Sleeper Sofa 101

One of my dreams is to have a comfortable, fully furnished guest room with a private bath. Many contemporary homes are large enough to accommodate that. Many homes and especially apartments and condos are not large enough to have that luxury for space that is not often used. An alternative plan is to purchase furniture that will serve more than one purpose, usually a sofa that can be converted to a bed when needed. There are many choices available for people looking for this type of dual-purpose furniture. Sleeper sofas come in many styles from contemporary to traditional and in a variety of quality to fit any budget from $200 to several thousand dollars. By doing some research on the Internet, you will be able to find just the right sleeper sofa to fit your needs, décor, and budget.

A sleeper sofa can be used in any room in that you would use a sofa--living room, family room, multi-purpose room, etc. Essentially, it looks like a regular sofa, but is built with a heavy folded bed frame with springs and mattress that pulls out to make the bed when needed. Unless you have an unlimited budget you may have to sacrifice some comfort on either the bed or the sofa. In this case you will need to decide what your priorities are. If you opt for more sofa comfort, you can always add padding to the bed mattress like a memory foam mattress or an eggshell foam pad. Before purchasing, you will want to measure your space to make sure the sleeper sofa will fit when opened into a bed. You can find a sleepers sofa in various sizes from twin to queen. Also make sure the bed opens easily. Be sure to lie on the mattress to test for comfort. A latex mattress is comfortable, though expensive.

Sleeper Sofa Ashley Furniture

One place to find a sleeper sofa is at an Ashley Home Store. Ashley’s is one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the industry. They aim for good quality, contemporary and traditional style, good selection, and service. A detailed warranty description of their products can be found on the Internet.

An Ashley Full Sleeper Sofa in Avalanche Sandstone can be purchased from $1000 to $1500.

Sleeper Futon Sofa

A sleeper futon sofa is built on a sturdy frame of wood or metal that is hinged in the middle vertically so it can serve as both a bed and a sofa.
The traditional Japanese mattress called a futon inspired the design. Because of limited home space, the Japanese would roll their mattress up during the day and store them in a closet. Westerners prefer to sleep on a raised surface, so a frame was designed to hold a mattress for which part could be raised to form a sofa during the day. The early futons of the 79’s were not all that comfortable, but that has changed. Today you can find many styles in traditional, contemporary, southwestern, Asian, or colonial.

One of the nicest advantages of a sleeper futon sofa is that the mattress is usually sold separately from the frame. You can choose the most comfortable mattress that is within your budget. Most of the mattresses will be made from hard-core foam wrapped with a good quality cotton batting. You can also choose from a great variety of mattress covers to fit whatever décor you have. You can even have several covers so you can change your décor or even have a special holiday cover.

Sleeper Sofa Fabric

One of the things you will want to consider when you are selecting a sleeper sofa or the cover for a sleeper futon sofa is the fabric. Upholstery fabrics are rated for quality and price. An A to F rating is often used, with A being the least expensive (with quality corresponding) and F being the most expensive. Again, you will want to buy the best quality you can afford. Quality is based on the weave of fabric, the fiber, the construction, and durability. A micro fiber is a good choice for sleeper sofas, especially for people with allergies. It may require special treatment for cleaning. You should always check manufacturers recommendations for cleaning.

As you can see, there are many options for providing sleeping facilities for occasional overnight guests, even if you don’t have the luxury of a guest bedroom. Spend some time surfing the Internet to discover your price and style options, then go to your local furniture stores and find a qualified sales representative who can help you make the right choice for you.