In the design world, sofa beds don't have the best reputation. In trying to do two jobs, they sometimes fail to perform either particularly well, and can be heavy in their shape and uncomfortable both as a sofa and as a bed. However, despite all the bad rap they get, there's no denying they are incredibly useful. In small flats they provide much needed extra sleeping space for guests, and using one means you don't have to settle on a static room function. A home office can be transformed into a spare bedroom, a sitting room can provide a comfortable place for a guest to crash and a landing can become a place to lay your head. Whilst we've seen recent sofa bed incarnations that hit all the right notes (comfortable enough for sleeping and attractive enough to be a permanent addition to a room), it can still be tricky to know how to make the most of your set-up. Here, we have canvassed some of the industry's brightest minds to find out how to transform the humble sofa bed from functional to luxurious.
From the ground up
Choosing the correct sofa bed is key to a comfortable and appealing set-up, but it can hard to know how one will fare when buying online. Luckily, we've compiled a handy guide to the best sofa beds for those interesting in a deep dive. Out of the interior designers we spoke to, Sofa.com came out on top with Christian Bense, Lonika Change and Todhunter Earle all recommending their off-the-shelf options. As Christian told us, ‘Our sofa bed is from Sofa.com and, given the price, I think they are the most “comfy for your buck” so to speak.' Lonika Chande has also recently specified their Anders Sofa Bed. Though the studio doesn't tend to use sofa beds in their projects, when they have, Todhunter Earle have also opted for the high street retailer.
Whilst Lonika Chande has also specified from OKA and Loaf in the past, her projects tend to include day beds with trundles underneath that can moonlight as a double bed for guests – a more comfortable option in her eyes. Christian Bense finds that ‘whenever you are buying something that is meant to do two things, it generally does one thing very well and the other thing kind of well. And I think that’s the case with sofa beds sometimes. More often than not, you tick the bed box, but the mechanisms and folds etc make the sofa part a little uncomfortable.’ To combat this, he had the back cushions of his sofa bed restuffed to be a little more padded and rigid. This meant that it functions properly as both sofa and bed. ‘It’s our primary sofa,' he explains, ‘so it needed to be 100%.’
Choose your fabric wisely
Jodie, the mastermind behind The House Upstairs, has recently launched two appealing sofa beds that are smart enough to be chosen as your main sofa and comfortable enough for multiple nights' sleep. “For fabric I would recommend something with a high rub count,” she advises, "a print if possible (more forgiving on stains) and natural fibres as it'll naturally take a lot of wear if you use it regularly for guests.' The team at Todhunter Earle agree, saying ‘it is always a good idea to work with durable fabrics, especially within a family house where there is plenty of wear and tear and on a sofa bed where the cushions might regularly be being moved around.’
For interior designer Christian Bense, fabric is a lesser consideration. ‘Once the sofa bed is folded out and the cushions are stacked away, only the arms and the backs are exposed, so I would say pick the fabric for the most appropriate sofa use. We have a neutral linen on ours, almost an oatmeal colour, and it withstands pretty much anything.’ He also weighs in on the velvet versus linen debate, giving linen as his preferred choice. ‘Track marks aren’t so visible on linen, and you don’t need to worry about the pile on the velvet. So if in doubt, linen, and something with two weaves. But that’s my advice for any fabric on anything.'
Make your life easier
There are plenty of tips and tricks for making your life easier when setting up a sofa bed. Whether it's a last minute, late night scramble, or a planned visit you've been looking forward to for weeks, it's a good idea to keep a few things on hand.
Christian Bense says ‘we actually leave our mattress topper on the sofa bed mattress, it folds back with it on. We discovered leaving it there was handy. Also, don't be stingy with the pillows. Every bed needs at least four, so don’t leave guests with a measly two to make do with. Four pillows always. Scatter cushions in addition.’
He continues, ‘admittedly part of the admin of a sofa bed is not being able to leave the thing dressed,’ Christian explains, ‘so therefore you need the bedding to be accessible enough to use. We have a divide and conquer mentality in our flat. The pillows are kept in the TV cabinet, therefore easily accessed, and the rest of the sheets and bedding are kept in a drawer in the hallway along with guest towels. That way we can just direct guests there if they need to grab anything.'
Jodie recommends time-saving measures such as ‘keeping the bedding made up with the pillowcases and duvet cover on, as fumbling around late at night with a surprise overnight guest is no fun. If space allows, position a storage ottoman in front of the sofa to keep bedding and pillows in.’
It's the little things
There are plenty of lovely touches that will make your guests' experience nicer too. Jodie recommends buying a ‘couple of rechargeable lamps so your guests have a little light source near them when they hop into bed, as well as a water carafe and hot water bottle on hand.' Christian's advice is in the same vein. He notes that ‘one of the lamps in the living room was chosen so it could be used as a reading lamp for guests when in bed. We have actually linked all our living room lamps to a voice-enabled Alexa, so you don’t have to get up to turn the on or off. Great for guests: “Alexa, turn on my reading lamp!”'
For Todhunter Earle, the trick is to 'open up the sofa bed before guests arrive – if you can - and make it up to look exactly as you would a guest bed. Use your best bedlinen, feather pillows and duvet, cushions, and a throw or a bedspread. This will make it look and feel more like a comfortable bedroom than an emergency sofa bed situation.’
Comfort is key
Last but definitely not least, comfort is key for a great night's sleep. As the team at Todhunter Earle advise, ‘a mattress topper is the obvious and easiest way to make your sofa bed more comfortable as they are so simple to put on and now come in so many different thicknesses to suit anyone.’ Jodie agrees, noting ‘for one night most sofa bed mattresses are fine, but for longer stays it’s good to invest in a good quality mattress topper to make the set-up a little more comfortable.'
Perhaps the sofa bed dilemma is best summarised by Christian's sage advice. 'Don’t try live in limbo. If the sofa bed is used as a bed only a couple of times per month, don’t bother about making the admin of it easy. I think a sofa bed piled full of lovely scatter cushions and pillows adds to the charm of an adult crashing in the lounge for a couple of nights.’
