After recently revealing that John would be coming on as a full time blogger here on the home front (and mentioning that we had a full scale guest bedroom to office-slash-guest-bedroom-slash-playroom makeover in the cards) we’re back to spill more details about that space’s big switcheroo. Spoiler alert: we need a sleeper sofa, STAT.
Let’s take a look back – waaaaay back – at what the room looked like when we moved in.
It was actually a pretty blank slate to begin with, so replacing the ceiling fan with a flush mount fixture (like this- basic and cheap, but still an improvement) seemed to raise the ceiling about a foot. Then we just painted the walls a neutral tone, added some crown molding, stained the floor a richer mocha color (which we also did to the rest of the existing hardwoods), switched out the valances for some clean-lined (and super cheap) roman shades from Ikea, and brought in a hand-me-down bed from a family member with some fun linens and a DIY headboard that we whipped up. Even the wall art was made on a budget.
We loved our little guest bedroom and it served us well for years. In fact we were pretty sad when we realized that we’d have to make some major changes to the room when it came to accommodating an office for two along with a spot for a wee one to play without losing the can-sleep-two-people function that it always provided. Being use-what-we-have kind of people, our first thought was that maybe we could reposition the bed against two walls to create a daybed type feeling and free up some floor space. So we rotated it into the corner and came up with the idea to upholster another headboard panel (which we drew in thanks to Photoshop below, see the arrow?) to demonstrate the idea:
And remember the rug we snagged on super clearance from the Pottery Barn Outlet for $300 off a while back (with every intention of working it into the guest bedroom for some added softness)?
Well, we laid it out under the bed in an attempt to further ground that daybed/sleeping corner of the room. Burger seemed to like it (ten points if you find him), but we weren’t convinced.
The problem? The full sized bed still took up a huge portion of the extremely small 10′ x 10.5′ room… leaving Clara zero floor space to play on while one or both of us worked (and speaking of working, we really had no clue how we’d fit two desk spaces into this plan as it was). So we decided that we had to pull the plug on the full sized bed and come up with an alternate sleeping solution for our guests (preferably one that could be tucked away or minimized during the rest of our time in that room so it could more easily accommodate two bloggers and a baby most of the time.
Which meant that it was time to hit up Craigslist to see who would cough up $60 for our full sized bed frame and hand-me-down Sealy mattress & boxspring. The craziest thing was that by the time we had the bed disassembled we already had a buyer in route to our house! And within two hours of listing our bed we’d sold it (for our full $60 asking price). Pretty sweet, eh? Here’s the mattress waiting for pick-up in the nursery.
And you can tell this part of the makeover actually occurred a while back because there’s no skirt on the crib and the nursery art wall hasn’t been altered yet. We just like to do one project at a time, so after taking a quick nursery hiatus to sell the mattress we were back on baby-room duty while the office waited its turn.
Oh and because we know that you guys like seeing our house all torn up, here’s the master bedroom with our guest bedroom linens piled high on the bed while we waited for our new Craigslist friend to come cart the bed away. Burger seems to sneak into every bed photo that he can, doesn’t he?
So anyway, once the ol’ full sized bed was sold and the rest of the things in the space were cleared out, we were actually able to give the green bench and the bedside table that used to live in the guest bedroom a second life in the nursery (we love repurposing everything that we can so that was a thrill and a half for us).
And we were left with a blissfully bare space to analyze every which way…
… to see how we could possibly squeeze a double office and a play area for Clara-Bean into the 10′ x 10.5′ room (along with maintaining the can-sleep-two function that we’d grown so accustomed to over the years).
First we seriously considered a murphy bed. You know, those fold-out-from-the-wall options that we’ve seen popping up all over the place lately. The downside was that many traditional murphy beds were not only extremely pricey, but the layout of the room wouldn’t accommodate the fold-up function since two walls had windows which would have been obscured when the bed was folded up (not a good idea in such a small space since we need all the light we can get). And the other two walls wouldn’t work thanks to the doorway into the room and a closet that we needed to maintain access to. Even if the layout could have accommodated a murphy bed, the one thing we didn’t like about it was the fact that when it was tucked up and away it didn’t provide a place to sit (which we knew would come in handy for everything from nursing to relaxing with Baby P while the other 50% of YHL blogs away at their desk). So we wondered if we could bring in a piece that would provide functional seating space all the time, just with a much smaller footprint when it wasn’t serving as a full sized bed. Yup, we’re talking about a sleeper sofa.
But we had some serious reservations about how comfy a sleeper would really be for our guests. Almost everyone has had the ol’ rollbar-dented-back experience when crashing on an archaic sleeper sofa, and we definitely want our visitors to be 100% comfy (as opposed to stiff and sore in the am). But we’ve actually slept on some just-as-comfortable-as-a-normal-bed sleeper sofas on occasion, so we knew that if we didn’t skimp on the quality we could probably find something that would meet our needs when it came to providing some nice seating by day and sleeping by night when it was all folded out and fluffed up with linens and pillows. So our next step was to do some internet trolling to see what was out there online- just to test the waters. Here’s what we dug up:
1. This $689 Target option
2. This $899 Ikea option
3. This $1400 Crate & Barrel option
But the issue that we had with online options were that we couldn’t really lay on them to see how they felt with the mattress all folded out. And of course the $1400 Crate and Barrel option (which we could check out in stores for comfort-factor) was a bit more than we were hoping to spend. Heck the $899 Ikea version felt expensive to two cheap-os like us. And blindly ordering the $689 option (which was only available online and not something we could experience for ourselves to ensure that it was soft and easy to sleep on) felt a bit too risky to super cautious sofa-sissies like us. Besides, that honey wood was a bit too futon-ish for us, so the fact that we’d have to paint it or somehow make it over after paying full price and not being able to try it out felt like a bit much. And we decided we preferred upholstered arms for the higher end look and for the comfort factor when it’s being used as a sofa (for nursing, reading stories to Clara, etc).
So after exhausting our online sleeper sofa search, we decided to hit up our favorite local furniture dealer where we could actually fold out the sleeper sofas and take them for a spin instead of blindly ordering them and hoping for the best. Sofa Design is actually where we got our beloved living room sofa (read how we saved $400 more than our Pottery Barn couch right here) and when we pulled into the parking lot to be greeted by a Floor Clearance Sample sign we couldn’t help but get all hyper and excited that we might just find the deal we were hoping for…
JACKPOT! We scored a full sized sleeper sofa made by Rowe (one of our favorite sofa manufacturers, in fact they made our aforementioned living room sofa) for just $699- thanks to the fact that it was a floor model. So it was just ten dollars steeper than the futon-ish Target version but a lot more plush and posh looking (and feeling! there’s even a comfort guarantee that you can’t feel the bar under the mattress unless you’re over 350 lbs). Like nerds we totally pulled it out in the store and laid on it for a while as we thanked our lucky stars and then popped up to sign on the dotted line. And although we’re usually neutral-sofa-people, we actually really like the subtle blue-green color of the cushions since they work pretty seamlessly with the rest of our whole-house color palette while injecting some fun (and stain hiding durability) into our future office/guest room/playroom.
We placed it right under the higher window which really opened up the room and allowed so much more of our lovely Pottery Barn rug to be seen.
And you know what that means: waaaaay more floor space to accommodate a desk or two along with plenty of Baby P play area to spare.
But that’s just the beginning of our multifunctional office transformation. Stay tuned as we tackle more floor-plan maximization, paperwork and file storage, desks and chairs for two, art and accessories, toy storage, and even a new DIY light fixture makeover. Whew. And feel free to tell us all about any sleeper sofa or murphy bed victories that you guys have experienced. Have you built your own pull down bed? Or stumbled upon a super comfortable sleeper sofa on sale? Spill the beans.
Kelli says
Wow, it looks great already! It’s amazing to me how quickly mattresses sell on craigslist! We had a similar experience when we needed to offload a queen sized set. Craigslist is awesome.
We just built our house last year and left the upstairs unfinished until we could pay cash to make it into a bonus space. I’d like to incorporate a sleeper sofa up there just for an extra sleep area. It’s good to know there are some available that are cute, reasonably priced, and won’t leave you with a dent in your back!
http://photocraftbook.wordpress.com
D says
I’m in for the long haul, don’t you worry :)
Amy says
Awesome choice! I think we’ll do the same in our office, since eventually the two current guest/storage rooms will hopefully be children’s rooms. (The office is also at the other end of the house, which I really like for guests. Having them right next to our master bedroom seems a little too cozy for me.)
I have plenty of hide-a-bed horror stories, but my one pleasant story involved a basement sofa sleeper, queen-sized, I think, and a delicious, heavyweight feather duvet. It was chilly, we were in the country on a hazelnut orchard, and I slept like the dead with crickets as my white noise. Yum!
Amanda - Small Home Big Start says
I love that sleep couch! Its a much easier way to accomodate company when you don’t have the space for a full bed.
When I moved into my little apartment I knew that I was going to need something for when I had friends and family visiting out of town, but I didn’t have the space for another bed. I ended up getting a wood framed futon ($300 floor model!) and it has been perfect. The mattress is not only fluffy for sitting on, but sleeping on too. Here is the quick before and after from my living room:
http://smallhomebigstart.blogspot.com/2009/11/living-room-before-after.html
Jenny says
Hey guys, I assume since you’ve got a new baby that relatives are staying or will be staying with you on your new sleeper sofa. Would you guys consider have your guests rate the quality of their sleep on the bed? I’m curious to see how it performs. Also, did your sofa come with that air coil mattress? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Jenny- So far three different couples have slept on the new mattress and they have all been really positive about the experience. One person even joked that it was more comfy than their bed at home and they all said it was nothing like the typical fold out sofa experience. Of course we’re thrilled that they all felt right at home. And as for the mattress, we’re not sure what type our sofa has but maybe Rowe has more info on their website? Hope it helps!
Megan – We actually kept two of our ceiling fans for the rooms that we spend the most time in: our sunroom and den (although we replaced the sunroom one with something more updated and just popped a lamp shade on the existing one in the den to modernize it). We also have two great table fans in our bedroom and the nursery to keep things cool. In some rooms we just prefer the added visual space when we removed them from the ceiling and brought in desk versions. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Megan says
I think every inch of your home is absolutely breathtaking! I just have one question that is totally just out of curiosity – from the before and after pictures, it looked like your home had several ceiling fans (4 that I noticed, maybe more?) I’m just curious as to why you removed all of them (or didn’t upgrade to newer ceiling fans)? They are a great energy-efficient way to keep a house cooler, and with upgraded hardware, blades, and even a medallion they can be very visually appealing! Anyway, like I said my question is purely out of curiousity–different strokes for different folks! :)
Carolyn says
Thank you for posting a link to the ‘men and home improvement’ post you did a while back (btw, I loved all the Tom Selleck pics…hehe, those are some quality 1980’s tv memories!) I was going to show the post to my husband, but he was actually busy cleaning up our garage when I read it yesterday. The post certainly gave me some perspective for how to communicate ideas with the husband. Less assignment giving, more puzzle solving for the both of us. Keep more of these types of posts coming! Thanks again and have a great day.
Emme says
We have a similar sleeper sofa from Sofa U Love (It might only be in LA) and the mattress is great but we put a down pillow top cushion (Macys) over the mattress and people always say that they love sleeping on our little sleeper sofa. We just keep the pillow top cover folded in the closet.
Casey says
Hey guys! Just curious what you did with your daybed that used to be in Clara’s room before the nursery re-do!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Casey,
Here’s that post for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/01/from-third-bedroom-to-nursery-it-begins/?cp=2
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amy E. says
AT’s Ohdeedoh blog posted something i thought you’d find interesting: all about shared desks! check it out here!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the heads up Amy!
xo,
s
Lauren says
Just wondering how you decided to sell the hand-me-down bed for $60? Maybe that is the going rate in Richmond? Or maybe the frame was worth $50 alone? I recently sold a clean, queen hand-me-down set (purchased in the 80s) for $20 because I’m a bit of a germ-o-phobe and thought I should price it according to what I’d pay myself. I even followed the senior couple that bought it out to their car, telling them they should get a zippered mattress cover. I had to bite my tongue to keep from mentioning dust mites and that a friend who used to be a mattress salesman told me that in the 13 year life of a mattress, it will triple its weight from dead skin cells & dust mites. Later I felt guilty for asking $20 and thought I should have offered it for free just to keep it out of the landfill. Maybe I’m just overly sensitive because I once slept in the guest room of a friend and had the worst night sleep of my life on a mattress that must have been from the 70s with its wild print. I have a feeling on Craigslist people go by the photos and what your house looks like: if it is nice, people feel more comfortable buying a used mattress. Obviously, new mattresses are very expensive and so Craigslist provides a great resource.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lauren,
We just looked at what other people in Richmond with the same type of mattress (same size with frame and boxspring) were selling theirs for on Craigslist. Two other locals had $60 as the going rate on their mattresses so we thought it must be the magic number so we went with it. We figured we could always go lower or negotiate with people but it was a good starting point, and of course we were thrilled when ours sold within an hour of listing it!
xo,
s
Rena says
I just had to share this sofabed story with you. 30 years ago we helped some dear friends do a local move. Needless to say as the guys were moving the sofabed through the front door – upside down – the bed started to open and wouldn’t close. It took the better part of an hour to get it closed again and moved into the room. Of course this is in Feb during a snow storm in Ohio. Oh, and my friend and I were both 6 months pregnant at the time. We still laugh about it and say we will never help move a sofabed again.
amanda says
I love the way the room is turning out! I was wondering, like Jenny (May 26), what type of mattress came with your sofa since it’s so comfy. Some of them have a cloud coil option where you use an air compressor to blow it up further. Is that what you have, or is just a pull-it-out-and-put-the-sheets-on-right-away kind of mattress?
That would help me a ton because I’m considering one that comes with just the regular mattress, but I need it to be comfy for the guests! Hoping that’s what you have. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s just a regular fold out that we put the sheets on, although we may get a featherbed to add for even more comfort. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
amanda says
Thanks so much for the prompt reply! Because you mentioned your guests have been comfy on the sofa bed, we went ahead and purchased one today. We’ll probably try the featherbed method, as well. I really appreciate your feedback! Keep up the good work and enjoy that beautiful baby!
Andrea J says
I am SO GLAD some friends pointed me to this blog and I stumbled across this post! I’m remodeling a 110 year old house that has only 2 bedrooms and I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to set up the 2nd bedroom in such a way that I can use it 95% of the time (home office, reading room) and still have a comfy place for guests to stay the other 5% of the time, without making them sleep on an air mattress on the floor! All of the sleeper sofas I was aware of were of the ugly or uncomfortable variety – thanks for doing a bunch of the homework on finding good ones!
Julia says
My best sleeper sofa victory was after giving a 10$ deposit on an Ikea Ektorp sofa bed off craigslist and having the girl sell it to someone else a few days later (jerk!), I found the exact same one a few days later for $100 when she had wanted $250!!! SCORE! So, $100 for the sofa, $50 to my friend for driving me the 40 mins to pick it up and back, $100 for a brand new slip cover in white (it came with a dirty red one), and $15 for a mattress cover to make it a little more hygienic, I for sure beat Ikea’s price tag of $800 + tax!
When ever I see something I want at ikea, I ALWAYS check craigslist first!
P.S the sofa is very comfortable and the bed is quite good for a few nights sleep (not a permanent option)
Scott says
I’m about to buy my first home and your blog has me excited to get started on some home projects! My girlfriend and I were wondering if you happen to remember where you found that brown blanket with the funky oval patterns on the old guest bed? We’ve been looking for something just like that for quite some time!
Keep up the great work!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Scott,
Congrats on your about-to-be-first home. Have fun with it! That comforter was actually from Bed Bath & Beyond (on clearance!) from a few years ago, so you might have trouble finding it these days. I just hunted for a tag on it so I could tell you the maker, but unfortunately nothing more than washing instructions. Sorry!
-John
Chris says
What brand/Maker and Where did you get the great dark bedspread with the white teardrop shapes on it… That i think was in the masterbedroom???
Thanks
Chris
YoungHouseLove says
Hi Chris,
That bedspread in our guest bedroom was on clearance at Bed, Bath & Beyond about four years ago, and unfortunately it doesn’t say the maker on the tag and we can’t remember for the life of us. Sorry!
-John