Small double as a guest bed?

[LemonViolet]

Thinking of furniture for our attic room. It will mainly be a yoga space with a lot of storage, and occasional use as a guest room. I also have a pipedream of setting up a telescope at the velux window!

For the bed - that will rarely be used as a bed and more often a place to sit for breathing/meditation after yoga, or maybe read a book or nap up there in the afternoon as a day bed as it’s a lovely calm light space - I’m thinking of maybe getting a small double (4ft) ottoman divan with no headboard, and arranging it lengthways against the wall with a lot of pillows as a day bed for most of the time, and then it can be made up as a guest bed when needed.

Guests would usually be a single adult, sometimes single adult + one child (who could have a blow up or Thai mattress on floor if they can’t share with parent). Very occasionally a couple for 1 or 2 nights.

Is that ok do you think? Is a 4ft double ok as a very occasional guest bed for 2 adults?

I think the size is fine, but no headboard would be a pain as your pillow will just constantly fall off the end, especially if it’s not against a wall either.

Also, I didn’t read the end bit. I think it would be fine for a single adult, I don’t think a couple would be very comfortable

No, not for two people, particularly arranged as you describe. Some day beds can convert to proper doubles or kings, I would be looking for one of those.

It wouldn't be enough space for an adult imo.

But a loft conversion where I am costs around £60k (including a proper staircase and plumbing). There is no way I'd pay that for a spare room used very occasionally; a hotel would be much cheaper! But I would consider it for a room we used daily as a family - I would think about what I really wanted the space for, and furnish it primarily for that, while possibly paying for very occasional guests to stay somewhere more suitable.

We had one (ottoman) in our eldest DDs loft conversion room - very helpful for storage in a room that was otherwise a bit difficult for that. . The room then became the guest room when she moved out - comfortable for a single adult, and would be ok for child to share but we slept in it together for a couple of nights when decorating and it was awful ( neither of us large or twitchy sleepers).

Moved that to my younger DDs room as an improvement on her single and bought a double for the attic room, though access is only on one side - fine for the very occasional overnight couple. That attic room is now used as partly my studio ( great light from the velux) , partly as a guest room, with the bed dressed as a day bed which is nice to sit and read on in late afternoon.

Attic room is already there we’re not converting just moved in a few months ago from a much smaller flat so don’t have any furniture, it’s currently housing many boxes of things yet to be unpacked as we sort out other main rooms

Is there anyway the bed can go in a corner when used as a bed? No headboard, and no wall behind the pillows wouldnt be great.
It's also not a suitable size for 2 adults. Fine for an adult and a (primary school aged) kid to share.

Alternatively, why not go for a piece of furniture designed to be both a sofa and a single bed, with a collapsible bed beneath. So you could have 2 singles for the 2 adults. I'd much prefer a separate single if I visited with DH than sharing a 3/4 double. Not sure what they are called, but have see them in several peoples houses, so I'm guessing not hard to find.

What about the IKEA day bed that's a single sofa / bed but converts to a double:

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/hemnes-day-bed-w-3-drawers-2-mattresses-white-moshult-firm-s49186105/

We've had adult couples sleep in our small double without complaint. DHs work accommodation has small doubles, and they are ok for occasional nights for couples.

Definitely need a headboard or next to a wall though.

DH and I used to have to sleep in a small double when we visited his parents. I absolutely loathed the lack of space.
What about a sofa bed?

For what you describe...single adult or adult plus child I think a small double would be fine but a day bed that extends to a proper double would be SOOOOOO much better

I really dislike the Hemnes day bed! So big and boxy takes up masses of room, and I slept on my BIL’s a few times and didn’t like it.

We could turn it round so the head is against the wall for use as a bed if need be. Just for normal (my) use it would basically be a lounging sofa so the long edge is the ‘head’.

When I first had a partner in my early 20s we spent months sharing a single bed in a box room in a house share 😂 so a small double seemed fine to me for occasional use! I do love the king me and DP have now though.

The thing about anything fold out is then you don’t have the storage underneath, and I think the storage is more valuable to us.

Don’t want a sofa bed up there, but there will probably be a sofa bed eventually in another room as well anyway.

Seems opinion is split....will ponder!

I agree with you about the Hemnes day bed its so clunky and also heavy to use (I tried it out in store).
This is much sleeker/lighter looking
www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ravaror-day-bed-with-2-mattresses-dark-blue-moshult-firm-s29388147/
Or is you do need a double option how about this
www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/flekke-day-bed-w-2-drawers-2-mattresses-white-malfors-medium-firm-s39129945/

I think they are fine for a couple for the odd overnight (both our sets of parents have them in their spare rooms) but not for longer stays.

I’ve got an IKEA single bed that converts to a double with two drawers underneath In my dd’s room.

As a guest I’d be grateful for anywhere that was offered. I’ve slept in a double with two children, in a single as 2,adults and as a family on the floor. Have also paid for hotel rooms too.

Think about your needs first then the rest is nice to have if possible

This bed brimnes

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

It sounds fine to me if you only very occasionally might need a bed for two adult visitors. While it would be lovely to have a guest suite like many mumsnetters seem to, our friends sleep on airbeds, kids' beds (and the DC all kip together in one room) or even the sofa. If we had a couple who were really too decrepit to manage on an airbed for one or two nights we'd give them our bed and sleep on the airbed ourselves.

@Rummikub

I’ve got an IKEA single bed that converts to a double with two drawers underneath In my dd’s room.

As a guest I’d be grateful for anywhere that was offered. I’ve slept in a double with two children, in a single as 2,adults and as a family on the floor. Have also paid for hotel rooms too.

Think about your needs first then the rest is nice to have if possible

@Rummikub it took so long to finish my post you'd already said what I wanted to!

@MotherBuckets 😬

I find that happens to me a lot!

Thinking that only two of my friends have proper guest rooms. Lovely to stay there of course. My parents had a terrace and three bedrooms. We would stay over Christmas- each family got a room. A squash but lovely to be all together.