How to convert an old sofa into a bed?

How to make a sofa out of a bed: conversion options

How quickly everything becomes boring and boring.
For example, the same furnishings, the same walls, furniture. True, frequent repairs are not particularly acceptable. And it’s not possible to change furniture every six months. But it’s not at all necessary to throw everything away and buy something else. The interior can be spruced up even if one key element is replaced or remodeled. With a little skill and imagination, you can easily figure out how to make a sofa out of a bed. Then bulkiness and clumsiness will disappear from the interior, and the room will turn out to be more functional. Don't rush to throw away old furniture. For example, you can easily make a new corner sofa from an old frame bed.

Transformable furniture looks very interesting when it is a bed at night and a sofa during the day. But making a sofa bed is not that easy. This requires special hinge mechanisms. Therefore, first it is worth considering the process of turning a bed into a sofa.

How to put a bed in non-standard rooms

It is not always possible to allocate a spacious room for a bedroom with enough space. This is turning into a real problem! Let's consider several options for where it is better to place a bed in the bedroom if it is non-standard.

Small bedroom

When rearranging a room, the main thing is to find a place that makes it comfortable to sleep and to walk around the room. There are quite a few options for where you can put a bed in a small bedroom:

1 Across the room . Classic option. Convenient, allows you to decorate your headboard, reduces the risk of drafts, you sleep far from the radiator. Suitable if the passage between the footboard and the wall remains at least 60 centimeters.
2 Along the wall away from the window . Allows you to leave a wide passage and even put a cabinet. True, there is only one approach to the bed, and the wall next to which the person sleeps quickly gets dirty.
3 Headboard to the window . Suitable for very narrow closets and looks impressive, but there is a battery and frames nearby, from which it can blow.
4 Along the window and next to it, with the head in the corner . It adjusts the dimensions of a narrow bedroom, but again there is a heating radiator and a window nearby (although the corner protects from drafts), the area where the bed is adjacent to the wall gets dirty, and the approach remains only from one side.

Narrow long room

Recommendations on how to place a bed in a narrow bedroom overlap in many ways with the tips from the previous section. In general, it is recommended to place the bed along the largest wall, saving space. If this option does not work, try placing the bed against the narrow wall farthest from the door. Usually the length of the room is just enough, and part of the space remains free. This option requires additional protection for the wall adjacent to the sleeping place, and is not very convenient in that the approach remains only on one side. But in terms of saving square meters, these are trifles.

Room with two windows

An interesting room design can be made if it has two windows. The location of the bed here depends on which wall these windows are located on. If they are located on the same wall, then it is best to place the bed between them. Look at the design of an inexpensive modular bedroom for such a room: the Febos set.

Rework options

Elements of a folding sofa: 1 - Sidewall; 2 — additional pillow; 3 — back cushion; 4 — pull-out mattress; 5 - support beam; 6 — stool-stand; 7 - base box.

Several variations are possible, as a result of which you can make a sofa out of a bed. It depends on what kind of bed you actually have.

First, check the frame under the mattress. If there is a board nailed on top of it, on which the mattress lies, you are in luck. This conversion will be a bit of work.

The option, if the mattress needs to be inserted into this frame, is also quite simple. Prepare the necessary tools and materials immediately so that everything is at hand:

wooden bed for remodeling;
Chipboard (or plywood sheet) according to the size of the back;
Chipboard according to the size of the sofa;
plywood sheets according to the size of the back and seat;
foam rubber and fabric for upholstery;
hammer and wallpaper nails;
drill;
furniture screws and screwdriver.

You need to prepare a sheet of chipboard (cut to the size of the bed). Then, using screws or nails, it must be screwed or nailed to the frame.

If you do not want a very high back, you should take the height of 0.5 m and add the height of your frame to this figure. You can make it higher. In this case, you will simply need more foam rubber and fabric. It needs to be screwed/nailed to the part of the bed that is facing the wall.

Converting a bed frame into a sofa.

Measure the seat. How you will design the soft part of the future sofa directly depends on the design of the old bed. The board may be nailed to both the top and bottom of the frame. In the latter case, it is worth making higher pillows so that there is a protrusion above the frame of about 10 cm.

The back and seat can be solid, or they can consist of many parts and pieces. It is very convenient when 3 pillows are placed in the seat, then the backrest can be made of two long ones. There may also be an option for 3 pillows.

Next you will need to cut out several rectangles from plywood. Their size will depend on which option for laying the pillows and the appearance of the soft part you prefer. Foam rubber is cut out based on the shape of plywood blanks. Expect that you will need 2-3 pieces for each pillow. In order to make a sofa, thick sheet foam rubber is especially suitable. It can be found at a hardware or furniture store. When you finish preparing all the pieces, they need to be fastened together in several places using thick threads.

Cutting fabric. So, when you unfold the pillow, you should end up with 2 squares each with seam allowances for the lower and upper elements and the tape. Its width should be the same as the thickness of the foam insert, and its length should be equal to the perimeter of the square. Please note that the seam allowances are folded over twice on the side of the tape that will need to be connected to the bottom or back of the pillow. Therefore, it would be better to make them wider.

Depth of mattress insertion.

Those parts that will be on top (a square with a stripe) need to be stitched. To do this, do not forget to fold them right sides together. It is also necessary to stitch the free edges of the strip along the wrong side. There you will also need to cut off the corners, and then turn the pillow out. When you put foam in it, it is better to fasten the top of the pillow with the padding in several places.

You can get started: stages

Bed headboard size chart.

First of all, you need to evaluate the old structure - what will have to be replaced in it? Usually these are cross bars on which the sofa actually rests, and a folding mechanism. So, you need to completely free the furniture from textiles - upholstery, foam rubber and other things. Their condition also needs to be meticulously examined. If everything is satisfactory, the fabric is put aside, the foam rubber is thrown into the trash - due to long-term use, it can no longer take the appropriate shape. Both halves of the sofa are mounted separately from each other.

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Go to the tree. If the bars are still quite useful, then you can leave them. But since the task is to turn the sofa into a bed, there should be more supports - because the beds on the beds are hard. Therefore, after marking the desired length, the boards need to be sawn and screwed to the frame in the same way as bars. Their surfaces must be at the same level, otherwise all the ribs of the structure will be felt if the owner wants to lie down.

This is done on both parts. By the way, about the frame - if it is decided to leave this structure the same, then its condition should correspond to its beautiful appearance. Otherwise, before final assembly, it (the frame) is covered in the same way as the halves.

Bed frame diagram.

Next, you need to mark the fiberboard; for the bed you need to take a thick one - at least 10 mm. Its dimensions must exactly match the sectors of the sofa, but if a large double bed is planned, then the fiberboard sheet lies solidly on the mounted frame. But the problem of a small-sized apartment remains, then you need to leave the folding option.

Working with the layout mechanism. Usually on older models they become unusable due to dropped screws and discrepancies of elements. Therefore, having assessed their condition, you just need to put the structure in order - by disassembling it and screwing it to a new place. However, if it is in poor condition and the sofa will not fold, then you should replace everything with a new one.

To do this, a board is nailed to the end of the frame of the future stock, the same must be done on the other side, and new holes are drilled in them for bolts and fastenings of the mechanism. Hinges are attached to the two parts of the bed, and the structure is connected to each other.

We must immediately make a reservation - the industry is now producing quite progressive models, so you need to choose reliable and beautiful ones - if the bed is designed without armrests, then the “folding bed” will be all in sight and should have a presentable appearance. After checking the state of opening and closing and disassembling it back, you can proceed to the decorative component.

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The fabric, if purchased in advance, must be cut in a new way, taking into account the thickness of the foam rubber. To do this, the required dimensions are glued to cut fiberboard sheets no more than 5 mm thick.

The foam rubber itself around the perimeter should be 2-3 mm smaller than the sheet.

Scheme for attaching the headboard to the bed.

They need to be prepared in advance. You need to be careful with glue - some chemical components can burn through the foam. Can be collected.

To do this, each part of the bed is separately attached using self-tapping screws to the wooden halves. The fasteners must go from the foam side and exactly along the frame. After installation, you need to check the functionality of the folding. Then the halves of the bed are wrapped in fabric, and it is secured with a furniture stapler. That's all, actually.

Construction of armrests. Making them is quite difficult, but possible. If the owner wants to show off his creativity, then metal or wooden elements will look great. However, you will have to tinker with the iron - for fastening you will need to use a grinder or Pobedit drills to make the necessary holes in the bed for the bolts.

Wood, in this regard, is not so capricious and gives flight to the imagination - you can cut anything with a jigsaw, and after treating the product with varnish, you can expect the admiration of guests coming to the house.

The bed will thus get an atypical look. And also, if the old armrests are satisfied with their appearance, then there is no need to be clever - screw them on with new bolts, and that’s the end of it.

Comfortable sofa

Drawing of a frame for a sofa.

There is an interesting option to make a sofa using a couch or using a bed element such as a metal armored mesh. For this you may need the following materials:

wooden beams;
foam;
hammer and wallpaper nails;
drill;
furniture screws and screwdriver;
sewing materials and upholstery fabrics;
accessories (zippers of different sizes) for a cover, 21 cm long, and 3 zippers of 7 cm each for pillows;
metal mesh and corner.

Take the following approximate dimensions of the future sofa: height - 90 cm, full width - 95 cm, width of the soft part - 80 cm, length - 185 cm.

Sofa assembly option.

To make the frame of the product, you need to connect 6 wooden boards, 1500 mm long, with three vertical boards, 660 mm long, using screws. The corner connector should be made 20x20x190 mm.

The top edge of the base should be 20mm below the top edge board. The support bars must be secured to the back and behind the front panel. They will be the load-bearing parts of the seat.

The back itself must be fixed to the base very firmly, using thick metal corners. Choose its inclination yourself, as it is convenient for you.

After this, you can fix the mesh from the bed to the wooden base using metal brackets. It will serve as a kind of support grid on the frame of the sofa to hold the seat cushions.

You can also glue several transverse beams onto the longitudinal ones. This will add reliability.

The foam rubber is cut to the specified size of the back of the sofa, the main thing is that it is no thinner than 15 cm.

Make two such blanks. They will need to be sheathed with the chosen fabric and connected with a zipper. Mattresses are attached to the structure with decorative tape. Upholstery material and Velcro are suitable for its manufacture. One end of it is attached with small nails to the frame, and the other to the cover. Next comes the turn of the pillows. Covers for them are sewn from the same material, using zippers and foam rubber. As a result, you should have 3 pillows.

Simplified version

If you still dare to make such a product, try the simplest option. Take chipboard sheets, bars, boards and foam rubber with upholstery fabric as a basis.

You will need a base box, 2 side panels with support bars, a pull-out mattress on a hard base and back cushions. Assemble a box measuring 2000x800 mm from boards 20 mm thick and 150 mm wide. Nail a sheet of plywood 3 mm thick from the bottom. To increase rigidity, install wooden corners at the joints of the boards.

The main requirement in order to make a strong, reliable, beautiful and durable sofa or sofa bed is the presence of a good and durable frame. A new homemade piece of furniture will definitely delight you and serve as a reason for pride.

Video material

Knowing how to remake a bed or sofa with your own hands, you can update and remake all the old furniture in the house at your discretion. Models can be very diverse; you can increase the bed in the bed or build a special box for storing linen. Installing a beautiful headboard is considered a good design technique. Don't limit your imagination, create for your own pleasure! By following all the recommendations and using useful tips, copying mechanisms, you can assemble an exclusive item with high quality.

Idea No. 1: modernizing an old sofa with working mechanisms

If the old sofa has only lost its presentable appearance, but has retained a strong frame and all the mechanisms are in working order, you can simply update it. Often reupholstering is enough for this, but some craftsmen go further and transform an outdated item beyond recognition.

Updating the upholstery helps transform an unfashionable “granny” sofa into a stylish and current one. Many furniture companies offer the furniture reupholstery service, but you can also do it yourself. This will require a furniture stapler and cutting and sewing skills.

An old sofa can not only be reupholstered, but also supplemented with pillows in the color of the new upholstery. This seemingly simple accessory can completely change the interior.

Sometimes updating an old sofa doesn't require a complete reupholstery. For example, if the upholstery was partially damaged by a cat, it is enough to select a suitable material and cover the damaged areas with it.

If the usual upholstery is supplemented with various decorating techniques, you can get an absolutely unique thing from an old but strong sofa. Such additional techniques include the creation of decorative folds, carriage screeds, the design of soft rollers on the armrests, etc.

DIY furniture refurbishment

Tanya remade this sofa herself, with her own hands, from an old Soviet ruin that she found in her grandmother’s attic. The whole rework took her 3 days. She bought the material for upholstering the sofa at sale prices.

Editorial “So Simple!” , inspired by this remodel, has prepared step-by-step instructions for you on how to remake an old sofa into stylish and beautiful upholstered furniture. The result is impressive, so I’ll try to do the same!

This is what her old sofa looked like.
Before starting the alteration, you need to unwind this monster into its component parts, remembering what is screwed on and how.
And this is what one of the fastening elements looks like.
We completely disassemble the sofa.
We number all the parts from the old sofa, except for the upholstery. We will replace the old upholstery with new and beautiful ones.
Then remove the upholstery from the sides.

Editorial Board

To repair more serious damage, such as chips and cracks, you will need to purchase wood putty from a hardware store that matches the tone of the furniture and carefully apply it in small portions to the damaged area.

You see what can be made from a Soviet-era sofa if you have a certain amount of time, materials and desire. Remaking a sofa with your own hands will require less financial outlay from you, will allow you to preserve your favorite item, and in addition, will give you the opportunity to use your imagination and make the item truly unique.

Idea No. 2: a set of poufs from an old modular sofa

Modular sofas are one of the most favorable materials for remodeling. Having disassembled such an item into separate modules, you should carefully examine them. Their boxes and frames usually remain in good condition and can be reused.

You can assemble several poufs from the wooden elements of an old modular sofa. Either soft parts of the sofa itself or foam pads are used as seats. On the outside, they are covered with fabric along with the walls of the poufs.

Poufs from an old sofa can only serve as a seat, but can also be a place for storage. The second option can be implemented if some modules in the sofa were equipped with a lifting mechanism and drawers.

Idea No. 4: a couch from an old sofa and table

Soft blocks from other types of sofas (euro-books, pantographs, roll-outs) are also easily dismantled and separated from the frame. If they are well preserved, these elements will be useful for making soft couches.

You can assemble the base for such a couch yourself. However, many home craftsmen prefer to choose a suitable-sized coffee table or coffee table as a wooden base.

An old rectangular table with low legs is washed, sanded and covered with fresh paint or varnish.

A soft block from an old sofa is placed on the table cover and screwed on. If its upholstery has lost its decorative effect, it is replaced with a new one. If desired, add other decorative elements - metal nails, buttons, etc.

A ready-made couch, made from an old table and sofa, can be placed in the hallway, on the loggia or even in the living room.

Remodeling Ashley's sofa to accommodate an American folding bed

Work performed: stripping and removing the insides of the sofa, building a new internal frame, installing a folding bed.

Idea No. 5: soft bench, sofa or daybed for the garden

If there is no suitable basis for making a couch for your home, you can make a more affordable country version. In this case, an old soft block from a sofa is placed on a very simple wooden base.

One option is to make a base from pallets. It is enough to paint or varnish them, and then place elements from the old sofa on top.

Country and garden furniture made from pallets is one of the fashion trends. You can purchase this material at any construction site. Before use, pallets are checked for cracked boards, then washed and thoroughly sanded with a machine. After this, a layer of primer is applied to the boards, and only then they are painted or varnished.

A more complex option involves installing homemade armrests and backrests on a base of pallets. They can be made, for example, from pipes. If the base itself is installed on furniture wheels, the sofa will be easy to move from place to place.