BEHIND THE DESIGN
Expert tips to help you choose the right sofa bed
‘TO find a sofa bed that’s going to be up to the job, check that it has a solid beech frame that is held together with screws and dowels – not glued and stapled chipboard versions that break easily and won’t last as long. You also want to ensure that sofa beds and boxed beds have sturdy mechanisms and that the designs are easy to manoeuvre. I’d always recommend going into a showroom and testing a sofa bed first to ensure that you’re comfortable with the mechanisms. Have a lie-down and put your feet up – you need to feel confident that it will be nice and comfy for guests.’
CHARLIE MARSHALL, founder of Loaf
‘THINK about the amount of floor space you have and take a rough measurement of the maximum length and width the room can accommodate. It’s often difficult to visualise so if it helps, lay down a silhouette in newspaper or tape markers on the floor. You want to leave enough room to walk comfortably around the sofa bed when it’s pulled out.’
PATRICIA GIBBONS, design team at Sofa.com
‘OFTEN a sofa bed is a very clever solution for small spaces, but thinking outside of the box can bring you to a smart alternative. The Twins sofa bed by Flexform offers the possibility to have two separate and independent beds and it’s a sharp
“WHICHEVER DESIGN YOU CHOOSE, REMEMBER THAT YOUR BUY WILL NEED ACCESS TO ITS
NEW HOME, AS WELL AS THE ROOM ITSELF. IT’S IMPORTANT TO COMPLETE AN ACCESS CHECK BEFORE ORDERING, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE MEASUREMENTS AND WHETHER THE SOFA’S LEGS AND CUSHIONS ARE REMOVABLE”
HANNAH ARMSTRONG, furniture buyer at Heal’s solution even if you need to move a bed into a different room.’
MATTEO GALIMBERTI, Italy sales director and member of the board at Flexform
‘WHETHER it is your main sofa in a living room or a secondary sofa in a snug, it’s important to make sure the comfort level is the same as you would provide in a bedroom, so choosing a sofa bed that incorporates a mattress is essential, and the thicker the mattress the better. For guests who are staying more than one night it might be worth considering a design where the ready-made bed can be folded away, saving time each night when pulling the bed back out.’ KYRA COTGRAVE, home designer at Neptune Farnham
‘ORDER lots of swatches. At John Lewis & Partners, you can order five free fabric samples to help you choose the right colour and material. Also take into consideration where the sofa bed will sit and who will be using it. If you have children and pets, perhaps consider an easy-to-clean fabric.’ ELIZABETH SLADEN, partner and upholstery buyer at John Lewis & Partners