Small sofa beds: varieties and selection criteria

A small sofa is a godsend for a small apartment. It hardly occupies space during the day, and at night the transformation mechanism allows it to acquire a full-fledged double seat.

It is a mistake to think that size reduces the chances of products for variety. Compact models can be used for the living room, bedroom, children's room, kitchen and even the hallway. They also get into spacious rooms when they form a recreation area from different items of upholstered furniture. They can perfectly complement a large sofa or make up a few small company.

A small sofa bed differs from a large model only in size, in a variety of types it is not inferior to anything. According to the shape and design features of the product can be divided into several types.

The most common type of upholstered furniture, endowed with a flat frame and is installed against the wall. The sofa may or may not have armrests, has a folding berth, and has a linen box.

If the recreation area is given a corner in a small room, soft miniature designs made in the shape of the letter “G” help out. They are also endowed with a berth and a box for things.

Such models have equal upholstery on all sides, which allows them to be displayed in the center of the room.

These are spectacular sofas created for extraordinary interiors. The frame of such a product constitutes a flexible line that does not have corners.Models may look like a letter “C” or a half circle.

The sofa consists of several modules that can be installed as you like: in one line, with the letter "G", lay out a berth from them.

Modern transformation mechanisms help turn a small sofa into a full sleeper. Most often this happens by folding the structure forward, but there are other ways. To get acquainted with them, we suggest considering various transformation mechanisms.

The system is borrowed from Soviet sofas. When unfolding, a certain force is applied, it is necessary to raise and push the back. Transformation will require a gap between the wall and the furniture. The width of the sofa will double and due to the high back, it can form enough space for sleeping. But it is worth considering that the length after the transformation of the mini-model will not change.

With a simple movement of the hand, the sofa is disassembled into a comfortable voluminous bed with a thick seamless mattress. To decompose it, just raise the seat slightly and pull it towards you.

Reliable strong mechanism, gently "pacing" from the sofa. It has no rollers and does not violate the carpet. Folds forward speaking the entire length of the berth.

French folding mechanism that can hold the product in three versions: sitting, lying, reclining. It is laid out forward, making sounds similar to two clicks - “click” and “gag”.

Transformation is very easy, the berth is rolled out on rollers and laid on special brackets. The mechanism is reliable, recommended for daily folding.

Sofa material is not limited to upholstery. Inside, the structure consists of a frame, a folding mechanism and a filler. All components for manufacturing require different types of materials, and they should be considered separately.

The durability of the model, as well as its cost, depends on the quality of the frame. This durable product can be made from solid varieties of trees - larch, walnut, oak, maple. To reduce the cost of construction using less durable wood, such as pine.

Pressed plywood, chipboard or MDF will be even cheaper. Of the last two materials, it is better to choose finely dispersed slabs (MDF) - they form a stronger and safer base. Particle Boards (Particle Boards) consist of large chips that are impregnated with hazardous adhesives and capable of releasing toxic fumes at high ambient temperatures.

Most types of lifting and folding mechanisms are made of metal. For some of them, for example, an “accordion”, a reinforced metal frame is required. Such products are particularly durable and can transform daily.

The filler, like the frame, affects the durability of the sofa. Poor quality material will quickly sag, and the entire product will become unusable. In addition, due to the variety of models, you can choose a comfortable seamless mattress with orthopedic properties. Fillers come in several forms.

• Spring loaded. They are divided into two categories: dependent (“Bonnel”) and independent blocks. All springs of the first design are interconnected in a strong block. It can withstand heavy weight, but cannot redistribute the load, and this affects the comfort of the mattress. All springs of the independent block are independent elements, each of them is packed in a cover. They are compressed only in the place where the load is, and do not pull the entire mattress along with them.
• Polyurethane foam (PPU). A porous substance 90% filled with air. High-quality antifungal filler is safe, durable, quickly restores shape.For the sofa should use expensive types of PUF.
• Latex. The most expensive material is made on the basis of natural rubber with the addition of inhibitors. Elastic, wear-resistant, resilient filler, suitable for orthopedic mattresses.
• Hollofiber. It consists of soft fluffy lumps, hygienic, breathable, does not absorb odors, quickly restores shape. But too soft to be used alone. It is used as a component with more durable materials, which makes the sofa more comfortable.

If the small sofa is for the kitchen, the best option for upholstery would be leatherette or water-repellent fabrics - they do not absorb water and dirt. Unfortunately, such products do not allow air to pass through, so for other rooms it is better to choose durable, safe and “breathable” materials, such as jacquard, flock, tapestry, matting. But you need to remember that threads are easily pulled out of the mat, such sofas are not suitable for families with animals.

Small sofas have different dimensions and methods of transformation, this should be taken into account by the future owner, since the model in the unfolded form may not be of its size.

A small sofa has the following parameters: length 139 cm, depth 74 cm. The product is folded forward 180 cm. If you subtract the dimensions of the handrails and add a high back, the berth in its pure form can be 120 by 180 cm, that is, have the size of a half bed . To transform a double bed (160x200 cm), the sofa should be chosen without handrails, 160 cm long.

When choosing a sofa, you need to understand for yourself the tasks that he has to solve. If you just need to fill in a free wall, a model is purchased that is suitable in size and style.

Another relation to the product with the possibility of transformation. It is important to know how many people will use the berths, what height and weight they are, how often the sofa will be dismantled.

Using the design as a bed, you should take care of a comfortable mattress, for example, orthopedic on a latex basis or with independent springs. You can choose the "accordion" system, it has a mattress with a thickness of at least 20 cm.

The furniture industry produces a large number of small sofas for different rooms, they can be selected in shape, color and style to any situation. To make sure of this, let's look at examples of how compact upholstered furniture integrates into interiors:

• designer sofa for a minimalist setting;

• island group of upholstered furniture;

• avant-garde sofas;

• cozy model with a click-gag mechanism;

• a small corner piece took its place on the podium;

• beautiful compact model in the Italian style;

• radius sofa bed unfolded.

Miniature sofas of beautiful shapes and colors are very attractive, can decorate any interior. The ability to turn into a comfortable bed makes them even more popular.

See the overview of the mini-sofa below.