I'm trying to come up with an alternative to a sofa for our daughter's first apartment. The budget is tight, so, a high-quality sofa is out; but she'll need some generous seating in the living room. I've thought about pillows on the floor, but that seems too informal.

I'm ignorant about building, but it does seem like a rectangular box could be constructed and topped with an upholstered piece of foam. Has anyone tried something like this, or does anyone have other creative solutions??

A futon is cheaper than a sofa, and has the advantage of becoming an extra bed...or the only bed, if it comes to that.

Yes, we thought about that; but we're trying to go even cheaper. If we went the futon route, though, what should we look for in a futon? What are the marks of quality in one? I know some of them are not comfortable to sleep on.

Thanks for any input!!

GO for a wood outer frame, with a metal "bed frame". Those are the most supportive and attractive when placed in sofa position.

Opt for a really thick "mattress" - do not skimp on this part. Also go for one that has a removable cover. Or even better, buy an extra cover. One that is machine washable.

And when you sleep at night - make it up with sheets just like a bed. This prevent body oils and sweat from sleep seeping into the covers.

(I used to be a single mom in a small apartment in my parents basement - I know of which I speak!)

Thank you, Michelle and Claybird

I definitely agree with the futon idea. We have a futon in our living room now, my dad has two futons in his living room. They are quite versatile and you can get one quite cheaply. As she makes more money she can always trade up the mattress to get a better one if she wants.

While Ikea might be out of your budget, go take a look at what kinds of sofas, bed conversions and futons they have going. Bring your tape measure and a notebook and you'll get some killer ideas that you can do far more cheaply at home.

While futons are a really popular alternative, I personally don't like them because I find them very uncomfortable to sit on. We just spent 4 days away at the cutest little lake cottage last month.

The only living room seating was a futon chair and futon sofa. It was impossible to get comfortable bec we had to lean so far back to sit in them. I think the cheaper futons are even more uncomfortable bec of the thin cushioning.

Since it's your daughter's 1st apartment, I would look in the paper or check out yard sales for a used sofa.

I know it seems a little icky to think of used upholstery, but you can always get it cleaned or cover it with a cheap slipcover.

People who are moving often need to get rid of things in a hurry and will sell real cheap. I also often see ads from people who just want to change their decor. Because they've lost interest in their old decor, their mindset is often to sell it cheap bec they just don't value it any more. Not because there is anything wrong with it. You can often find a sofa and chair set that won't cost hardly anything from sellers like that.

This is a good time to start looking at yard sales.

Donna

I always liked the "Day Beds". Some of them are really cottage type looking and have a trundle bed underneath, so you can have two extra beds for visitors. They look nice with a ton of pillows tossed on them and make a really nice nap place for day time use. Or you can find some with drawers under them instead of the trundle. Living in apartments most of my adult life, I find that it is wise if every piece of furniture I get has some storage area in it.

You could also just buy a regular bed and treat it like a day bed with pillows all over it. That gives lots of seating and the coverlet and pillows can be color coordinated with the rest of the room. Then get some storage boxes to slide under the bed. Beds can be picked up cheap at second hand stores. 'Cottage Chic' is a very inexspensive way to decorate and furnish. The link below shows some 'cottage chic' and although the furniture might be expensive, you can get great ideas, pick up some old second-hand furniture and paint it by using the pictures as models:

www.cottagechicstore.com

Thanks to everyone. Now I have an idea and a question. We have on hand, an extra twin mattress which, if we knew how to build a suitable platform, could become a "sofa." I know NOTHING about construction. Does anyone out there have a clue how to explain to me how to construct the platform?

I'm really good at sewing. Once the platform is built, I figure we can cover the mattress with a tailored cover and make a large bolster pillow to use as the back of the sofa. This contraption would also have the advantage of doubling as a guest bed. We could take off the tailored cover and replace it with sheets for overnight company.

But, this project will never get off the ground if I don't get some REALLY specific instructions on how to build the platform. Incidentally, the platform would need to provide enough height to bring the mattress up to a good sitting level.

Thanks to anyone who can advise me. I do know what a hammer and nails are, but that's about the extent of my construction knowledge. Cutting boards seems rather daunting to me! Please help!!!

Hi Cela,
I did a quick search for you and found the link below at the Cottage Living website. It also includes a PDF download with graphics of how to build the bed. Note that their example uses an extra long twin mattress, so you'd have to make adjustments for yours.

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Thanks so much, Donna. I'll look into it.