Maximising the space in your home is always a priority, especially as we now expect rooms to serve multiple purposes, from playrooms to studies, spare beds and more.
So, if you're fretting about choosing a sofa or sofa bed for a smaller sized room, here's how you can turn your shoebox space into one that feels a whole lot bigger and can function to meet all your needs.
Choose dual purpose pieces
Product featured: The Pewsey bed in a box
Making a small space work ultimately comes down to clever furnishing. A bed in a box is perfect if you're really short on space, but still need the option of a guest bed. These work particularly well in children's rooms and studies. A modular sofa bed design can lend itself perfectly to the restricted dimensions of the room and are versatile in how they can be rearranged or moved to suit your needs. Choosing a design with built-in storage will make a small space work even harder for you, offering a place to store blankets and bedding out of sight.
Create the illusion of space
Product featured: The Somerton sofa bed
In small rooms, playing with height is a great way to make the space feel bigger. And, fortunately there are a few clever tricks you can use to fool your brain into thinking the room is taller, without actually raising the roof. Choosing a compact sofa bed with a lower frame like The Somerton (shown above) can make ceilings look higher in comparison. Selecting a light, neutral fabric will also help rooms feel more airy and spacious.
Don't rule out chaise and corner sofa beds
Product featured: The Ashwell Chaise Storage sofa bed
Although it may not be your first thought when searching for a compact sofa bed, an L shaped chaise or corner sofa bed can work really well in a tight space.
This might seem like a contradiction but bigger sofa bed styles shouldn't be dismissed in a restricted space. The trick is opting for a shape that can work with the natural flow of the room. L shaped sofa beds are ideal for shimmying into awkward corners. Avoid splayed and scrolled arms in favour of square or slender shaped arms, that don't stick out to save on valuable space.
Use awkward shapes to your advantage
Product featured: The Minety 1 seater modular sofa bed
Use nooks and corners to your advantage in small spaces. It's easy to view unusually proportioned rooms as a hindrance. The trick with small spaces is to embrace the imperfections. If your room has an alcove for example, use this space to your advantage, as awkward corners, nooks and crannies can be a small space's saving grace, if you apply a little ingenuity.
If it's not possible to fit a sofa bed flush against a wall because of the room shape, just push it back as far as it will go and then turn that unoccupied space behind it into storage. Ladder shelves are great for sliding into narrow spaces. And, not to mention the elongated shape will automatically drive the eye upwards, creating the added illusion of extra height in the room.
Use the fact that your sofa bed is obscuring the lower section from view to your advantage by storing the things here you don't use often. Storage boxes can also be stacked up on the shelves and are perfect for organising paperwork or children's toys. Perfect if your small space is used as a guest room come play room.
To discover more about our designs visit us at Willow &Hall. Or, if you have any questions, contact our experts on 020 8939 3800 or via our contact-us form.