Custom Made Sofa Bed

This project was one of my more unique requests. It was to make a custom-made Sofa Bed.

Initially, I was contacted by an interior design company I work with regularly, called The House Company which is in  Tunbridge Wells. The House Company is run by two very talented and helpful women called Beverley and Tracy.

They had been doing some work for an elderly lady who had asked them about a small Sofa Bed. Due to the constraints on the space it needed to fit into, they recommended my services.

I met with the client, who lived alone and had had a hip operation which didn’t slow her down or stop her using the upstairs bedrooms of her house; however occasionally she needed to sleep downstairs and sleeping on her sofa was no longer something she wanted to put up with.

After measuring the space I had to take into consideration the area was too small for a standard fold out sofa-bed and not wide enough for a standard length bed. I came up with a design that would not neseserily work for everyone but would work for her. (Due to the length).

Firstly I found a children’s mattress (not as long as a standard mattress) and then based the design around it. Using a mattress had a number of advantages – the main reason that sheets could be bought to fit it when it was requierd as a bed. I had the mattress delivered to The House Company who did a great job of making a custom-made upholstered cover for it which made it feel like a sofa but would still work as a normal mattress.

The frame I made from Oak and double-sided oak veneered sheets. The frame was designed to be assembled and disassembled easily. This was mainly so I could get it into the house (a small cottage) and set it up with ease, but also should the client should ever move house, she could take it with her.

The base I made using sprung slats for more comfort when being used as a bed.

Once the whole piece was finished and had the cushions across the back it worked really well as both a sofa and a small bed.