 13:48

AinmÁlainn · 05/03/2023 13:20

We have the hemnes ikea day bed in our kitchen/diner and it's really comfortable the odd time I sleep on it (most recently when the dog was sick Hmm). It's great as a couch too. We have two mattress stacked (also allow the bed to be a double when dd has a gang of friends over for a movie night) so to keep them together I have them inside a king-sized duvet cover! Definitely looks good enough to have in a public rom of the house without raising an eye.

That's good to know, thanks :)

OP posts:
Pointblank2 · 05/03/2023 13:58

@gwrachod the table I put on earlier stores the dining chairs within it. It was just an example and you can get other colours etc. we use our dining room as an office and have one of these tables admittedly a bit bigger than the example, we eat on trays then out the table up for guests etc,it seats 6 easy

Pumpkin20222 · 05/03/2023 14:01

Beds with storage built in save so much space. IKEA hemnes has a day bed with three drawers. Easily dressed up as a sofa with a few cushions and it slides apart to make a double.

Original poster
gwrachod · 05/03/2023 14:45

Pointblank2 · 05/03/2023 13:58

@gwrachod the table I put on earlier stores the dining chairs within it. It was just an example and you can get other colours etc. we use our dining room as an office and have one of these tables admittedly a bit bigger than the example, we eat on trays then out the table up for guests etc,it seats 6 easy

Thanks, that's my next mission!

Like you, I think I need something a bit bigger (when folded out) than that, but that kind of thing is a good starting point.

DP and I are on the large side, and DS is the size of an adult. It needs to be a decent size when unfolded, a compact 4 person thing probably won't get used so much. Not for all 4 of us together anyway.

OP posts:
Sunflowermoonbeam · 05/03/2023 16:04

I have one and it is really really comfy and is designed to be slept on

kateandme · 05/03/2023 19:59

Another storage saver is something like these which hang on the wall
www.ikea.com/my/en/p/nisse-folding-chair-blue-70412427/