Fantasising about furniture: Sofa Beds

I love decorating. I have a huge hard on for colour charts, fabric swatches and the like. Even living in the strict conditions of rented accommodation here in the UK hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for redesigning and reworking my living space.

So the thought of moving somewhere new, without all the things I have at the moment, being able to start from scratch is... well it has got me panting like an excitable puppy!

I am a MASSIVE fan of Ikea. And not just because of The Beard (he's Swedish). I've been an Ikea fan since long before I met him. Although since meeting him and trying to learn a bit of the lingo, I have started reading Ikea's design blog Livet Hemma (which means Life at Home) in an attempt to improve my Swedish skills. But that also gives me inspiration, because love them or loathe them, I think Ikea have a nice line in design inspiration to suit everyone. And you don't need to be able to speak Swedish to marvel at the pretty pictures.

Of course Ikea is not for everyone, and it isn't the be all and end all for me either! My ideal home would be a mix of contemporary Scandinavian design and vintage/reclaimed pieces. Furniture for me should be comfortable, practical, ingenious (a must when storage is at a premium) and sleek. I'm more about the bits you display on the furniture rather than a grandiose piece that dominates a room.

That in mind, I am eyeing up sofa beds on Ikea's website. We're going to need a sofa bed as we are likely to be living in a smaller property, and well it is time we had one, rather than giving guests the option of the airbed on the floor or the sofa! I think when it comes to buying our new furniture, we will spend most money on our bed and the sofa bed, because they are the places we spend the most time!!

So these sofa beds from Ikea have caught my eye.... I am really loving the red ones - I have this mental image of our apartment having white walls throughout, the living room have sleek white or black furniture, with this amazing RED sofa in the middle of it all. But a black or dark grey one is a possibility too. The great thing about sofas with removable covers is that it isn't a massive expense to change the colour if you decide you want something different!!

Ikea Ektorp Håvet 3 seater sofa bed

I like the cosy feel of this sofa, I can see the cat being very happy on it! 

Ikea Karlstad 3 seat sofa bed with storage

I like the high back and seemingly deep seats of this one. It does look a bit clinical, but it looks roomy.

Ikea Kivik 3 seat sofa bed

This one has really low arms, which is really attractive, since I spend a lot of time lying on the sofa rather than sitting on it. The arms double up as cunning storage space for duvets and spare pillows. 

Obviously this is just the tip of the sofa bed iceberg, and who knows what we'll find when we get where we're going, but this is the starting point, and it keeps me distracted from all the chaos that is going on around me at times. Sofas will have to be tested to see whether they meet our strict criteria. Doesn't stop me dreaming though!