Apartment living has its advantages. You don’t have to do household repairs or shell out to hire someone to do them. There are no lawns to mow or snow to shovel. You have the space you need and if you decide to move, you don’t have to worry about selling your place.
Furnishing an apartment can be different than a house. You probably don’t have nearly as much space. You also have to consider tight halls, doorways, and elevators when choosing furniture. It would be terrible to buy a beautiful piece and not be able to get it into your apartment.
A useful piece of furniture for apartment dwellers is a bed that can also be a couch. If you don’t have a spare room, it’s a good place for overnight guests to sleep. For a studio, it can serve as your bed. Choosing the right one is important.
Sleeper Sofa
A sleeper sofa can be the best option if you have the room for it. They come in full, small, or loveseat sizes. Some can be part of a sectional or have a recliner. They fold out into good-sized comfortable beds for you or your guest. Sleeper sofas are available in any materials, colors, or patterns that you can get on a regular couch. Truly versatile pieces of furniture, they are heavy and bulky to move, so keep that in mind.
Daybed
A smaller option that can function well as both a couch and a nice place to sleep is a daybed. These pieces of furniture have a back that lets them function as a sofa and sides that serve as head and footboards for sleeping. It’s easy to put a few throw pillows on them in the morning and comfortable bedding at night. Daybeds are small and much lighter than sleeper sofas. Thus, they are much easier to move into your apartment.
Futon
Another good option for those who are tight on space is a futon. In their nation of origin, Japan, futons are mattresses that lie on the floor for sleeping. They now come with foldable frames. One side can be placed up to be the back of a sofa, or down to make a bed. They are light, easy to move, and many are very comfortable. They usually can be folded to be transported in a box that is fairly easy to get into an elevator and your apartment. This is an attractive feature.
Murphy Bed
A Murphy bed folds into a wall when not in use. You pull it down and add bedding for sleeping. It is highly unlikely that a landlord would let you install one, but when apartment hunting, you might want to keep it in mind as an option. They are as comfortable as a standard bed and take up no space when folded. A Murphy bed can be really convenient for a studio apartment or an extra room that you use as an office during the day.
Apartment living suits some people’s lifestyles well. The generally smaller space and tighter doorways can make furnishing them a challenge. Having pieces that have more than one function is a helpful solution. There are several good options that can be your couch and a bed for you or your guests. Choose the one that suits you best.
