Where has 2017 gone? I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I shared my ideas for our guest bedroom makeover, (Maflingo: Guest bedroom makeover plans for 2017).

You may recall our guest room has an oversized bed which serves as Mr T’s clothes horse for most of the year and a guest bedroom for a few weeks, if that. This seemed like a waste of a room, so we decided to swap the kingsize bed for a sofa bed or daybed to create a flexible living room/bedroom we could use all year round.

I’m sorry to say our guest room hasn’t changed much in the last 12 months. I haven’t forgotten about it, though. In fact, I’ve filled my Guest Bedroom Pinterest board with ideas all year. It’s jam-packed with lots of designs for sofabeds, daybeds, guest beds and Murphy beds. Some are commercial products and some are fabulous DIY creations.

I’ve decided to make my own DIY sofabed!

Despite browsing through hundreds of different sofabed and daybed designs, I haven’t been able to find anything that fits my specifications exactly. As is often the case, the product I’ve imagined in my head doesn’t exist in real life! That’s why I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands and make a sofabed!

You may think I’m mad, and I wouldn’t blame you! To be honest, I’m wondering if I may have bitten off more than I can chew this time! After all, I’ve never tried upholstery, never mind building a sofabed from scratch!

Of course, I’ve dabbled in DIY beds before with youngest’s Ikea Hack cabin bed (How to make an Ikea Hack children’s cabin bed with secret den). Thankfully, it turned out better than I imagined. It even had a feature shop-bought cabin beds didn’t offer…A secret den!

Unfortunately, my previous DIY successes don’t necessarily mean I’ll be able to make a sofabed, so why am I even considering it? I guess the other DIY-ers on Pinterest have inspired me with their ability to create something bespoke to suit their needs. Plus, many of them have published video tutorials and step-by-step guides to help novices like me. I realise none of the tutorials will tell me everything I need to know about building the sofabed I have in my head, but they’ve given me the courage to give it a go!

After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

What will my DIY sofabed/daybed offer that other sofabed and daybeds don’t?

Those who know me won’t be surprised to learn I have very specific requirements for my ‘perfect’ sofabed:

1. A sofa that’s a bed, not a bed that’s a sofa.

As I’ve explained, we’d like the room to be used as a living space where the kids can relax for the 350 days each year we don’t have guests.That’s why I want something that looks like a ‘proper’ sofa, rather than a bed. Consequently, I’ve ruled out most daybeds as they tend to look like beds.

2. Flexible sleeping options.

I want my sofabed design to offer flexible sleeping configurations, so guests have the option of double or twin beds. It means we can cater for visits from couples, sleepover guests and joint visits from Grandma Spikes and Grandma Tractor. The Grannies may get on well, but I think they’d prefer to be in their own bed, rather than sharing a double!

Most daybed designs have an advantage over sofabeds in this regard as they offer double or twin bed configurations.

3. It needs to accommodate 80cm x 200cm mattresses.

We recently bought our eldest daughter a pocket sprung mattress to replace the two 10cm thick Ikea mattresses on her Ikea Hemnes Daybed. The mattresses were fine when she was younger (she slept atop both of them when the bed wasn’t extended). However, now she’s 15 years old and 5 ft 11, we realised she needed something more substantial.

It seemed a shame to get rid of two perfectly good mattresses, so I decided to recycle them instead. I washed the zip-off covers and made a trip to my favourite discount fabric store, Bargain Fabrics in Castle Donington (see my review here). Bargain Fabrics didn’t disappoint. I managed to pick up 8 metres of double width (2.9m) grey upholstery fabric for only £60! Bargain!

After watching a few YouTube videos, I summoned up the courage to cut the fabric and attempt my very first upholstery assignment: covering two mattresses with a zipped box cover.

They’re not perfect, (the corners are a little baggy), but I’m happy with the results. I now have two newly upholstered mattresses for my DIY sofabed.

4. Upholstered.

Most simple daybeds, sofabeds and futons have wooden frames. I want my design to be upholstered so it looks and feels more like a sofa – Nothing like challenging myself!

Guest bedroom Pinterest board.

If you’re planning a room makeover or DIY project, Pinterest is the perfect place to find ideas and inspiration. Even better, if you create a Pinterest board for your project, you can keep all your favourite ideas, images, tips and articles in one place. My Guest Bedroom Makeover Board has over 200 pins, ranging from images of sofabeds and daybeds to step-by-step guides on building beds and sofas. I’ve also pinned links to some of the parts and accessories I’ll need for my DIY sofabed.

Why not check out my Guest bedroom makeover board and see if my pins offer some inspiration for your next room makeover.

Guest bedroom Makeover

My own DIY sofabed design.

Although none of the readymade/DIY sofabeds and daybeds on my Pinterest board matched my specifications exactly, the designs provided me with ideas for my own sofabed plans.

After weeks of planning and thinking through different options, I’ve finally settled on a design for my sofabed. I’ve opted for a simple flip-over design like the wooden sofabed below. However, instead of a solid wooden bed base, I plan to use a slatted wooden base for the mattresses. One of the mattresses will be used as the seat cushion, whilst the other will be stored underneath the sofa.

I plan to upholster my DIY sofabed, too, having been inspired by the ingenious and stylish One Night Stand sofabed from bludot.com:

You’re probably thinking, ‘Hang on! You said you wanted twin and double bed options and the flip-over design doesn’t give you the option of twin beds!’ This was a stumbling block for some time, until I discovered loose pin hinges. With loose pin hinges, once I flip-over the sofa to make a double bed, I can separate it into twin beds by removing the pins! Clever!

Let’s just hope these clever ideas become a sofabed reality!  The worrying thing is, now I’ve told you all about it…I have to give it a go!

Next steps.

I’ve got my design, so I’m almost ready to start. I’ve visited my local timber merchants and selected 38mm x 63mm pine for the frame, which they can cut to my specifications free of charge. I’ve also got my fabric, the hinges, the circular saw and other essentials, so as soon as I’ve confirmed my cutting list for the timber merchants I can start building! I’m excited and daunted in equal measure…Wish me luck!

Over to you.

Have you got any room makeover projects planned? If you have a guest room or spare room in your home, are you making the most of the space? If not, have you thought of revamping your room to suit your needs? What do you think of my sofabed plans? As always, I’d love to hear from you – especially if you have any sofabed/daybed suggestions of your own!

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