We've been looking for a small sofa or love seat to add to the living room. We need extra seating for when we have more than a few guests. We aren't willing to invest in a nice piece because with a kid in the house a nice piece won't last more than a few years. Our tufted modern sofa with a missing button will attest to that.
This image from Remarkably Retro of sofas that double as guest beds has me thinking, maybe we can make our own sofa. A twin bed, a nice fitted sheet, a decently thick board under it and some hairpin legs and you've got a pretty nice sitting place that's easy enough to make yourself. Put it against a wall with some pillows and you've got a fine DIY sofa bed that doesn't cost too much. Plus, if any of the guests happen to stay over, they'll have a place to sleep.
I had a friend that did that. It was surprisingly comfortable although perhaps a little too squishy while sitting. That probably has more to do with the mattress though than anything.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think a nice firm mattress is probably a must for something like this, especially if it's going to be used more for sitting than sleeping.
DeleteI've been entertaining the same exact thought! We need some sort of seating in our basement rec room/man cave and have an extra twin sized mattress. I figure it can't be too hard to DIY.
ReplyDeleteExactly, a few legs and a big enough board and you've got a place to sit. Shouldn't be too hard. Of course you can always go with beanbag chairs in a man cave.
DeleteI was considering making a daybed several months ago and decided that a twin mattress might be too deep for short guests to lean back on. They're typically 39x75, whereas the seat depth on a sofa is usually around 21-24". (I'm 5'3", so I have to think about these things.) I learned that you can get reasonably priced custom-size pieces of extra firm high density foam from foamsource.com. For example, a piece 28x72, which is roughly love seat size and allows for pillows against the wall, is only $223.44...about what a mattress would cost. With hairpin legs on an MDF base and covered in some IKEA upholstery fabric in a cool print, it would look just like a commercially produced daybed and be roomy enough for a guest to sleep on.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough I just we to a friend's house where they had a twin bed as a daybed/couch on their porch, and you're right, it was hard for the shorter among us to lean back and reach the floor with their feet. But it was a really nice place to lay and feel the summer breeze.
DeleteKids would love it, because they're all over the place anyway, and in a really casual setting where guests were lounging around or sitting cross-legged on the mattress...or if all your friends are tall...it would be great. I'd just end up looking like Lily Tomlin's "Edith Ann" character in the big rocking chair on Laugh-In. And that's the truth! :)
Delete