The proper organization of living space is a very relevant topic today, and it is mainly due to the fact that modern affordable housing cannot boast of a large number of square meters. The concept of an apartment with an open plan has entered our lives - when the developer invites us to figure out how, where and what will stand. In such conditions, a bed in a closet transformable furniture becomes a real godsend, capable of not only saving space in the house, but also making the design more neat and interesting.
Bed in the closet: transformable furniture
Definition with the model and design of the wardrobe bed
The most important advantage of making a transforming bed with your own hands is the ability to choose any of the proposed designs and even create your own.
When making a wardrobe bed, consider the appearance of the room.
First of all, you need to build on the existing style in the room. It is unlikely that it will be possible to combine a wardrobe-bed with a modern design if other furniture is made, for example, in a classic style. The main thing is to maintain the harmony of the living space and not allow radically different styles to mix.
You can draw a bed on a piece of paper.
It’s better if a sketch of the future bed is drawn up at the design stage. And the best option is to find the one you like on the Internet and adapt it as much as possible to your needs. In this case, you can also save a fair amount of personal time, which you can devote to creating designs and designs yourself.
Try to clearly draw a plan for the future wardrobe-bed.
Modular constructor
Modular furniture is one of the trends of our time. The blocks can be arranged in any arbitrary order, creating pleasant compositions from cabinets, shelves, corner elements, pencil cases, bedside tables and stands.
- The developers saw a continuation of this theme, offering owners of modest apartments a modular construction set that, when folded, occupies one of the corners of the room.
- From the cubes, boards and mats of this construction set you can organize a desk with a chair, a bed, or a dining table.
Creating a headboard
The headboard of the transforming wardrobe should be made of soft material, especially if the bed is intended for children. It is advisable to make soft not only the headboard, but also the lower part of the side walls of the frame. The simplest version of a soft headboard that you can make with your own hands is upholstery made of soft foam rubber. The role of foam rubber can also be performed by padding polyester.
How to make a headboard:
- Fold the softening material in several layers;
- This material must be covered with beautiful fabric with decorative elements or quilted seams;
- For ease of care, you can create a detachable hem with hidden zippers. It will be convenient to remove, wash and put on again;
- The height of the soft headboard should be at least 60-70 cm, and preferably about 1 m. This will provide soft upholstery under the back of the person sitting at the head of the bed. For the same reason, the same softening coating must be prepared for the side walls of the frame;
- The height of the foam cushion on the side walls of the frame should correspond to the height of the same padding at the headboard;
- The prepared covering can be attached to the frame or wall using screws and loops made of fabric (or elastic). If the cover is permanent, the back of the fabric cover may be stapled.
Sawing sheets
Making holes for buttons
Gluing foam rubber
We repair upholstery
Collecting buttons
Additional features
The transformable furniture design has a second name - “smart furniture”, which has a whole arsenal of additional functions:
- Adult beds can be transformed not only into wardrobes or sofas, but also into a table, a chair, a chest of drawers, a wardrobe with a desk, a closed shelf, as well as other additional elements. One such element is a drawer with a lifting device for bedding. An electrical transformable system can be installed;
- Metal transformable beds are produced for boarding schools where elderly people live, or for hospitals. Using lifting mechanisms, the height of the berth, the tilt of the headboard, backrest, and leg sections can be adjusted. Such models are often controlled remotely. Additional elements are installed on medical beds:
- Stands, grip handles for independently pulling up the patient;
- Toilet compartment;
- Braking devices at the rear of the structure;
- Side guards.
- Transformable cribs are additionally equipped with changing tables and a chest of drawers where you can store children's things. The designs are complemented with lamps or canopies. For the little ones, the cribs are equipped with a special pendulum mechanism. Automatic rocking mode makes baby care easier.
Step-by-step diagram for assembling a transformer for a small apartment
Preparation
Having decided to turn your furniture into a transformer yourself, you need to think through everything carefully. You should start with:
- create a detailed drawing;
- calibration;
- selection of materials;
- preparation of instruments;
- selection of color and design solutions.
Dimensions
The size of the bed is selected based on the free space of the room. If the room is spacious and bright, you can make a fairly large piece of furniture with a large double bed. For married couples, beds ranging in size from 1600x2000 to 1800x2000 are suitable.
But for children, teenagers and singles, you can opt for products ranging in size from 1200x1900 to 1500x1900.
Advice. For small and cramped rooms, it is better to choose models with a horizontal bed position.
Drawing with dimensions
Sketching is an important part of furniture making. You can do this yourself using a pencil, ruler and paper, or you can order it from a special company, where they will give you an accurate calculation based on the bed-wardrobe model.
Advice. If you are good with a personal computer, you can download a special program for cutting furniture. He will create a competent and accurate drawing of all furniture elements.
If you use the services of professionals or a computer program, with the help of a well-designed drawing it will be easier to assemble the furniture yourself, since there will be no inaccuracies in the drawings. And if you do the calculations yourself, without having skills in this area, you may encounter some difficulties. For example, the dimensions of parts and the like may not match.
Tools and materials
The preparatory stage of assembly includes the preparation of tools and materials. Most often, transformable furniture is made of natural wood or chipboard. As for the array, it has the following qualities:
- naturalness;
- duration;
- resistance to mechanical damage.
Chipboard is:
durable and reliable;- cheap;
- packed with interesting textures, textures and colors.
The tools you will need to prepare or purchase are:
- screwdriver;
- drill;
- electric jigsaw;
- roulette;
- furniture screws;
- self-tapping screws;
- Bulgarian;
- hex keys;
- Screwdriver Set;
- folding mechanism and other accessories.
How to make it yourself at home?
Having created a drawing, purchased consumables, and prepared tools, you can begin making furniture.
Some people prefer to make parts with their own hands, using an existing drawing and the necessary power tools. The rest use the services of companies where all the details are cut out. The second option is cheaper.
Once you've cut and trimmed the pieces, all you have to do is drill the holes in the right places and assemble the furniture in the right order.
Assembling the wardrobe-bed is divided into several stages:
- First, the cabinet body is assembled, in the middle of which the sleeping area will be hidden. Such a body should consist of: a back wall, a plinth and a shelf for support. All parts must be fastened together with self-tapping screws at a distance of 25 cm from each other. The assembled cabinet body is installed in a previously prepared place.
- The next step is to place the assembled case in place and attach it to the wall.
- Now you can begin assembling the bed base. It consists of a frame with slats and its height must clearly correspond to the size of the mattress.
- Now, having assembled all the other parts of the product, we securely fasten the base to the box using self-tapping screws.
- We secure the folding mechanism according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- The final stage of assembly is connecting the body with the remaining elements and installing the facade.
Important. Furniture must be installed on a perfectly flat surface. The base of the bed must strictly correspond to the dimensions of the assembled cabinet frame.
Installation of the facade is the final stage of decorating the wardrobe-bed. It is better to choose blank facades made of chipboard.
After assembly, the transforming wardrobe-bed can be equipped with shelves for books, shelves and other elements.
This is the whole simple process of making a compartment bed with your own hands. Now you need to install the previously purchased mattress and securely fasten it with seat belts.
Important. Under no circumstances should mirrors be used on false doors. Since they are not designed to withstand such loads, they can fail over time.
What do furniture makers offer today?
Interest in transformers has not faded to this day. The population has no more money, people are buying studio apartments, the area of which is minimal, while they want to create coziness and comfort.
But if you furnish a cramped apartment with traditional furniture, there will be no space left at all. And transformable furniture allows you to equip many functional areas, freeing up a few meters for something else.
Assembling the frame and box for the mattress
Assembling a built-in bed in a wardrobe begins with the frame. Its main parts are 4 sides and a base. The latter will be the main element of the bed, and in the assembled structure - the wall of the closet. For ease of use, you need to choose a mattress of a suitable size: 150 mm wide and 400 mm long below the base. Hence:
- Cut out furniture panels using templates.
- Cut out the parts with a jigsaw, sand with sandpaper, edging the edges.
- Connect the frame with self-tapping screws in increments of 25-30 cm.
The next step in creating a do-it-yourself bed built into a closet is installing the mattress. Its components are: 3 sides and a bottom corresponding to the cabinet wall. Procedure:
- Trace and cut out all the parts of the box, carefully sand and sand.
- Connect the parts together with self-tapping screws at a distance of 25–35 cm from each other.
- Place a wooden strip around the perimeter, the base for the mattress pad. Secure it on the sides with self-tapping screws.
- Attach the prepared strips to the wood - the mattress cover is ready.
The selected boards must strictly correspond to the width of the structure, and the distance between them should not exceed 20 cm. Only then will the built-in bed be comfortable. It is quite possible to perform each action independently, even if there is no relevant experience.
Features of convertible folding beds, placement options
Butterfly coffee table
For a small-sized apartment, a transforming table can generally be considered a mandatory element of furniture. Just for reasons of common sense, there is no need to keep a large table that takes up three square meters when the need for it arises only on holidays.
- But for the cramped apartments, an extendable table is an unaffordable luxury.
- Sensing the trend, furniture makers offered studio owners the following solution - a coffee table, inside of which the elements of a huge table are stored when folded.
- This design unfolds without much effort. You just need to know what to pull.
- And now the small table turns into a huge table on which you can serve a banquet for 10 people.
In addition to the spacious tabletop, this table also has lower shelves, as well as barred compartments for bottles. And all this splendor can be moved on wheels by removing the latches.
Which transformation mechanism is better?
When choosing a transformation mechanism, you should first of all proceed from the intensity of use of your bed. To turn the sofa into a bed, they can answer:
- soft;
- shock absorbers (closers);
- bearings, mechanical elements.
The first step is to make a frame for the cabinet, which will be firmly fixed to the wall.
The spring mechanism has the problem of stretching with frequent use, and the metallic sound of the working springs is not the most pleasant.
Decide on the mechanism for lowering the wardrobe bed.
Gas shock absorbers (they are also called gas lifts, less often - door closers) do an excellent job, but they can also fail, so when using them, it is recommended to provide for the possibility of unhindered replacement.
Everyone chooses for themselves the mechanism for lowering the bed-wardrobe.
Bearings are used less frequently than any other option due to the specific nature of the design transformation. This is due to the fact that the bearing is not responsible for the smooth development, that is, each time you have to manually lift the entire mechanism yourself.
Over the course of several years, the gas will gradually be released from the rack, after which the rack or the entire mechanism will need to be replaced.
Folding table-picture
The developers of this unique product synthesized the ideas of a folding tabletop and a picture in a frame. It turned out unusual. When necessary, a painting hanging on the wall is removed from its clamp, the legs that previously framed the image are released, and the artwork becomes a sturdy table that can seat three people.
Drawing up a drawing and cutting out parts
Making a wardrobe bed is impossible without a previously drawn drawing. It will become a kind of action plan and will help determine the consumption of materials. Without a detailed diagram, making a high-quality bed with your own hands is much more difficult than making one.
Standard double beds are made at home with the following parameters:
- 1.8 x 2 meters;
- 1715 x 2120 m;
- 2.04 x 2.20 meters;
- 1.731 × 2.02 m.
Single models of smaller sizes are mainly intended for children. It is not necessary to adhere to the specified dimensions. You can make a bed of any shape and size, depending on the size of the room and the availability of free space. It should be understood that using ready-made schemes in this case will not work. Meanwhile, self-drawn drawings must be done with millimeter precision.
If problems arise with the development of a drawing, it is better to seek help from specialists at this stage.
Once the pattern is ready, you can start cutting out the parts:
- Each of the elements of the future product must be depicted on sheets of wallpaper or whatman paper in exact accordance with the original size.
- Label all drawn details.
- Mark on the pictures the location of the fasteners for connection to other parts.
Pros and cons of a transforming sofa-wardrobe, construction and design
This work minimizes the risk of making mistakes when cutting wood panels. An error of a few millimeters will not allow you to make a wardrobe bed with your own hands as planned according to the drawing. As a result, you will have to buy new material and incur additional costs.
Varieties
Multifunctional sofas are presented in all kinds of designs, which makes it possible to undoubtedly find the very model that meets individual needs.
The basic option is 2 in 1 or otherwise a sofa bed. Makes up for the lack of a full bedroom or a separate nursery. The bed can be not only in a horizontal plane, but also at a higher level.
The 3 in 1 design implies the presence of not only a built-in bed, but also a wardrobe, mainly like a modern wall. To install such a sofa, you need perfectly flat floors. The cabinet facade is often made from laminated chipboard (cheaper), less often from MDF (more expensive, but more practical).
Vertical surfaces made of plastic and glass look more interesting. Another transformer option is a sofa-table, when the working surface appears by turning the seat over or pulling it out from the back.
Models of the 4-in-1 type, along with a sofa and a bed, can include a table and a banquette (pouf). As a result, they essentially replace the headset. Extremely useful in a studio apartment. Seldom found on sale. Mostly made to order.
Modular transformable sofas deserve special attention. From ready-made blocks you can assemble a variety of compositions with a straight or angular arrangement.
High-tech “smart” sofas truly amaze with their range of options: built-in speakers, wireless charging, cooling cup holders, a backlit bar in the armrests, drawers and shelves, retractable poufs, a built-in table.
Frameless transforming sofas are gaining incredible popularity. They are distinguished by simplicity, lightness and ultra-modern style. They are several large floor poufs connected by loops and rubber straps.
In the absence of metal and wooden structures, transformation into a bed occurs as follows: you need to put the headrest and pillows aside and unfold the soft base folded in half horizontally.
Considering the lack of legs on such a sofa, sleeping on it can be cool if the apartment is not equipped with a “warm floor” system. Overall, this is a stylish design solution for arranging a living space.
Points to pay attention to
This is what a modern transforming wardrobe-bed looks like during the day.
And so - in a disassembled state at night.
Transformable furniture is considered the best option for young people living in small apartments. In order not to be disappointed in the purchase and maintain a feeling of satisfaction with your interior for a long period, you need to competently approach the choice of your interior items.
- The first thing to do is to decide for what purpose the furniture will be used (organization of a sleeping area, storage system, etc.).
- Decide how often the furniture will be laid out.
- Already in the selection process, special attention should be paid to such features as the quality of the frame itself and transformation systems, the dimensions of the product in the folded and unfolded position. It would be useful to clarify about removable upholstery covers.
- It is imperative to check the operation of the mechanism with the seller.
- Find out about the warranty period and what this warranty covers.
Transformable furniture made from high-quality materials will retain its functionality for a long time.
Unfortunately, modern apartments do not always allow you to comfortably arrange furnishings. A square meter of housing periodically becomes more expensive, especially in densely populated cities. In order to correctly zone a room, harmoniously place all the necessary things and still leave free space, it is most wise to use transformable furniture. It fits perfectly into a modern interior, is relatively inexpensive and allows one vital item to replace at least two. And this is very important in a small apartment.
Bright colors in the interior lift your spirits.
