After thoughtful consideration about how to accommodate overnight guests in my small living/dining/office combination area, I decided to get a daybed. Initially, I thought of getting two armchairs and buying a foldaway bed to store in a closet. I changed my mind when I checked the measurements of the chairs I was interested in buying. I found that just one chair was too large for my space. Looking at alternatives, a daybed was a good fit.

I did not want to spend forever making the mattress/cushion and pillow covers. That is why they do not have the typical box edges (with the exception of a couple pillows). Nor did I add interfacing to stiffen the fabric to make it look more upholstered. I may add interfacing to the mattress/cushion covering next year as I
do not enjoy seeing the wavy imprint of the mattress protector after I rise from sitting.

I love having things that are custom to my tastes, but after I got everything, I wondered if it would have been less expensive to have purchased a sleeper sofa. To that end, I have itemized costs below and posted sleeper sofas that I would have been okay with purchasing.

Novogratz Tallulah Sofa Bed in Velvet, Yellow

$350

It turns out that there is only one sofa bed costing around $400 that I would have been interested in purchasing. I saw this sofa before buying the daybed; however, I decided against it because the reviews mentioned that it was firm. I have slept on a sofa that is similar to this one. An additional cushion and mattress cover would have been required for my guest to have a comfortable night’s sleep. The total cost would have been $431, meaning my decision was more economical.

Note regarding cushion: The description for this cushion states it is CertiPUR-US certified. I did go to the page for this before I made a decision to buy and I saw all the check marks for formaldehyde free, et cetera, but I completely did not scroll to the bottom of the page to see that CertiPUR-US is the name and logo for Alliance for Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Incorporated. I did not notice it until I researched this post after seeing a negative review.

When I removed the cushion from its plastic cover, it smelled like I opened five cans of varnish. The instructions are to allow the cushion to fully unfold for 2 days in a well-ventilated area. I opened one of the windows next to where the cushion was resting and placed my air purifier close by until the overpowering smell dissipated. Around this time, I began experiencing unexplained sleepiness when I sat at my desk and I did not make the connection with the cushion until I saw the negative review. After reading the review, I immediately covered the cushion in a banana bag and sealed it closed. My sleepiness cleared up right away. I am reluctant to throw out the cushion because I just got it, but I will force myself to do it by the end of the week.