When space is at a premium, choosing the right furniture can feel like a challenge: that’s where the best sofa beds for small spaces come in. Whether you’re furnishing a compact living room, a guest room, or a home office, a well-chosen compact sofa bed can maximise the efficiency of a small space.
Here at Willow & Hall, we specialise in handmade, bespoke furniture designed to fit homes of all sizes. Explore our collection of sofa beds to discover compact designs that suit any small space.
Our Best Sofa Beds for Small Spaces
Finding a sofa bed that fits perfectly into a compact space while still offering comfort and style can make all the difference in smaller homes. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the best sofa beds for small spaces from our collection, complete with a quick comparison table and more in-depth details to help you choose the right one.
The Bassett Bed-in-a-Box
The Bassett Bed-in-a-Box is a great option if you’re working with very small spaces. It looks like an ottoman but quickly unfolds into a single bed when needed, making it ideal for occasional guests. It’s a practical choice for spare rooms or home offices.
The Somerton Sofa Bed
Compact sofa beds like the Somerton are great for smaller rooms. This is because sofa beds with a lower frame, can actually trick your brain into thinking the room looks bigger (even though we both know it doesn't change!)
The Ashwell Chaise Storage Sofa Bed
The Ashwell Chaise Storage Sofa Bed is perfect if you need both storage and a comfortable sleeping solution. You may think that due to its size, it's not suited for a small room - that is where you would be wrong. An L-shaped sofa can be ideal for the awkward spaces in the room.
The Deverill Sofa Bed
Compact and comfy, the Deverill Sofa Bed is perfect for fitting into smaller spaces without feeling cramped. A compact sofa bed like this is great in rooms where the shape of the room is quite awkward.
What You Need to Know When Choosing a Sofa Bed for a Small Space
When picking the best sofa bed for a smaller room, a little planning can go a long way. So, if you're fretting about choosing a sofa or sofa bed for a smaller-sized room, here's how you can turn your shoebox space into one that feels a whole lot bigger and can function to meet all your needs.
Choose multi-purpose pieces
Making a small space work ultimately comes down to clever furnishing. A bed in a box is perfect if you're really short on space, but still need the option of a guest bed. These work particularly well in children's rooms and studies.
A modular sofa bed design can lend itself perfectly to the restricted dimensions of the room and is versatile in how it can be rearranged or moved to suit your needs. Choosing a design with built-in storage will make a small space work even harder for you, offering a place to store blankets and bedding out of sight.
Create the illusion of space
We all love a bit of magic, right? Fortunately, there are a few clever tricks you can use to fool your brain into thinking the room is taller, without actually raising the roof.
In small rooms, playing with height is a great way to make the space feel bigger. Take the Somerton sofa bed as an example, it’s a compact sofa bed with a lower frame than its counterparts - which can make your ceiling look taller than it actually is.
Another tip we have for you is selecting the right fabric. Selecting a light, neutral fabric will also help rooms feel more airy and spacious.
Don't rule out chaise and corner sofa beds
Although it may not be your first thought when searching for a compact sofa bed, believe it or not, an L-shaped chaise or corner sofa bed can actually work really well in a tight space.
This might seem like a contradiction but bigger sofa bed styles shouldn't be dismissed in a restricted space. The trick is opting for a shape that can work with the natural flow of the room. L-shaped sofa beds are ideal for shimmying into awkward corners.
Although, we would recommend avoiding splayed and scrolled arms in favour of square or slender shaped arms, that don't stick out to save on valuable space.
Use the awkward shape of the room to your advantage
Use nooks and corners to your advantage in small spaces. It's easy to view unusually proportioned rooms as a hindrance, however, the trick with small spaces is to embrace the imperfections. If your room has an alcove for example, use this space to your advantage, as awkward corners, nooks and crannies can be a small space's saving grace, if you apply a little ingenuity.
If it's not possible to fit a sofa bed flush against a wall because of the room shape, just push it back as far as it will go and then turn that unoccupied space behind it into storage. Ladder shelves are great for sliding into narrow spaces. And, not to mention the elongated shape will automatically drive the eye upwards, creating the added illusion of extra height in the room.
Use the fact that your sofa bed is obscuring the lower section from view to your advantage by storing the things here that you don't use often. Storage boxes can also be stacked up on the shelves and are perfect for organising paperwork or children's toys. Perfect if your small space is used as a guest room come play room.
Finding the best sofa bed for a small space doesn’t have to be complicated. By focusing on functionality, the shape and size of the sofa, and the room itself, you can choose a sofa bed that works perfectly for your home without taking up too much room.
Ultimately, there’s a solution out there for every small space if you know what you are looking for.
Ready to find the perfect sofa bed for your home? Explore our sofa bed collection including one-seater, and two-seater sofa beds to discover designs tailored for small spaces, combining style, comfort, and practicality.