Living Room Futons

DESIGN A GORGEOUS GUEST ROOM WITH A SOFA BED

How many times have you wished you could issue more overnight invitations to friends and family? With this quick and easy guide to setting up a guest room anyone would be thrilled to stay in, you can start sending out the invites. Discover how to re-purpose living rooms, extra bedrooms, home offices and more for overnight guests with the use of a sofa bed.

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WHAT IS A SOFA BED?

Sofa beds are marvelous pieces of furniture made for the comfort of everyday and special occasions in your home. Most of the time, the sofa looks just like any other sofa. Frame architecture is similar and cushions are soft and durable, just like all the furniture you can shop for at The Modern Homestyle.

Then, when you have guests, you can simply unfold the front of the sofa to reveal a bed tucked away inside the frame. The bed is usually big enough for two people. All you have to do is set it up with sheets, covers and pillows.

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SLEEPER SOFAS CONVERT EASILY FOR GUESTS

The reason people love sleeper sofas is because they let you and your family enjoy the space in your home just as you normally would when you don't have guests over. This furniture converts easily so you can transform a space from a common area to a private or at least semi-private sanctuary.

• It's just a few simple motions to go from sofa to bed. Once you have your furniture in the bed position, many styles let you lock a headrest into place. This gives your guest a place to comfortably prop pillows and ensures the bed doesn't slip back into sofa mode unexpectedly.

• You can even select an upholstered sofa bed with a chaise lounge that doubles as storage. This level of modular genius creates a guest room in an instant. Just stash sheets and blankets in the ottoman end of the chaise.

• Futons or daybeds offer another way to designate sleeping quarters for a guest. These narrower sofas are multi-purpose and can act as seating or a prime nap spot during the day and a bed at night. Just stretch out long ways for a casual, makeshift bed.

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GIVE YOUR GUEST ROOM A LIVING ROOM LOOK

Even if you have an entirely separate room with its own door and closet for guests to rest, you can still create the look and feel of a sitting room or living room. This lets your guest feel at home because they have all the amenities they'd have in their own place in one cleverly designed room.

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• Keep the sofa folded up when guests arrive. Let them know you'll be unfolding it later for them and then do so before dinner or after getting back from a day of fun activities or sightseeing.

• This gives them a place to change their shoes, catch up on texts once they land in your town or city and stretch out between meals or outings.

• Go for side tables over nightstands. This is the key feature difference between a guest room that rarely gets used and a sitting room that invites casual socialization no matter who's around.

• Choose ones with drawers, so guests have a handy place to put personal items like wallets, keys or personal devices.

• Let your table lamps bridge the two room styles. Discover homey, upscale styles that lend a warm glow, as if your space were an upscale bed-and-breakfast.

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FURNISH TO COMPLEMENT YOUR SOFA BED

The rest of your home can complement your sofa bed just as if it were a regular sofa. When shopping for a sleeper sofa, explore what other types of furniture are available in the same silhouette, fabrics and colors.

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• For example, sofas often have accent chairs that match. Create a full scene with a sofa and chair.

• Ottomans are another way to create a perfect transitional space. These pieces are made to triple up as seats, footrests and sometimes storage.

• If you're not going for side tables and table lamps, place floor lamps on one side of the sofa or the other. This is another easy transitional trick.

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Decorate with guests in mind, but don't forget that you're still the one who's going to use these double-duty spaces and furniture pieces the most. Find the happy mediums with high-quality sofa beds and complementary furnishings.