While my last post was obsessing over sofas I was dreaming of buying, I had actually done a little sketch of a wood sofa and sent it off to my favourite millworkers. I didn’t know when they would have time to fit my little project in so it was a lovely surprise when they emailed me to let me know it was ready a couple weeks ago!

I designed this sofa in the style of Donald Judd daybeds. I wanted to take the lessons from our current sofa layout. I knew that in a small sofa, having a crease or gap in the middle wasn’t working for us. No one wanted to sit on the crack. What was working was the low back and the open ends. So I kept one end open and closed the other with a thin arm. I added a ledge to act as a side table (MANY of your wrote to tell me it’s a shin smasher. So far only one of us has smashed a shin but I will report back).

Day Bed/Sofa Bed

I factored in the size of an average twin mattress for the sofa. My thought was that we could have a single guest stay upstairs. Since we have a bit more space these days, having guests stay for one or two nights has been nice. Some family and out-of-town friends have stayed on an air matress this summer but we would like to be able to offer them a proper mattress so this sofa acting as an additional bed was one step towards guests being more comfortable in our space. The next step is to add additional bed(s) to the kids room.

Oh I also am still considering that a thinner mattress might have been a better choice but the good thing about buying a standard twin mattress is that I can use it in the kids room and swap it out for the thinner one if it feels too thick.

Materials

I wasn’t super particular about the material as everything the millworkers use is FSC certified. I would have been happy with Birch Ply, Maple or Oak. The millworkers has some offcuts of Rift Cut white oak from a larger project so I was happy to have that. Our floors and dining table are also oak so it keeps everything cohesive.

Finishing

Adding a lacquer or finish to the sofa can add a lot of cost as it requires applying by hand or using a spray booth. Both things cost time and money. I have applied my own finish on a number of projects so I felt confident that I could apply the finish myself. It took a few nights in our living room with the Skagerak White Oil. I did 3 coats according to the instructions. I may need to reapply in a few years but I already know I love the finish and natural look and feel of the low-VOC oil.

Cushions

So currently I have a white linen fitted sheet (Last Light) on the mattress and I stole the patio cushions from our patio bench. Neither of these is a permanent solution. My initial plan was to get a BEMZ linen cover for the Ikea mattress. This still might be my solution but I ran into a hiccup when I thought I could order Ikea Sofa cushions individually and then order BEMZ covers for the cushions so the mattress cover and back cushions match (wouldn’t this be so cute by the arm rest?!). I’m considering ordering custom covers and I’m also going to reach out to a few local upholstery companies to price out one long back cushion or 2 back cushions. Also I am considering getting locally made inserts to match the BEMZ covers so I can control the fill as well.

Honestly, I put aside money over the year to pay for the wood sofa but I hadn’t factored in the cushions and covers so it may have to wait a bit until I can afford it. I’m also keeping my eye out for existing lumbar or body pillows that could function as the back cushions but so far they are all too tall or I worry I won’t be able to match them to the mattress cover.

Colour

I love the idea of eventually having different covers for the cushions and mattress to change up the look. I was thinking it would be a fun way to include colour in the living room without a major commitment. I think an olive green would be so nice, or a pale baby blue or a rich beige like this one.

I know a custom sofa isn’t for everyone and I’m not even sure it’s the right thing for us but I wanted to try this out and get the idea out of my head and into our living room. I feel happy I took the chance and grateful for skilled craftsmen willing to make it a reality. So far the family is piling on it instead of fighting over our one comfy chair. I worry about the wood getting scratched or dented over time bit I will just have to get over it. Wood is beautiful as it ages. And I truly believe that we should love every piece of furniture in our small spaces, even if it takes years to get there.

I think someone handier than me could recreate this sofa with plywood. Please let me know if you do!

New Custom Sofa Bed For Our Small Living Room