One of the problems faced by owners of small apartments is the constant lack of space to accommodate full-fledged furniture. An excellent solution would be to buy compact or transformable furniture, and above all, such as a small-sized bed. Today there are many types of small and folding beds, sofas and sofa beds, both single and double, on the market, so it is not difficult to choose among them exactly the product that will be most suitable for your interior and at the same time will be excellent a sleeping place for you personally and your children.
Folding beds are known to many, because in our country the housing problem has been a problem since ancient times, but today those who live in spacious homes are often interested in transformable furniture. Extra square meters can always be used if you have some imagination: you can use them to set up an entire gym, or set up a greenhouse, or turn them into an artist’s creative studio.
The use of modern materials and fittings has allowed designers to develop a huge number of options for folding sofas and beds, based on the most daring ideas of combining pieces of furniture that previously seemed difficult to compatible. Many serious manufacturers today offer custom-made furniture with variable geometry. At the same time, a good folding sofa or transformable bed for a small apartment or studio apartment is just a godsend. Next, we will consider several types of compact furniture that can provide good sleep for both children and adults.
Wardrobe bed
The option of using a closet to hide a bed in it is very common. In this case, the berth can be attached in two ways:
- with horizontal arrangement;
- with vertical arrangement.
When the bed is raised, it turns into a closet wall, which can be equipped with:
- mirror;
- small shelves;
- decorative panels, etc.
Such a bed can be a structure made from one “fake” wardrobe or be part (module) of a large furniture set, in which you can hide not only single, but also double beds.
For sleeping or just for relaxation, the wall of the closet with a sleeping place is lowered, and it, resting on the floor with its folding legs, turns into a horizontal comfortable bed that can provide complete relaxation. Additionally, the closets, which contain a sleeping place for one person or double beds, have niches and shelves for linen, belts for fixing the mattress and the bed as a whole, and lighting. A wardrobe bed is an option for universal small-sized furniture that can be installed in a living room, a nursery, or a small bedroom.
Beds with gas lift mechanism
Excellent transformable sofa bed for a small living room
The safest and easiest to use are the gas lift mechanism for deploying the transformer bed. Even an old sick person who does not have great physical strength can transform such a bed into a table or cabinet, since the entire load during its transformation falls on the gas lift mechanism. Here it is, it would seem, I bought a transformer bed, and with it a convenient gas-lift folding mechanism, live and be happy, but even here there is a small problem, or even two.
An unusual bed that can easily be transformed into a table if necessary
Of all the transformable beds, these are the most expensive. In addition, the mechanism of gas lift transformers is short-lived and breaks down quickly, so before buying such a model you need to consult with a specialist and, with his help, select furniture. When choosing a transformable bed, it is important what material it is made of.
A beautiful and comfortable transforming table for a schoolchild’s room
Chair bed
This is the best choice for the owner of a one-room apartment. Such chairs are very convenient for individual use by its owner, and in the event that a child lives with you, or if you need to provide overnight accommodation for a guest who decides to spend the night with you. The design is always simple and easy to unfold. Some models have a compartment at the bottom where bedding can be placed.
Transformer "three in one"
This is a great way to solve the problem of limited space for small apartments. In its original form, such furniture looks like a comfortable sofa, the soft back of which is formed by furniture cushions. The sidewalls, which are a durable solid frame, are equipped with a rotating mechanism, thanks to which they can rotate 180°.
The sides are connected by a furniture board that is not visible when the sofa is assembled. This furniture slab, hidden behind the back cushions, can later become a table top. This sofa has a niche in its lower part in which additional rectangular soft elements are stored.
Transformation options:
- Folded state. An ordinary sofa with a soft back made of sofa cushions.
- Bed. It turns out when the niche is pulled out, as a result of which the second half of the soft sleeping place appears.
- Sofa table. After the pillows are removed, it becomes possible to raise the plane of the tabletop fixed on the axis, which in turn is connected, as previously mentioned, to the sidewalls. The result is a table that rests on the sides of the sofa and is of such dimensions that it can even be used as a dining table.
The above version of the “three in one” transformer is an example of a successful solution for transforming furniture with a fairly simple design of conversion mechanisms.
In the children's room, compared to other rooms in the apartment, optimization of the use of space is most needed, especially when there is more than one child in the family. To solve this problem, systems have been developed that involve the use of transformers and allow the creation of two separate sleeping places. There are simple similar furniture models that have a pull-out mattress on wheels from under a sofa or bed, and more complex ones that are built into cabinets or walls, and simply in the form of a bunk bed.
Traditional materials are often used as materials for the manufacture of such furniture:
- tree;
- MDF;
- Chipboard.
But for transformable furniture, especially such as a children's bed, durable and lightweight synthetic composite materials are more preferable.
Cribs can be transformed in a variety of ways:
- the sleeping place, which has wheels, is removed under the podium (playground);
- several alternately retractable beds are collected in one place;
- the crib turns into a table.
Types of partitions for zoning
When zoning a one-room apartment into a bedroom and living room, you should take into account the characteristics of the room so that the arranged items are as useful as possible. To separate, you can use a textile curtain, which can be easily assembled. The accordion screen is convenient because of its mobility, it is quickly assembled, takes up little space and is ideal for small rooms.
- It is troublesome and time-consuming to install a brick wall, and there will also be a lot of dirt. An alternative would be a plasterboard structure. It looks stylish and modern, smooth geometric lines can be replaced with smooth curves, and shelves can be equipped inside.
- You can practically get a separate room if you install a bed in a niche, and a podium below will help save space. The niche can be easily closed with a curtain, this is an excellent option for families with children. There will be enough space left for the play area.
- A sliding door is a convenient and interesting option. It can be installed to enclose a bed or cover the wall completely. The result is a very modern design; the doors can be painted in a color that matches the overall design. If the room has plain wallpaper, then you can enliven the interior by painting with acrylic paints.
- The simplest option is blinds. They are suitable for those people who are not ready for big changes. The product does not block access to natural light and takes up virtually no space.
- Another budget option is a screen. The item can be easily rearranged, can be in the form of an accordion. The design is quite light and consists of plastic, thin plywood or chipboard. The design is usually monochromatic or with elegant patterns.
The glass structure will make the space lighter. The material can be matte, transparent or stained glass. This option not only saves space, but visually makes it larger.
If you choose the decor on the surface harmoniously, the product will perfectly decorate the overall interior. The partition can be decorated with a sandblasted pattern, photo printing or mirror inserts, the main thing is that the design matches the design of the entire room.
Loft beds
For such a furniture complex, its main element is a sleeping place (often a folding type), which is usually located at a height of about 1-1.8 meters from the floor, while in the space under it can be located:
- storage system;
- work zone;
- game Zone;
- lower bed.
Depending on the model of the loft bed, such a furniture group can be equipped with:
- shelves;
- cabinets;
- cabinets;
- drawers;
- desktop.
Some elements can be mobile and used separately. The rise of a person “to the attic” to the bed is carried out either using a special ladder included in the kit, or in some cases, the function of steps is performed by storage systems.
Color spectrum
The best solution for color design of a small bedroom would be light shades that visually expand the space a little. To create a unique mood, you can choose the following shades:
- olive;
- beige;
- light green;
- and of course traditional white.
There are also quite a few other colors that can give the design of a room some depth and charm, among them we can highlight, for example, lilac. Light wallpaper with small ornaments can also visually expand the walls. In a small room, it is not advisable to use shade coverings with large patterns or wide stripes. You should also not glue wallpaper with a border.
As a rule, one area is emphasized in the interior; in the bedroom, this is most often the head of the bed. This part of the wall can be painted a different color, which will be several tones brighter than the main one, or decorated with certain accessories.
It is preferable to make the ceiling white, glossy. This texture will make it visually taller. Of course, you can also use a mirror tension structure, but not everyone will like this option. In the photo you can see that competent interior decoration gives the bedroom additional space and comfort.
Advantages and disadvantages of transformers
Transformable beds and sofas enjoy enduring popularity among adherents of rationality.
The advantages of such designs are obvious:
- additional space is freed up in the nursery, since the bed in which the child sleeps can be transformed into a table;
- such furniture usually folds and unfolds quite simply, and these procedures usually require no more than two minutes to complete;
- the sizes and models of transformers can be very different, which allows you to choose the most suitable one for a particular case;
- beds are often equipped with an orthopedic mattress;
- you can quickly organize a sleeping place when there is no additional bedroom available;
- small transformers can, in most cases, be installed in any free area of the apartment;
- the cost of such devices is within the range affordable for many families.
Disadvantages of Transformers:
- with frequent use of transforming beds, they quickly wear out, and first of all, the elements of mechanical fastening of parts fail;
- transformable furniture is not suitable for use by people who are physically weak or with disabilities (the elderly, children, as well as the sick and disabled);
- for a bed that can be retracted into a niche, a strong solid wall is required, since weak interior partitions may not withstand the periodically significant load.
Beds with a reclining mechanism
An excellent solution for a small children's room - a folding bed and table
A transformable bed for small apartments can be a good solution if it comes with a folding mechanism. They are usually attached to the wall.
A children's bed with a folding mechanism, which is convenient and easy to hide in a closet
Such furniture has two significant drawbacks. Firstly, such a bed can only be attached to the main wall of the room. Fragile interior partitions can collapse over time. Secondly, when transforming the bed, you can easily injure your arm or leg.
Bunk folding bed for two boys “Airplanes”
Types of mechanisms
The designs of mechanisms for folding sofas and beds have at least ten design options, and each of them has certain advantages, while also having its own disadvantages. However, basically transformable furniture is equipped with the following two types of tilt-and-turn mechanical devices:
- Retractable mechanism. It is safe and easy to use, and models containing it, in most cases, have sections for bed linen.
- Folding mechanism. It is dangerous when used to transform beds, since a heavy piece of furniture that is raised upward can fall and injure a person, for example, pinching an arm or hitting a leg. Although beds attached to the wall help to significantly save space when assembled, their use still requires certain precautions.
Folding mechanisms are also divided into the following two types:
- Spring mechanisms. They are the most durable and also reliable, which is explained by their extreme simplicity: there is nothing to break in the spring. However, there is a drawback: in order to complete the transformation procedure, some effort is required, and therefore they are not recommended for elderly and physically weak people.
- Gas lift devices. They have lower reliability, but if used correctly, they last quite a long time. Furniture equipped with such mechanisms can be unfolded without much effort. The disadvantage of a gas lift is that folding beds equipped with it are more expensive than those with a spring mechanism.
Options for transformable bed mechanisms
The mechanisms with which the transformer is equipped are divided into several types:
- spring
- retractable
- folding
- gas lift.
Unusual sofa bed for a small living room
Bed built into a wardrobe for a room in a Scandinavian style
Modern tendencies
Transformable furniture has become a fashion trend today, and there is a fairly simple explanation for this: real estate is expensive. Many people at the beginning of their careers cannot yet afford to purchase luxury mansions and apartments, and they have to be content with small apartments and studio apartments. However, the desire to turn them into fully functional, comfortable and interesting housing forces designers in many countries to look for new non-standard solutions when developing furniture, and first of all, such essentials as beds and sofas.
Today, some transformers use quite expensive pneumatic mechanisms that allow the assembly and disassembly of folding furniture without the need to expend significant physical effort. Sometimes just pressing a button on the remote control is enough to start the transformation process. This is often perceived by many as an element of the furniture of the future.
Of course, the most interesting models of self-propelled systems that are controlled from a remote control can so far only be seen at international exhibitions dedicated to modern furniture, but more and more of these unique exhibits can already be seen in regular stores. Moreover, prices for such products are becoming more affordable every year.
