Futons: Functional Sleeping & Decorating for Small Spaces

Futon is the Japanese word for bed roll. It is a lightweight cotton or wool-mix filled mattress. Unrolled at night and used as a mattress on the floor or on a bed base, it gives good, even support to the sleeper and provides a smooth, springy surface to cushion the back. By day, you can roll it up for more room.

There are dozens of ways to use futons. You can sleep on them, sit on them, lay them flat on the floor, or on a variety of bases from tatami mats (the traditional Japanese base made of compacted rice straw) to conventional bed bases. Particularly suitable where space is at a premium, you can roll up the futon completely to store it in a cupboard during the day or convert it into a comfortable low-level sofa. Futons often come with a wooden frame, and these are available in a wide range of styles to suit most decors.

The traditional futon is made up of three thin layers of filling, strategically tufted to ensure that the filling stays in place and doesn't eventually become lumpy. The slim format of the mattress means that air can circulate. Futons made from six layers of filling are also available, but are more difficult to fold up when not in use.

Futons absorb moisture during the night, just like any other type of bed. They need a regular airing to keep fresh and springy. Rolling the futon up and using it as a seat during the day is sufficient to air it thoroughly. Futon bases with narrowly spaced wooden slats let the air circulate at all times.

Futons are quite difficult to clean, so it is well worth buying one with a removable cover. These are available in a tempting range of plain, patterned, and hand-printed fabrics which are generally easy to wash.

Futons are particularly useful in kid's rooms. A child's bedroom usually lacks the space to accommodate a permanent extra bed, yet it is often your children's friends who need somewhere to stay. A perfect solution to this sleep-over problem is a dual-purpose bed that can be used as a seat at other times. There are several options which don't take up much room when set up as a bed or chair because they are especially scaled down for children. Inexpensive and tough, they can be positioned wherever you want and you can make them up at a moment's notice.

Hardy, small-scale flip-over chairs with or without arms for instance, make excellent everyday seating in a child's room and they can be opened as a bed when a friend arrives. Ottoman versions are available too, and these are simply three or more squares of foam stacked and sewn together so they're easy to fold and unfold with the minimum of fuss.