murphy bed (best, money, computer, great)

[findinghope]

does anyone know any other ingenuis type of guest bed that will not take up a whole wall?
i have seen ottoman beds. does anyone have first had experience on these?
i want something small, could be a wall unit but one no taller than 3 or 4 feet. something unobtrusive

[agreatlife]

I dunno, I'm thinking Aero Bed! Plug it in when you need it. Put in closet when you don't!

[findinghope]

yes very nice. i have one. but i dont think grandma is going to be able to get down tht low, and i will be having other guests using our bed.

[Northwoods Voyager]

Have you tried looking for a Trundle Bed? Basically a twin sized bed with another underneath it that you pull out and then it pops up. Goes along side of the other bed. Some can be attached , others stay separate. I used this system for one of my son's rooms. Can be made to look like a day bed, with the proper pillows, etc.

[mrstewart]

Have you seen the sofas that have the arms that swivel and lie flat? They are very modern but they expand to a twin size and the ones I have seen are a good height for getting in and out of!

Good luck!

[findinghope]

thanks guys--great suggestions

[AliceT]

I would certainly take a look at the sofa beds. I think those will be your best bet. During the day, they look and function like a regular couch, but can be folded out to turn into a full or queen-sized bed, completely with mattress.

Trundle beds come in almost all sizes. But again, that bed in a drawer would be very low for an elderly guest and if she took the top part, might step on you when she has to get up to use the bathroom. The older the guest, the more often the trips to the powder room.

There are all manner of aero beds and not all of them are just a low mattress on the floor. Sure, you can get them that way, but you can also get double tall ones that inflate up as well as out and when they are all made up with sheets and blankets, could pass for a standard size bed. Of course, you can always put two or three singles on top of each other to make a higher bed, too. If you go with the aero beds, make sure one end and one side is tucked into a corner of the room you are using it in. They tend to be unsteady if there is no support on either side or an end.

There are day beds you can get for the living room, sun room, or add seating in a sewing room. It is actually a bed with headboard, footboard and railing on one side. It's supposed to look like a high and deep seating alternative similar to a couch, but there is no folding out like with a sofa bed nor pulling a drawer out or pushing it back in the morning as with a trundle bed.

The futon is another option. This is a couch that converts to a bed by simply lowering the backrest. The "cushions" are actually a mattress and there are several kinds of mattresses you can get if this is used extensively as a guest bed.

Keep in mind that grandmothers tend to need to take a nap during the day, so whichever route you go, be sensitive to her being able to nap somewhere during the day. For that reason, a sewing room or addition to an existing bedroom might be your best choice.

[findinghope]

thanks AliceT,
i wish i had room for any one of those items. but i dont. i remember once seeing the bed my father slept in as a child. it looked like a small clothing cabinet and was actually a murphy bed. that is what i am looking for but without the giant wall unit taking up a non spare room.

[Pigumon]

Hi I just saw your question. Have you seen the murphy bed that lies sideways?

It's a twin bed where the long side rests against the wall, so when you fold it up it only goes the width of the bed high. So about 4 feet high.

there are also some tiny ones that are a computer desk that folds underneath and stays level, so you can leave everything as it is.

Wallbeds n More

[Redrover]

Take a look at these air beds. Many are almost as high as a conventional one but for a lot less money and easy to put away when not needed: Inflatable Beds-Raised Air Bed Mattresses from Intex