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To equip an apartment or house so that it is comfortable and beautiful is not at all easy. Often one has to face the need to use non-standard solutions. Usually you have to “get smart” in small rooms. The most difficult thing is to equip a full-fledged sleeping place. A good rest is one of the components of beauty and health. There is still a way out. This is a fold down bed. This furniture is also called lifting, transformer, built-in, built-in, etc.
Design features
Beds with lifting mattresses, which are removed in a closet, in a wall or in the form of a shelf, can be of two types: vertical and horizontal. Horizontal are single or one and a half. They do not take up the entire height of the cabinet and the upper shelves can be used for storage. Such models are good for children and teenagers, suitable as an option for guests.
Vertical folding beds can be of any width – from 90 to 210 cm, but require high ceilings. Consider for yourself: the comfortable length of the mattress is 200-220 cm, plus space for the frame, for the cabinet frame. In total, the height of the ceilings for a mattress of 200 cm should certainly be at least 220 cm, and even more for longer ones.
Also note that a folding or lifting bed is attached to the wall. At the same time, the bearing capacity of the wall must be sufficient to withstand the considerable loads that occur while the mattress is lowered or raised. Such actions will have to be repeated often, so the wall must be reliable (plasterboard partitions are not suitable, as are walls made of cellular concrete).
Folding bed can be single, one and a half, double. The mattress can be foam rubber or spring. Mechanisms are used in three types: springs, pneumatic lifts, electric drives with remote control.
Advantages and disadvantages
When deciding whether or not to buy a folding bed, you need to weigh the pros and cons well. At first glance, this idea is very attractive: a full-fledged bed is always good, and if it also saves space, as they say in advertising, then it’s just great. But is it really saving space? See how to look at it.
On the one hand, the structure was raised, the place is free. So, like, and save. But, on the other hand, you will not put anything here. Unless some kind of mobile furniture, which each time will have to be moved to the side. This is not encouraging and they go for this only with an acute shortage of space. In this case, free space can be occupied by a folding / folding table (it can be built into another closet), organizing a workplace for the time when the bed is not needed.
The second option for using this space: in a small children’s room. The bed was raised, and in the vacated space you can play. Also, folding beds are good if the living room needs to be turned into a guest bedroom. Although, this is an expensive option – folding beds are much cheaper. But, it’s up to you. In other cases, you can just be glad that the bed does not interfere with walking around the room.
There is one more thing. Stationary beds are good because you can always sit or lie down on them. The lift bed does not provide such an opportunity. Well, if there is a sofa or sofa, in extreme cases – an armchair. If not – you want to sit or lie down – lay out. Although, there are models – a sofa-bed-wardrobe, which are devoid of this drawback. We will talk about them a little below.
Where is the best place to order and what to look for
Like most other furniture, a built-in folding bed can be ordered from a private trader or at a factory, in a furniture workshop. In this case, it is best to order where the production of such furniture is not single, but put on stream. The matter is that under each order it is required to select the mechanism. If it is not fitted correctly, the bed will either be difficult to raise or it may rise spontaneously. Both options bring little joy, but the second is much worse, as it can lead to injury.
When choosing a manufacturer or when buying a ready-made option, be interested in the furniture warranty. It is normal if the furniture itself is given a warranty period of at least 1,5 years and the mechanism – at least 5 years. Inspect also the locking system in the closed position, try how easy the mechanism works.
If you choose a lift bed built into a closet, pay attention to the appearance of the furniture when closed. After all, during the day it will stand in this form and it should look good. Also make sure that the bed frame is not much larger than the mattress. A bed with a frame protruding beyond the mattress by 10 cm is very uncomfortable and threatens with constant bruising.
Folding bed: types and features
The desire to sleep on a good bed is understandable and logical – only a comfortable sleep allows you to quickly restore strength. But it is far from always possible to put an ordinary bed. Not only do our apartments do not have a large area, but there are often not enough rooms in them. So we have to make the premises multifunctional (to combine a living room or an office with a bedroom) or to populate two or more children in one room. This is where we have to look for a solution. One of them is a folding bed or a transforming bed. There are different types, so that the solution can be chosen for any occasion.
Bed built into the closet
The size of a bed for a lifting bed built into a closet can be any – from a single to a full double (euro). There may be two separate beds. The main thing is that there is a place where cabinet furniture can be installed and fixed (do not forget about the need for rigid and reliable fixation).
There are several ways to give this furniture an attractive look. After all, the bed built into the closet should look attractive not only when unfolded, but also when folded. The first way: the bed is hidden in the closet, behind the doors. According to the type of execution, the doors can be ordinary hinged or coupe type. Both options are not ideal.
The bed built into the wardrobe with hinged doors in the lowered state turns out to be almost half blocked. Not everyone likes it, and it’s not very convenient either.
The second option is a bed built into the closet. Here the situation is better – the headboard is only 30-40 cm in the closet, which practically does not interfere. But there is another drawback: adjacent sections of the cabinet are blocked by a retracted door. That is, while the bed is reclined, the closet cannot be used.
This disadvantage is devoid of only cabinets with triple doors. Three doors, ride on three rails. All of them can be “driven” into one of the parts. The other two are open. In the case of a built-in folding bed, this is only possible for narrow models. After all, the width of adjacent sections should be slightly wider. That is, the wardrobe itself should be slightly longer than triple the width of the bed. With a bed width of 120 cm, this is 380 cm and no less. You can’t install such a wardrobe everywhere, but if the bed is even wider …
The third option is the most common. The back of the bed is finished in such a way that it resembles the cabinets standing next to it. The problem is in the legs. They are difficult to hide. Sometimes they stick out like the antennae of bees, which looks unattractive.
Some firms make such legs in the form of visors that protrude from the cabinet. Someone is ready to put up with such a disadvantage, someone categorically does not fit.
There is also an option with legs-shelves. It is much prettier, but also more expensive, as these are additional mechanisms and stops.
Sofa-bed-wardrobe
The daytime problem is solved if the fold-down bed in the “day” state at the foot has a sofa. This option is really convenient. And during the day there is a place to relax, and at night you have a full bed.
The disadvantage of this option is the high price. A wardrobe bed starts at $500, and with a sofa at the bottom, prices start at about $700. But it is worth saying that only double models are made in this form, and they are not cheap and just like a folding bed.
Horizontal models (bed-cabinet)
A folding bed with a single or one-and-a-half berth can be made in the form of a cabinet. They are also called horizontal lifting models, since the mattress is attached to the furniture frame on the long side, in relation to the wall it is located along the horizon. Hence the “horizontal” rise.
Such models are slightly cheaper, since the mechanism requires less lifting force. And not only due to the smaller size of the bed, but also due to the smaller arm of the force.
A horizontal folding bed can also be built into a closet, or it can be in the form of a stand-alone cabinet. When installing such furniture, it must also be securely fastened, but there are two ways: to the wall or to the floor. Due to the lower loads, fastening to the floor is also possible. In this case, you can put the nightstand bed against the wall and use it as a room divider.
There are also bunk beds. They are good for children’s rooms with two or more children. The upper tier cannot be used differently, and the lower tier can also be folded as a table.
Interesting solutions (photo)
Whether you need a folding bed or not, it’s up to you. Basically, you have to choose between pull-out sofas and fold-out beds. After reviewing the reviews, we can say that people of the old school prefer more familiar sofas. After all, you can sit and lie on them, and some models are quite comfortable today, they can be made from orthopedic mattresses (if this is important) and it is easier and more familiar for older people to cope with them.
Young people are more inclined towards built-in beds. They are more progressive, give more freedom when creating interiors. Below are photos that can give you a boost in understanding what kind of folding bed you want.