Desk and guest bed arrangements

[decorecor]

We have a smallish room which needs to be an occasional guest room and a daily office. It could just about squeeze in the required desk, bookcase, and double bed. I think the ideal scenario would be a Studybed, but it's so expensive.

My parents, the main users, refuse to use sofabed (even when I previously bought a very expensive one much comfier than a traditional one). I think a fold up bed would be refused too. Not sure whether to have a standard bed out all the time or if there's another alternative I could look at? What would you do?

For the price of those fancy desks you could probably pay for a B&B for quite a few visits. We went through many iterations of guest beds as both children and parents got older, the easiest was to let them have our bed. Can you last until you are out of the cot age?

This is what I was going to suggest.

Get the Hemnes, then stay in it yourself when they stay. They can take your bed.

If they don't want to sleep in the bed you have provided then they can get a hotel. Simple as.

Why should you have a double bed taking up most of a room for occasional needy high maintenance parents staying? It's your home and you need the room for other things. If they don't like it they can get a hotel!

I really don't understand why they can't just sleep on a sofa bed.

I only have a day bed in our spare room which can be pulled into a double If needed but I'd rather not have overnight guests unless it's my mum so it's a good way of discouraging "friends' who are staying in the area and don't want to pay for a hotel 🤣

I know that sounds harsh but it's your home OP. How dare your cf parents try to dictate to you.

The day bed would involve climbing over the other person to get out though which might not work for older people if they're worried about the height of a sofa bed.

I looked into this for a good while when I bought this house as I like having guests but the spare room is mainly a study. I didn't find anything that I felt was the answer so I have a fairly small desk and a normal bed. I think the desk is 4' by 2' and I fit two monitors, laptop, keyboard, mouse and notebook. I have a seperate unit with pens etc.

Or rather, I didn't find anything other than the super expensive study beds. You have to check the clearance on them though - I think I concluded they might struggle to fit a monitor still standing up when folded into bed mode.

Would your parents pay for the study bed?

We have one - it's fine with a monitor on it but you can't have the monitor super high on the desk, it can stand up though

Not sure if study bed is the same as Murphy/Wall bed. Be careful where you buy. Assembly is important as there have been accidents.

Don't know anything about London Wall Bed Co but they have good ideas/designs.
Frame on sofa bed can be an issue when getting in and out of bed.
IKEA is expensive if you have to pay for delivery and assembly.

One time they would be likely to stay is during the week in school holidays to help with the kids and I'd still be working from the moment they woke up essentially (I work exclusively from home). I have multiple monitors, printer, and various other bits, so it's not as simple as just lifting a laptop off and there's no other room I could work in.

In this case, you need to give them your bedroom when they stay, and you go in the study/spare room. It’s not really fair for them to have nowhere to retreat to if doing childcare, would be my thinking.

We have a single Murphy bed for our box room / spare room/ office. We got it from here

arthauss.co.uk/collections/wall-beds

As they do wall beds that hinge either way. Not cheap but really heavy furniture... You need to check the depth of mattress it can take.

The day bed would involve climbing over the other person to get out though which might not work for older people if they're worried about the height of a sofa bed.

That seems to be the same issue with a Studybed, though. The person on the inside would need to climb over the other.

I'd love a Murphy bed! Are they expensive and are they comfy!

I have this and I can confirm it's comfortable

Can often pick up great trundle beds made of oak or pine on Ebay. I bought one for my mum’s and was planning on getting new mattresses but it was all so pristine that I kept them. This is because they’re often in spare rooms and little used. Also as they’re two singles they’re easier to move around.

We had one that became the beds that my 18 & 21 yos sleep on now.

This folds completely flat and takes a standard mattress
"Amazon Basics Foldable Platform Bed Frame - Tool-Free Assembly - Under-Bed Storage - 90 X 200 : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen" www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasics-Foldable-Platform-Bed-Frame/dp/B07QL8WVPL/ref=mp_s_a_1_16?crid=3VXJLO0KB7YMG&keywords=amazon+metal+frame+bed&qid=1671835217&sprefix=amazon+mefal%2Caps%2C406&sr=8-16

Or what about this?

"JAY_BE J-Bed Folding Bed with Anti Allergy Micro e-Pocket Mattress, Compact, Small Double : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen" www.amazon.co.uk/JAY-BE-Folding-Mattress-Compact-111265/dp/B08PPXSGJJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_19?keywords=Folding+Bed+with+Mattress&qid=1671835019&sr=8-19

Could you get a desk on wheels and move it out when needed?

I would get a futon sofa bed, and also a normal double mattress. During the day I would store the mattress upright behind the sofa bed, covered by a nice sheet. When it is needed for sleeping I would unfold the wooden frame and replace the futon mattress with the normal mattress. Will be just like a normal bed for whoever is sleeping on it.

Op I have a kota click clack sofa bed from
Ikea which is nice and sturdy and combined with a cheap as memory foam mattress topper from Amazon it's as comfy as our really expensive bed / mattress set up in our main bedroom!
Only thing is, it's a small double

Sorry, from HABITAT not ikea

I think the ones I looked at were like this

www.wallbeds.co.uk/solutions/wallbeds-king-double-size/happy-table-double-wall-bed-system/?utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=4838267290&hsa_cam=17681478896&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=Cj0KCQiA45qdBhD-ARIsAOHbVdG3GJ8VUHCrg9on5N065yOyf70tGu91VeskhFl_zO1NMJbfYaOpGsQaAo4OEALw_wcB

So that wasn't a problem as they come down from the headboard rather than like a bunk in a ship cabin.

Sounds like you want a vertical wall bed not a horizontal one

We have a horizontal single wall bed - the built in cupboards above are really good for the office sutff, plus could take the bed linen (we strap the duvet and pillows to the mattress for shortage)

What size is the room?

How about an inflatable double or kingsize bed? I use a single one when necessary and it’s so comfortable. Electric inflating and deflating, it folds down to the sizes of a back pack.

This. It’s your house and your work space. Decent quality sofa beds aren’t too bad these days. It’s not their house and it doesn’t sound like they stay often

Hints have been dropped about inserting a bed into my office / dressing room by my mother. Naah. That doesn’t work. The room is full to bursting already, l won’t get rid of my tiny desk or clothes rails. Plus why configure a house or room a certain way, when it’s only required that way a couple of nights a year?

Thanks all. I'll take measurements and look through each suggestion in detail after Christmas to see what can and can't be done. Otherwise, it may just need to be the plan of a fixed bed and smaller desk.

But just to reiterate what I've already said:

1. They're not CFs. They haven't told me to get a bed for them. In an old house, it became clear they weren't comfortable with a sofa bed when they started politely refusing to stay and trying to find cheap places to stay and they admitted when I asked that they won't sleep on sofabeds, air beds, low beds (futons etc) anymore. I then offered my bed but I don't like doing that, displacing everything and changing loads of bedding. Since moving, they have either done short visits or stayed in B&Bs when staying was absolutely necessary, but I know they'd be here a lot more often, maybe every week or two, if I had a bed for them. This probably makes me the CF as it benefits me - they'd gladly help me when overwhelmed, with school holiday childcare for the eldest or if the youngest's childminder is off or whatever.

1. They don't have money to buy the studybed or to stay in hotels. A very rare B&B is as far as it goes, but we'd all be happier if they could come more often.

There are others who would also visit more often if we had a spare bed.