The eternal question. Through the ages and around the world, new parents have struggled with this problem: where will guests sleep when they come to see the new baby? Victoria and Michael are expecting their first child soon and wrote in for help: Does anyone out there have a viable guest sleeping solution for this space? (above)
Our first baby is on the way! With baby come well-intentioned house guests. Namely, mothers and grandmothers racing to come stay with us and help us with our little addition. The only problem is my husband and I would like to accommodate our "help" with a relatively comfortable sleeping arrangement. It's the least we can do. With the guest bedroom being converted into a nursery the only other room we have available for guests is this small office.
We just recently renovated the entire house and with the renovation lovingly and meticulously purchased every stick of furniture to specifically fit every corer, so we're not too anxious to get rid of or move the over-priced and overly elaborate couch just months after it arrived. We can probably find a different location for the filing cabinet, but are there any temporary sleeping solutions available that aren't such eye sores like army cots or the deflating and uncomfortable Aero beds? We're particularly trying to find something that can be folded up and cleverly concealed in the space when it is not used by guests.
The best option we've found is called a "Fu-Chest". Such a concept is perfect for us, but the price tags of $700 and up are way out of our reach for this particular purpose. Is anyone aware of any similar or other clever solutions on a more moderate budget?
Thank you in advance for your help!
Anxious parents-to-be,
Victoria & Michael
Here's a picture of the Fu-Chest so readers can get an idea:
Although not cheaper than the Fu-Chest by leaps and bounds, the Eurohaus Milano Folding Bed-Sofa might be an option. This combo folds up pretty small, maybe even small enough to fit under your couch, in a large closet or a wardrobe.
It folds out to a full-sized bed and sells for $515 (and, according to the website, has no sales tax and free shipping).
AT:NY had a great post yesterday about a chair that could turn into a bed and several readers left links in the comments to ottomans that could do the same. The one below sells for only $400.
While not a long-term solution, our final thought is to look for a place that rents rollaway beds like you would find in a hotel. We've seen them before at vendors that rent chairs and tables for weddings and parties. They're usually only about $25/week.
Okay intrepid readers, let's help them out. Have you seen a more affordable version of the Fu-Chest? Other ideas? How have you tackled this problem?
Another good post:
Good Questions: Any recomendations for a daybed?
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Our solution is to borrow an RV and park it in the driveway. Gives us all a little space!
view avimom's profile
Before you reject air beds... if you stack two mattresses, the comfort level improves remarkably. (Nothing helps the aesthetics, but they do store small.)
If you have closet space, see if local mattress sellers do rollaway beds. You should be able to score something cheaper than $515.
view wende in the twin cities's profile
My advice to you, as a new mom myself: ask them to stay in a nearby hotel. Having relatives stay with us, even though they were there to help, made me feel claustrophobic and twitchy.
view robin's profile
Why don't you like aerobeds? We have two and they are great. Buy the more expensive kind, it is worth it.
view 95864's profile
Hammacher Schlemmer has one that might work, for $300 - but they are sold out right now.
And there's also this folding bed with an orthopedic mattress, on sale for $200.
view Jeri Dansky's profile
Along the same lines as robin and avimom, think twice before making that guest space too comfortable. From experience comfortable guests are long staying guests! Even guests that have stayed with you before successfully can suddenly seem like a huge burden when you're not sleeping and trying to figure out breastfeeding (if you are attempting it). A lumpy, sagging mattress may turn out to be your best friend - hold off making that guest space comfortable until you've given your guests a test run. If you like having them there and it works for you its not too hard to upgrade the sleeping arrangements later. I like the RV idea avimom!
view Miss_Shwee's profile
Thank you everyone for your input. These are some great solutions to our dilemma. The ottoman idea actually seems like a good one for us. I only wish I can find one in a full size so that two people can sleep in it. But we're certainly looking into it further! We really want something that can remain as a permanent and easily accessible feature in the room so we're not constantly dragging something out of a closet or from the basement. Hence the need for something aesthetically pleasing.
As for asking relatives to stay elsewhere... where I can from, I would insult them less by spitting in directly in their face. I'm not about to tell the people who raised us that their presence in my home makes me "claustrophobic and twitchy." I certainly pray to never instill such feelings towards me in my child, and I hope staying in a hotel on my future visits isn't the way to prevent that either.
Sorry, touchy subject.
view VikulyaD's profile
Some comments, like sending your relatives to a hotel make me wonder why you would even want to involved your family in your child's life.
When our son was born all my family (in waves) stayed with us for 8 weeks and both my wife and I loved every minute of it. It's a special time to share with your loved one. If it makes you feel "claustrophobic and twitchy" maybe you need to lame yourself for being so selfish.
view joebelt's profile
Joebelt, you must be an extravert! Extraverts thrive on visitors. Introverts, just the opposite.
Personally, I figure the reason my parents prefer to stay in a hotel on visits to us (not baby-related) is that they want to have wild sex without my knowing the details. And who am I to stop them by insisting on planting them on a futon in my guest room?
view wende in the twin cities's profile
LOL wende in phoenix,
You read me so right! I'm such the extravert that I post several times a day on a blog instead of enjoying my many visitors!
view joebelt's profile
Joebelt:
Not everyone feels the same way about their family as you do about yours. Not every family is like yours. Visitors don't work for everyone. To assume that people who do waht they must to preserve their own peace of mind are "selfish" is really quite unfair. Try to be a little more open-minded, will ya?
view Aisling's profile
agreed about house guests being a case-by-case kind of thing.
to presume that every parent is a helpful parent is ridiculous.
lots of moms are really not helpful and don't get it when it comes to being a guess, which bizarrely doesn't change when there's a new baby in the house. my mom is wonderful and i'd have her stay in a minute, but i know friends' moms and m-in-laws who forget how exhausting a baby is and don't help *at all*. that kind of person really doesn't need to be indulged imo and certainly not at the expense of a new family's first days and weeks together.
view darlingcaro's profile