Good day everyone and good mood! Agree that sometimes finding exactly what the buyer wants in a furniture store is problematic. Custom projects are expensive. That’s why sometimes it makes sense to get down to business yourself. An example would be a DIY functional folding bed.
It is unlikely that it will be possible to do without a lifting mechanism here, but such options are also being considered. I think some explanations should be given regarding these structures, their essence and operating principle should be explained.
In fact, it is a wardrobe bed built into a certain piece of furniture in the bedroom or living room. Currently, there are various projects, diagrams and drawings that you can safely take as the basis for your own folding design.
Interior of bedroom-living room of different sizes
Both large and small rooms need proper interior planning. Regardless of the size of your room, you can arrange it in any way you like.
Living room-bedroom area of 18 square meters
If you have a small room measuring approximately 18 square meters, then using partitions is impossible. In this case, textiles are suitable for zoning. For example, these could be bamboo or regular blackout curtains. At the same time, they should be easy and quick to assemble. At the same time, use thick and dark textiles for windows, which will help achieve privacy. And on the border between the bedroom and living room it is better to hang airy and light textiles. You can consider modern curtains made of beads - muslin.
Small living room with loft bed
If you don’t like curtains, you can consider options such as:
- sliding panels;
- compartment partitions;
- decorative screens.
To save space, use mobile screens in your design that move in two directions. For example, if someone comes to visit you, the screen moves close to the bed. If you need more space near the bed when you go to bed, the screen moves in the opposite direction.
The bed can be replaced with a folding sofa
In modern interiors, an open type shelving without a back wall is used as a border separator. Additionally, you can store things, books and various accessories on the shelves. In addition, it does not prevent sunlight from entering the room.
The bed can be separated by a small partition with a TV and muslin
If there are no problems with natural light in the room, then you can separate the living room from the bedroom using a wardrobe. Thus, the house will have an additional system for storing things. Make mirror doors on it and the space will visually increase.
If there is not enough sunny space, the partition may be low
In such a small room, you can visually separate the space with the bed from the sofa:
- floor covering;
- wall color;
- podium;
- lighting.
You can separate the sofa from the bed using an open shelving unit without a back wall
Bedroom-living room with an area of 16 and 17 square meters
A completely different approach is needed for a room of 16 or 17 square meters. This is a typical room in Khrushchev-era apartments. Here, room zoning can be done only by time. From morning to evening it will be a cozy living room. And after the guests leave and throughout the evening and night time, this will be the bedroom. And here the main question arises: where to put the bed so that it does not interfere during the daytime.
In some cases, the bed may not be installed at all. It can be replaced with a folding sofa. You can make a small sleeping place with a bed even in a one-room Khrushchev house. In this case, a small sleeping place is placed in a niche. All surface finishes must be light. If the niche is large enough, then you can order a bed into it according to the size and hide it with a partition or textiles.
The bed in the living room can be hidden in a niche and covered with thick curtains
Assembling the frame and box for the mattress
Assembling a bed built into a closet begins with the frame. Its main parts are: 4 sides and a base. The latter will be the basic element of the bed, and in the assembled structure - the wall of the closet. For ease of use, you need to choose the right size mattress: 150 mm smaller in width and 400 mm in length than the base. Then:
- Using patterns, cut furniture panels.
- Cut out the parts with a jigsaw, sand with sandpaper, and edge the edges.
- Connect the frame with screws in increments of 25–30 cm.
The next stage of creating a bed built into a closet with your own hands is installing a mattress box. Its components: 3 sides and a bottom corresponding to the cabinet wall. Procedure:
- Trace and cut out all parts of the box, carefully sand and edge.
- Connect the parts together using screws at a distance of 25–35 cm from each other.
- Place a wooden beam around the perimeter - the basis for the mattress pad. Secure it to the sides with self-tapping screws.
- Attach pre-prepared boards to the timber - the mattress pad is ready.
The selected boards must strictly correspond to the width of the structure, and the distance between them should not exceed 20 cm. This is the only way the built-in bed will be comfortable. It is quite possible to perform each action yourself, even if you lack the relevant experience.
Purpose of a functional bed, popular manufacturers
Folding structures in the interior of the living room-bedroom
The most popular solution is to install a spacious folding sofa, which in the evening becomes a spacious bed. If the room area starts from 20 square meters, then the soft area can be supplemented with ottomans and a coffee table on wheels. But there are other options for decorating a bed in the living room:
- Podium. A bed on wheels will come out from under it. On the podium itself you can place a dining table, armchairs or a sofa with a coffee table. During the daytime, no one will even guess that a bed is hidden in the podium.
- Transformable bed. This has been the most popular piece of furniture lately. During the daytime, it is an ordinary small wardrobe or wall, from which the bed can be folded out if necessary. This furniture is ideal for rooms with an area of 15 square meters or less.
- Loft bed. If your living room has high ceilings, then you can equip a sleeping place at a height.
- Hanging bed. This is a type of ceiling bed. The whole difference is that during the day the bed is raised up using a special mechanism, and in the evening it is lowered.
- Bed-mattress. This option is popular in Japanese style. Here the regular bed is replaced by a futon. During the day it is rolled up and put in a closet.
Correct zoning of the bedroom-living room
The simplest and fastest way to zoning is to install a partition. They come in several types:
- Partition made of plasterboard. It is used in fairly spacious rooms. Using a plasterboard partition, you can get a completely isolated bedroom. This design is lightweight and does not require additional permits for installation. This method also has a drawback. If the bed is located near the window, then after the construction of such a partition it will become dark in the living room area. But even in this case there is a way out. The partition can be made half the height of the room.
- Partition made of frosted glass or plastic. The boundary between the bedroom and the living room will remain obvious, but there will be much more natural light throughout the room. The room will remain light, bright and spacious. To make a glass wall look interesting and original, you can decorate it with stained glass. This option is suitable for those who feel like they are in an aquarium.
Ways to hide a bed in the living room in the photo
As you can see, you can disguise a bed in the living room. The main thing is to comply with all conditions and nuances. A room of a certain size has its own individual characteristics that must be taken into account when designing a living room.
Screen
The simplest and fastest temporary partition is a screen. Hides the bed from prying eyes and partially blocks the light. When needed, I put it up; when not needed, I folded it and put it away. Moreover, screens can be very beautiful and can become a treasure of the interior. Admire the screens: “Behind the veil of secrecy: screens in the interior.”
