More space - also for guests
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Everything that exists also exists in a beautiful version. A motto that we even had printed on cards. However, there was one room in our Himmelloft where we had never really lived up to this motto since we moved in a year ago. Our office. A room in which you usually don't want to spend too much of your (free) time anyway. It should be all the more important to make this room comfortable. But instead of doing exactly that, we neglected it and let it degenerate into a junk room. We only became aware of the whole misery when we were expecting visitors again some time ago and we prepared the room for our guests. Or should we say: tried to.
An open String shelf in which all the files were visible, the printer that was on top of the dresser, a large pin board with tons of pins on it and a sofa bed that I had made a makeshift cover for with a bedspread didn't exactly make the room feel cozy. That needed to change. And preferably immediately. Easier said than done. We had thought of a color concept in no time, but the question of sensible storage space and a nice sofa bed turned out to be a bit of a challenge.
Looking for a suitable sofa bed
The subject of sofa beds was nothing new to us, as we had already dealt with it when we moved in. Unfortunately, after extensive research, we had to resign ourselves to the fact that there was still a lot of room for improvement in this area. Our requirements were actually quite simple: it should be beautiful and fit in with the room. What sounds like a simple task turned out to be a real challenge. Either the various models were not the right size, were too expensive, or the cover did not suit us. Since we did not want to spend a huge amount on it, as it would not be used that often, we finally decided on a cheap, foldable model when we moved in. Even if we were not entirely happy with the color, the compromise was fine at the time. After all, what are bedspreads for?
Problem solved, we thought. But if you ask your guests if they slept well and they say that they can sleep on the couch in the living room next time without any problems, you should start to think again. Since we still like to have our friends and family visit us, we needed a new and, above all, more comfortable solution.
There has to be something like this that is nice and comfortable!
After we had another look online, a particular sofa bed was quickly at the top of our list of favorites: VALLENTUNA from IKEA . A modular sofa that you can configure as you like and as a sofa bed. An absolute plus point: As a sofa bed, it comes with a pull-out slatted frame. That sounded good in principle, but we didn't want to order it blindly online again in this case, which is why we paid the Swedish company a visit. After all, you can always try it out, especially when it's as comfortable as VALLENTUNA. It's like lying in your own bed, that's the best way to describe it. And suddenly everything came together: The dimensions, with their 1.60m width, fit perfectly into the niche provided for it in our office, the light gray cover appealed to us straight away and the price was still within our budget. Yay! But apart from the criteria mentioned, another factor was particularly important to me: handling.
Pull out the slatted frame, open the zipper, fold over the mattress and the sofa bed is ready. Not only does it sound easy, it is. I like it! We deliberately chose only 2 backrests because I think VALLENTUNA looks a bit airier and cleaner that way. Theoretically, however, it is possible to add side rests or attach the backrests as desired. You'll notice: This modular sofa adapts to your individual needs. Good thing!
So we were able to tick off the challenge of the sofa bed. All that was missing was the storage space problem. The solution to our problem was actually quite simple: what we needed were closed cupboards, so that everything that was lying around in the open, like printers and the like, could disappear behind doors and the storage space would not be in the foreground. No big deal, you would think. But anyone who knows Felix and me knows that we are not particularly big fans of cupboards. So how do we manage the balancing act between creating storage space and not needing cupboards?
Hey Ivar, is that you?
Our first thought was to paint the cupboards the same color as the wall so that they recede into the background and are not the first thing you notice when you enter the room. Another positive side effect is that this makes small rooms appear larger. A win-win, so to speak. And which cupboards are there now various hacks for and I even used one in my old apartment? Exactly, IVAR from IKEA . The untreated solid wood makes it easy to paint the cupboard in the desired color and with its 30cm and 50cm depth, it fits in perfectly anywhere. In our case, in the 50cm depth under the sloping ceilings and in the 30cm version hanging one above the other on the wall. Printers, files, vases, odds and ends and bedding now disappear behind closed doors and our office now exudes a clean and cozy look.
Nowadays, even on days when I don't actually have to work on my home, I sit at VALLENTUNA with my laptop on my lap because I find the room so comfortable. I would say goal achieved!
