Help me decorate/organize my small space?

[ihugtrees]

I live in a one bedroom apartment, with my daughter's crib in the bedroom along with her dresser/changing table & bookshelf & toys. I need some sort of couch/bed combination for the living room. I've looked at futons, but not sure about what's comfortable and what's not. I once had one that felt very comfortable when I first bought it but after a few months it was AWFUL. I was thinking perhaps a day bed, with lots of pillows? Also considering a regular bed, with some sort of room divider around it, and a separate living room type area.

I want to invite new mama and baby friends over, but honestly I'm a bit embarrassed to live in a tiny, disorganized space when they all own very nice, large houses that they host play dates in I want to find a way to make my space look beautiful, classy, and organized. Suggestions/ideas?

[doubledutch]

i think a daybed is a good idea, or even a bed. if you look at studio apartments on apartment therapy, you could get good ideas for making a bed work in your living room without sectioning it off with a room divider (because that will chop up your space so much). let it take the place of your sofa, whether it ends up being a futon, daybed, sofa sleeper or regular bed!

[clutterwarrior]

I can understand perfectly how you feel about having them over, as I was in a similar situation when my children were babies.

I admire the fact that you are not going to let your embarrassment stop you from inviting them.

I was also going to suggest apartment therapy for ideas.

Of course Ikea is always great for reasonably priced and well designed furniture.

Why not even check out second hand or vintage shops...create your own eclectic look?

[catscharm74]

How about a pull out couch? There a lots of nice models out there and smaller one's for smaller spaces. Then you would have seating during the day and a bed at night. You can also upgrade the mattress. : )

[diana_of_the_dunes]

Would a Murphy bed work? If you have a large-ish space, you could get one that looks like a wall of bookshelves, which would then help you organize some of your stuff.

Another option is a pull-out bed. My aunt has a chair that pulls out into a twin bed. Maybe something like this?? There are larger loveseat and sofa sizes as well.

Or if you really want a living room, and have tolerance for packing up/remaking your bed every day... Maybe an Aerobed?

We have a futon in our living room. Granted, we don't sleep on it every night, but we do sit on it all the time! We invested in a mattress with good padding and springs. It's definitely on the firm side, but I find it very comfortable to sleep on. We have a very nice mission-style frame, and I don't think it looks cheap or dorm-room-ish.

[treeoflife3]

what about a futon with a latex and wool mattress? I'm not sure what your budget is, but you could probably get a really cheap wood frame (possibly on cl?) and then this http://www.haikudesigns.com/futon-natural-mattress.htm