Wall bed vs Sofa bed

The battle of the small space sleeping solution

Our challenge as a family this year is making our small space work even harder now we have a new baby. Toy storage, dining area and sleeping space need to be reconsidered now there are 4 of us.

We will tackle each mini mountain over the coming months starting with sleeping space.

Our large bedroom had been divided into 2 sleeping areas which meant our daughter Emelia had her own ‘bedroom’ - just enough space for her bed, wardrobe and a chair. Now Ezra has arrived, we’ve had to fit in a crib and chest of drawers. It functions for now as I’m breastfeeding and co-sleeping but he will soon outgrow the crib and need his own bed.

We made the decision to turn the bedroom into a kids room and look for a flexible solution for the grown ups in the living room. Our options fall to either a wall bed or a sofa bed. A wall bed or Murphy bed is essentially a bed that fits into a closet type structure and flips down when needed as a bed and flips up and stays concealed in the closet the rest of the time.

We love this idea as it means there’s no compromise on a mattress but as we already have a closet in the living room masquerading as an office, there just isn’t the space for another. So we are left with sofa beds.

As it will be used everyday, comfort is key. Secondly size, as it needs to fit into a specific space (less than 2m wide) and sleep 2 food loving adults. Finally ease of use, so it can be put up and put down quickly and any storage space for bedding an added bonus.

With all furniture pieces, there is a balance of form and function. Whilst each piece has a role, how it looks in the space and fits into a scheme is also important.

Our home, much like my old boutique is AfroScandi inspired. Clean lines, wooden style accents and touches of wax print and African inspired art. As it’s a small family home, the cosy sofa type is a must. If we didn’t have any children, there is no doubt we’d be eyeing up a super sleek mid-century daybed. I love the Ikea Vallentuna modular sofa bed. Slatted pull out base, pocket sprung mattress, compact yet offering a good amount of sitting and sleeping space. Covers can be washed and the modular design means you can arrange it best to your environment and add it pieces later if you wish.

Here are some other functional yet aestically pleasing sofa beds I like. What would you choose - sofabed, daybed or wallbed?

Snooze Sofa Bed, Calvers and Suvdal, £749