Submit an entry of your creative guest bed and you’ll be entered for a chance to win this week’s prize prize of a $125 Container Store gift card. Whether it’s a Murphy bed, futon, couch or air mattress, your guests will love their stay.
Sleep Ready: 5 Compact Guest Bed Ideas
According to home decor experts, guest rooms are going by the wayside. After all, what’s the point of a room that maybe gets used less than ten days a year? Having a designated guest bedroom is a luxury many people simply don’t want anymore.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t accommodate guests overnight. Here are five modern ways to transform your office or living room into a cozy guest room at a moment’s notice.
Hide your bed in plain sight with a Murphy bed.
Murphy beds, or hidden beds, look like plain pieces of furniture when they’re folded up, but after a few tugs and pulls, they reveal a bed that already has the sheets in place. Murphy beds used to always resemble larger wall units, but modern styles can look like dressers or function as entertainment stands and even desks. The only drawback, Murphy beds can be quite expensive.
Make your couch work double duty.
The couch beds of yesterday usually delivered restless nights and a bar in someone’s back, but today’s models are much sleeker, comfier, and friendly to sleepers. Some have a pullout frame with a foldable mattress stuffed inside, while others simply unfold to reveal that the couch itself is a foam mattress. Sleeper sofas come at all prices. Check out stores like IKEA for budget-friendly options.
Try a beanbag bed.
By day, it looks like a normal, overstuffed beanbag chair. By night, it unravels and unfolds to reveal a super soft and squishy mattress. Made by Cordaroy’s, they come in many sizes and colors, so they can fit your home’s style. Keep one in the living room and use it as extra—and probably your favorite—seating. Or toss it in your office for when you need to get away from the computer. And then when you have a guest, unzip and unfold for the perfect bed.
Get an old favorite, the futon.
Futons are simple, folding couch-like pieces of furniture that flatten to accommodate tired bodies. They can be used as your main sofa or as an extra source of seating. Japanese-style futons, called shikibutons, are simple rolled mattresses without the frame, which are easier to store.
Get the most bang for your buck with an air mattress.
If your space and budget are limited, but you still want a bed for guests, an air mattress is the way to go. Although air mattresses are nothing to scoff. Some offer pillow tops, double thickness, built-in air pumps, and more. Outfitted with extras, like an egg crate topper, and air mattresses can be quite comfortable.
If you enjoy hosting or you have one of those friends who needs to crash occasionally, having somewhere for your guests to sleep is a must, but you don’t have to devote an entire room to the cause. See which of these ideas work best for your lifestyle and living space.
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Ends 12/31/16
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