our living room is also needing to be our bedroom how can we make this work?

[Veggielove84]

Hello

We are a family of 4 living in our 2 bedroom, 1st time home owners. We look likely stuck here long term.

My daughters can not share a room (autism and large age gap) and so they each have a lovely room but me and husband are just on a sofa bed in living room and it was over a grand in ikea and its shockingly uncomfortable! I can not sleep on this thing any longer! our living room is not big at all.

Living room currently holds the small office desk and computer. some toys (most in bedroom) 1 x 3 seat sofa that is a sofa bed and and arm chair. My thinking was to move the office space and convert under stairs cupboard in kitchen to office space.

But do we just use a double bed and have a smaller sofa with the arm chair ? I am torn between needing comfort (I'm 40 this year husband in his 40s we need proper rest) and the look of it, I have a similar colour scheme but still... No option to do extension as live in a flat that is upstairs downstairs ( maisonette 2 bedroom and bathroom up, living room kitchen downstairs)

I hate sofa beds we have tried so many :(

not a lot space for a bed to pull up into wall and wouldn't probably be able to afford one anytime soon if it would fit.

our radiator is undeneath the large window/ there is a fire place on one wall with 2 small cupboards either side so only have a small corner area in the room and one wall where nothing is.

Are either of the upstairs bedrooms big enough for a flex wall? They're "temporary" dividing walls, I've seen them used often in rentals as a way for convert bedrooms into two bedrooms. I'd pop one in the biggest upstairs bedroom and divide it into two for your children to share, then you and DH have the other room?

post a floorplan and people can give much more specific ideas.

search online for 'tiny house' and you'll see lots of pictures of how people can cleverly squeeze furniture into small spaces.

something like a King size WallBed might be a good option for comfort and it folds away completely in the day.

https://www.wallbeds.co.uk/solutions/wallbeds-king-double-size/primer-king-wall-bed-system/

I would get a proper king size Murphy bed if you are in this arrangement for the long haul.

I would try a thick memory foam mattress topper first. Keep it in one of the bedrooms during the day. I slept on one on the floor for a while and it was more comfortable than I expected. Amazon.

I'd get a wall bed - just pull it down at night, and put away in the morning.
Do you happen to have a dining room or larger kitchen diner - assuming not as it would be easier the use this as a lounge area, failing that can you afford to have an extension? Loft conversation? The day bed would suffice til you can afford something bigger or an extension

Is there any way to swap the room round? So, biggest room split in 2 so that the girls have a space each, then you have a proper bedroom and a small lounge?

Another vote for a day bed. Choose your mattress as you would a normal bed.

I've never yet found a sofa bed that is comfortable for 2 people to sleep in.
Personally, I think I'd just put a normal bed in the living room, and keep all clothes in the bigger of the 2 bedrooms.
If you can fit in a sofa as well, that's great. Is the kitchen big enough to eat in?

I don't understand why autism and an age gap is a bigger problem than the parents having no bedroom!

I'm honestly not trying to underestimate the difficulty there might be for your girls but it seems ridiculous to me that they have a lovely bedroom each while their parents don't have one between them!

What are the specific problems with your girls sharing a bedroom?

We did this for several years. I didn’t want a bed in the living room. We had a very expensive futon for years which was comfortable but we had to rotate the frame every night and make the bed every night. It was heavy to shift.

Then we had a Habitat Louis sofa bed. It was large and meant we could keep the sheet on the mattress at least. Thinking of where you will keep the duvet etc is also worth considering.

the wall beds are clever, we had one in a studio flat but it limits where you can put the sofa etc.

You’d have to have an autistic child to understand.

Can you split the biggest bedroom into two and have a larger part for you and a smaller section for one of your DC? Then maximise all the vertical space with shelves and storage? Would each section have access to a window? You could have as much storage as possible downstairs. Also I'd board the loft and get an easy pull down ladder and put as much storage up there too.

I'd make a small corner of the living room into an office area and make sure this is light and comfortable with a proper, adjustable chair.

Maybe you would, although I have taught autistic children so I might understand a little. I'd still like to ask about the specific issues though.

We are an autistic household. Private space is essential.

i really think a Murphy bed is the likely answer. If that just can’t happen, I would do two singles and set them up daybed style so they work as couches.

some of your lesser used items might have to be stored in the bedrooms. As long as you don’t need daily access, there should be a way to make that work unless the rooms are very small.

There are lots of short reels on facebook to show max storage and different layouts for studio appts. If you have to use the living room as your bedroom as well these might provide helpful ideas.

Depends on the individual child the specific issues that would apply to them. List of common ones meaning they need private space:
-as a retreat from all human interaction
-as a place to focus/study (autistic more likely to have attention deficits some to level of ADHD)
-sensory requirements- ie complete silence/or white noise and/or darkness or open curtains/night light to sleep.
-possessions staying exactly where you put them and knowing no one is going to go through their stuff is vital to some

As well as a floor plan could you tell us room sizes please?

What's the smallest size bed you and your DH could comfortably sleep on?

Definitely look at tiny house living for inspiration.

Ikea now have ceiling mounted curtain tracks and in their catalogue have pictures of beds in living rooms left out permanently hidden by a curtain.

Also look up the Wisdom family on insta. This amazing mum DIYd for circa £90 a Murphy bed. www.instagram.com/the.wisdom.family?igsh=MTlkYnFoNjZldnFsMA==

the mum has 6 children in a 2 bed council house and is full of great ideas.

A Murphy bed.

The official study bed ones are my favourite, and they can look really nice as decorative shelves when put up.

Murphy bed with storage on the side?

I think the idea of a daybed with a pull out trundle would work best, You can dress the daybed as a comfy sofa with cushions and throws during the day so it works as a sofa.

Thank you for all the great ideas, I have a lot to think about.

If I could find a way to make this fit along with a 2 seat sofa perhaps this would work?

PLATSA bed frame with 2 door+3 drawers, white/Fonnes, 142x244x163 cm - IKEA

Just would then have to accept it will have to look like a double use room, and the sofa seat tv area would be quite small, but I would have to measure.

Other than that a day bed is a doable idea if I get rid of current sofa bed and buy a 2 seat sofa and move the office desk space as planned.

the kitchen is small but we have a folding table and chairs in there and so that works as a kitchen and dining room and the office area would be the cupboard under the stairs which is in the kitchen as well really.

comfort is the main thing though isnt it op?

and that picture doesnt look like a comfortable bed @Veggielove84