If you believed that daybeds were just pieces of furniture you stuck into rooms where a standard bed may not fit, this is your wake-up call. Those shown here are actual statement pieces and were motivated by an excellent view, teens having a keen sense of style and just a hip senior.
Dawn Hearn Interior Design
Take in the opinion. The inspiration for this room was its incredible views. Dawn Hearn pictured her clients having cocktails and watching the sunset from this couch seating area. “I did not want to block the view, so I retained the furnishings low,” she says. “I incorporated an eclectic mix of fresh, modern items, such as some classic Asian pieces and a few lavish, traditional fabrics and trims.”
The daybed is from West Elm, and Hearn needed a custom-fitted cover made for the double mattress to give it more of a sofa appearance.
Michael Fullen Design Group
Create a big-city vibe. This adolescent desired a New York City–style attic bedroom at a black, beige and white red color scheme, and designer Michael Fullen was happy to oblige.
“We turned the bed sideways, which makes it a daybed, which left plenty of room to maneuver around — and the daring patterns keep the room young and fresh,” he says.
The wall behind the bed is white Thassos stone.
Judith Balis Interiors
Allow it to be practical and inexpensive. Judith Balis of Nest Interiors made this room for her teenage daughter. It is located in a small basement room to give her privacy away from her younger sibling.
“The use of a daybed permits for optimal floor space whilst still providing a comfortable place for her to hang out and have sleepovers with friends,” Balis says. “There is a trundle bed tucked secretly behind the bed skirt which rolls out when needed.”
She adds, “The bed itself was a thrift shop find for $100, and we spray painted it in this yummy turquoise to give it a special little punch against most of the white and black”
Adeeni Design Group
Be young at heart. Claudia Juestel of Adeeni Design Group designed this bedroom for “a hip senior,” she says.
“Because she entertains a lot she wished to make use of all of the rooms,” says Juestel. “Here we mixed present pieces with fresh ones for an eclectic look. The aim was to make a comfortable and inviting house for somebody who was not prepared to give up on living in style.”
Daybed: Ballard Designs
Glenn Gissler Design
Relax and retreat. This daybed was designed for a retreat on the third floor of a home in Southampton, New York, with a terrace and a view of the Atlantic Ocean.
“Many of these accessories in the room are circa 1910 American Arts and Crafts, and the daybed has it roots in that period’s honest and straightforward approach to style,” says designer Glenn Gissler.
Flooring paint: Donald Kaufman; cloths: Schumacher; foreground “table”: piled parchment boxes, Far Eastern Antiques
Deborah Houston Interiors
Dare to be different. Because this girl’s bedroom is on the small side, designer Deborah Houston was requested to make a dual-function couch/bed setting. Her young customer has a mother who’s a style junkie, and she wished to be cutting edge too.
“She loved the Trina Turk exterior fabric, and we were motivated by the pattern and shapes, so we simply followed them when designing the headboard, which we subsequently attached into the wall,” says Houston.
Daybed: West Elm
Peg Berens Interior Design LLC
Try three rooms in one. This glamorous yet practical office for 2 was converted from an excess bedroom.
“An old cupboard was reconfigured to a reading/sleeping corner and was sized to maintain a twin-size Tempur-Pedic mattress,” says Peg Berens. “There is a tv installed on the right wall of this corner on a swing arm, so that it can easily be viewed from the dining room as well as the corner. It is a perfect workplace for work, relaxation and rest”
Kathleen Walsh Interiors, LLC
Think pink. Following is a room designed for a toddler who had been moving into her first big-girl room as she transitioned from a crib to a bed.
“Daybeds are fantastic for younger children, since they feel more secure being from a wall on one side,” says designer Kathleen Walsh. “The key to picking the right mattress would be to select one in which the ‘head’ and ‘foot’ boards are low enough to not feel as though you’re in a cave, but large enough to encourage the pillow heights and the ability for somebody to sit against it”
She adds, “This little girl was at a very sweet point and liked pink very much. So we decided to go out and make the room pink, beige and ivory, but at a very edited, tasteful manner.”
Dillard Pierce Design Associates
Play distance. This daybed was a custom layout that Christy Dillard Kratzer of Dillard Pierce Design Associates (formerly Dillard Design Group) made for a teenage boy’s room at a series house. The distance was narrow and long, but Dillard Kratzer desired to show that you might get a queen-size bed into a distance such as this when it had been thought out and well intended.
“I found inspiration in a little metal daybed but desired it to be upholstered on the two ends to add relaxation. It was meant to be a bed where you could curl up and read a novel or play guitar, as well as sleep,” she says.
Mercedes Corbell Design + Architecture
Pick a pattern. This daybed was chosen for its patterned motif and cozy enclosure.
“The room’s saturated turquoise-blue color is a surprisingly relaxing background for a space designed for lounging, listening to music, visiting with friends, reading or simply taking a rest,” says designer Mercedes Corbell.
Daybed: West Elm