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Thread: Compact living

  1. #1

    Default Compact living

    I lived for several years in a lovely studio-like apartment-dorm abomination (shared kitchen) and enjoyed it greatly. After that I moved in with my fiancée and we now live in her single-room flat with a nice kitchen, a wonderful and large glazed balcony etc etc. It's nice but there are two problems we haven't been able to sort out to our satisfaction:

    1. We can't seat very many people

    2. There's a huge frickin' bed in our livingworkroom.

    We love the bed, and have no serious plans for moving to a larger apartment in the immediate future. It's a dilemma, but we've finally decided on a fairly reasonable solution, namely to get the best sofa-bed we can find at a non-insane price and move our small two-seater out to the balcony. It's not the easiest task in the world, finding a sofa-bed that checks all the important boxes without being ridiculously expensive, but we've found one of the right size and the right design with ridiculously comfortable pocket-spring mattresses and I think we're gonna go for it.

    Anyway, this has gotten me thinking about compact living for the first time in a while. I love [reasonably] compact living. It's sensible, it makes good use of space, it involves modularity and hinges and hydraulics and other mechanical funsies, it's challenging in an entertaining way. It can be very beautiful, in the same way that fighting (or embracing) constraints make art and design beautiful.

    So I thought I'd start this thread in which we can celebrate compact living and share pictures, ideas etc I realise most of you live in large wasteful chaloobs but still
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  2. #2

  3. #3
    Is one of those units the kind you're getting? When you say sofa bed, do you mean a bed that folds into a sofa couch or something more like the unit in the second link? What is the relative mattress size you would be downgrading to?

    I'm a minor-level fan of this stuff, to the extent that I like owning very little stuff and feel that having more space will only encourage me to get more stuff. Though lately I've had hankerings for an in-home gym, which is wildly inconsistent with everything else about my lifestyle...except obviously exercise.

    BUT, I spent a substantial portion of my life on a sofa bed. I'm not sure you necessarily want to share one with someone else on a long-term basis.

  4. #4
    What size is the bed (other than huge)? If it's not king-size, one suggestion is to make the bed up like a sofa, with bolster foam as back pillow cushions. Get a fitted bedspread and matching pillow covers to make it look more sofa-ish, and lower it to seat-height by using a platform instead of box springs.

    Or you could get two twin beds and make them up as a corner sectional sofa. (I've done that before, it worked really well.) Put them on wheels and roll them side-by-side for sleeping, and it's the same as a king bed. If the mattress division bugs you, they make nice gel/foam/down toppers and even one that slips in between.

    OR find a decent elevated frame for your bed, and put the sofa and desk underneath. IKEA has a bunch of them.

    Otherwise I'd look for a Murphy bed that folds up against the wall when not being used. More comfy than a sofa bed -- which are pretty hard on the back over a length of time.

  5. #5
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    I'm with GG, sofa beds are not really a good longterm solution. There are different qualities but in the end they always turn out to be a mattress cut in half exactly where it shouldn't be.
    Congratulations America

  6. #6
    It's only huge compared to everything else in our small apartment, it's actually a very reasonable 120cm wide and I'd be upgrading to a 135cm wide fairly sturdy construction with a reasonably deep pocket spring mattress and a softer foam-type mattress on top.

    Will look like this, only in a much nicer color and with the flap closed:

    http://www.jarnforsen.com/?mobler=cassandra-6

    (good manufacturer)




    GGT, I've toyed with all those ideas in the past, and am happy for those who can make them work, but they don't really work for me. The loft bed is anathema to laziness, tiredness and spontaneity even though they seem really nice a sofa bed with one side blocked reduces spontaneity enough as it is ahem Murphy beds are both more expensive and require an extra piece of furniture (sofa). Turning the bed into a makeshift sofa is what I used to do, but it never really worked despite my best efforts (and looked bad to boot). Putting two beds together isn't a bad idea, but it's never felt comfortable to me even with the right sort of mattress. Simply never felt sturdy enough. But all those ideas are good under the right circumstances
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  7. #7
    There are modern space-saving alternatives. Fold-down beds are becoming increasingly popular I understand.



    Gives you a bed-space worth of extra room. Extremely easy to fold up and down. No half-mattresses.

    ~

    Myself I lived in a small studio on my own just once, when I was looking to live cheap to save to buy my first flat back in ~2001.

    Had a normal double-bed, sofa, and desk, all in one room, with not a lot of space left to play with. Separate kitchenette, and separate bathroom with washing-machine.

    I actually didn't mind living there, was in a nice old building with lots of other studios in a nice part of town. Would probably be a different story were I living with partner and we were constantly treading on each other's toes.

  8. #8
    There are also some systems eg. from Clei that combine sofa and murphy bed, eg:

    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  9. #9
    Honestly? My biggest problem of having my bedroom in my living space has less to do with comfort (though I do indeed hate sleeping on sofabeds/futons/etc.) and more to do with distraction. We specifically don't allow TVs or computers (well, much) in our bedroom, and sharply limit smartphone use. That leaves the bedroom for bedroom activities and our main living space for everything else.

    My other problem with compact living is that it makes it difficult to impossible to have guests over. Oh, for just a meal, you can normally have a few people (though not as much as in a normal sized apartment), but you definitely can't have people stay over. I'd say my wife and I have people stay with us at least one weekend a month, occasionally more often. Having the extra space is really worth it for us, especially given the extortionate price of hotels around here.

    Lastly, most of these places have pretty awful kitchens. We do a lot of cooking and entertaining, and having a decent sized kitchen with good counter- and storage-space is definitely worth it.

    Obviously this all depends on personal preference. I certainly find the solutions people come up with for compact living clever, but I just don't really get the point of specifically choosing to live in a closet. For me, moderation is everything when it comes to apartments.

  10. #10
    It's a lifestyle that suits students or young folk in their twenties.

    Partly - probably mostly - because it's cheaper, but also because settling into your home space and spending more time in that space doing the things that wiggs describes above is something people typically do as they get older.

    Since I'm tickling 40 now, living in a studio or similar-sized space would be less-than-adequate.

    It's an age thing.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Timbuk2 View Post
    It's a lifestyle that suits students or young folk in their twenties.

    Partly - probably mostly - because it's cheaper, but also because settling into your home space and spending more time in that space doing the things that wiggs describes above is something people typically do as they get older.

    Since I'm tickling 40 now, living in a studio or similar-sized space would be less-than-adequate.

    It's an age thing.
    eh. i think it more to do with people being able to afford more space as they get older



    I love loft beds. Beds take up so much space in a room, but ceilings aren't used for shit. So while I would love a bed that raised and lower from the ceiling, loft beds are the next best thing. Brent's room uses a loft bed, its got a desk built into the frame under it where he does his homework and we have a computer/tv/gamecube set up.

    IKEA has amazing concepts for saving space, but a lot of their products are sadly not designed for extended use, especially their sofa beds. which look awesome, but feel horrible.
    "In a field where an overlooked bug could cost millions, you want people who will speak their minds, even if they’re sometimes obnoxious about it."

  12. #12
    The issue of screens and work in the bedroom is an important one, probably one of the greatest challenges to sleep hygiene and to relaxation. Hard to get around in a single-room apartment unless it's large enough to have a sleep alcove or a screened-off sleeping area. We tend to do most of our more focused work in the kitchen, which is both large enough and bright enough for it.

    The issue of having guests sleep over is trickier. I like the solution we have right now, which is to book the guest rooms we have at our disposal through our HOA. They're in the same building, they're spacious and well-furnished with beds, sofas, a nice TV, wifi, a kitchenette etc, have a separate entrance and are very close to the sauna They also cost next to nothing. Few of our friends in other cities ever venture up to the frozen north, and we usually see them when we're back in Sthlm or elsewhere in the south, which is fairly often. And our friends here of course live nearby 'cause everywhere is nearby in this town
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Timbuk2 View Post
    It's a lifestyle that suits students or young folk in their twenties.

    Partly - probably mostly - because it's cheaper, but also because settling into your home space and spending more time in that space doing the things that wiggs describes above is something people typically do as they get older.

    Since I'm tickling 40 now, living in a studio or similar-sized space would be less-than-adequate.

    It's an age thing.
    I think you just called me old.

    Totally still in my 20s.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Aimless View Post
    It's only huge compared to everything else in our small apartment, it's actually a very reasonable 120cm wide and I'd be upgrading to a 135cm wide fairly sturdy construction with a reasonably deep pocket spring mattress and a softer foam-type mattress on top.

    Will look like this, only in a much nicer color and with the flap closed:

    http://www.jarnforsen.com/?mobler=cassandra-6

    (good manufacturer)




    GGT, I've toyed with all those ideas in the past, and am happy for those who can make them work, but they don't really work for me. The loft bed is anathema to laziness, tiredness and spontaneity even though they seem really nice a sofa bed with one side blocked reduces spontaneity enough as it is ahem Murphy beds are both more expensive and require an extra piece of furniture (sofa). Turning the bed into a makeshift sofa is what I used to do, but it never really worked despite my best efforts (and looked bad to boot). Putting two beds together isn't a bad idea, but it's never felt comfortable to me even with the right sort of mattress. Simply never felt sturdy enough. But all those ideas are good under the right circumstances
    Trust me that the kinds of mattresses that can fold up like that do not wear well. They become uncomfortable pretty quickly. You won't notice it for a while until you spend a bit of time on a "real" mattress. While I'm always wary of buying a piece of furniture like a murphy bed besides of the hulk/cost, I have a bias towards them because you can have a real mattress on them.

    I know you didn't come here looking for criticism of your idea, but like I said I spent a large chunk of my life on a fold-up sofa bed. I really think it's worth reconsidering.

  15. #15
    The mattresses don't fold up; they're two separate regular pocket spring mattresses ca 25 cm deep! Literally (yes, literally) the kind used in regular fairly nice beds and of a higher quality than that in our current bed which has served me well for about six years now this manufacturer has a solid reputation for making solid beds that last, wouldn't consider it otherwise.

    We're also gonna look into kits for turning the bed into a Murphy bed type thing with either hydraulics or pulleys and counterweights. Turns out the mechanisms aren't all that expensive and our access to tons of wood and good tools and carpentry expertise may make that a good idea. I already have great plans
    Last edited by Aimless; 03-08-2013 at 07:33 AM.
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  16. #16
    This is probably one of the best compromises between price and convenience in the Murphy bed niche:

    http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/modd...-bed-kit-41602
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer View Post
    eh. i think it more to do with people being able to afford more space as they get older
    I'm looking to down-size now that I'm closer to an empty nest. Yeah, I am old.


    So while I would love a bed that raised and lower from the ceiling.....
    That'd be cool! Hydraulic, super quiet, simple touch of switch -- with adjustable height so it could "float" in the room.


    Those moddi and clei systems look like nice Murphy-style beds, minx. At least you can use a regular mattress, and leave the bedding on.

  18. #18
    With pulleys and appropriately styled counterweights you could give it a nice steampunk look. I was thinking mahogany and brass and counterweights on each side possibly holding full spectrum light bulbs.
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by wiggin View Post
    I think you just called me old.

    Totally still in my 20s.
    I'm surprised actually.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Aimless View Post
    With pulleys and appropriately styled counterweights you could give it a nice steampunk look. I was thinking mahogany and brass and counterweights on each side possibly holding full spectrum light bulbs.
    Gosh, the number of suspended or floating bed systems I found with a simple search was astonishing. Every style imaginable, from hand cranked pulley ropes to sleek computer controlled beds. With special lighting, sound, and window or mirror options.


    When it comes to "compact living", I lean toward marine-inspired design. Since my mom lived on a boat for several years, I gained an appreciation for finding use or storage in every nook and cranny. Even stair steps were lift-top drawers. Boats are the height of small-space design and dual-purpose functionality.

    But I don't want to live on a boat, it's too confining and claustrophobic. So I'll take the marine ingenuity, and add it to the seaside cottage concept that's just as inspiring, useful, and romantic. I'd love to have an built-in bed that's a combination of the "captain's quarters" with drawers underneath, bookshelves on the side, and a port-hole window....and a coved bed from English literature, with an arched surround, small reading lamps, and gauzy curtains.

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Lewkowski View Post
    I'm surprised actually.
    Jews don't age.
    Hope is the denial of reality

  22. #22
    Stingy DM Veldan Rath's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Loki View Post
    Jews don't age.
    It's all the Palestinian Baby Stew...
    Brevior saltare cum deformibus viris est vita

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Lewkowski View Post
    I'm surprised actually.
    I'm really, really hoping it's because I write like such a well-informed, thoughtful person rather than the fact that I'm a boring, stodgy geezer.

    Gentile baby smoothies do wonders for the skin, though.

  24. #24
    You were young and thoughtful well before you started with gentile baby smoothies.

  25. #25
    minx, what did you finally choose? Making your bedding/sleeping needs fit your apartment, or hunt for a larger new place? Did you decide to Love it or Leave it?

  26. #26
    Bump -- how did this go? I'm also considering downsizing.

  27. #27
    new york has ikeas right? plan a day trip. I'm always amazed at their prefabs.
    "In a field where an overlooked bug could cost millions, you want people who will speak their minds, even if they’re sometimes obnoxious about it."

  28. #28
    Our sofa bed should arrive some time next week v excited, I think it'll be pretty sweet. Def. over my usual budget but I've slowly become more and more inclined to invest in this kind of life-enhancement
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

  29. #29
    Wait, is the sofa bed for you and your mate on a daily basis....or for guests and visitors?

  30. #30
    Read the thread
    "One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."

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