As a versatile piece of furniture, futon mattresses offer both convenience and portability. But let’s face it. They can sometimes look dishevelled and uninviting, detracting from the overall aesthetic of your home decor.
This can be especially problematic when you have guests over and need a comfortable place for them to sleep. Don’t let the appearance of your futon hold you back from having friends over.
In this article, you’ll learn practical and easy-to-follow tips to make a futon look sophisticated and polished. Let’s face it, you don’t want to change your futon and these tips come at a low cost and will help elevate the look of your futon in no time.
5 Ways to Make Your Futon Look Classy
With our tips and tricks, you won’t have to buy a new couch or futon. Your guests will love the new style and so will you.
As always, clean the futon before starting, as that helps to rejuvenate and revive its interior. With that said, here are the methods we’ve compiled:
1. Use a Blanket
Using a blanket is the easiest and more functional way to make your futon look more like a couch: you probably already have one as well. But what tricks can you employ?
Make sure to choose a blanket which matches your rooms colour scheme – a neutral beige, grey, or white normally suits most walls and tends to make the futon seem stylish.
Next, you can actually use more than one blanket to create a layered look which helps transform your futon by adding depth to the mattress and dimension. You can also just use the original blanket and fold a portion back in on itself to create a layered look.
Lastly, make sure to pay attention to where you place your blanket(s). Cover the whole futon to make it look more like a sofa, but for extra class consider draping it over the back or armrests.
Another reason is that a blanket can cover minor imperfections in your futon when appropriately placed. There are also luxury futon covers that you can buy, but a lot of the basic ones are pretty understated.
2. Using More Pillows
Apart from blankets, you can’t be comfortable in bed without a pillow—unless you spent some time in the military practising sleeping without any sleep-related tools anytime and anywhere.
Like blankets, a pillow in sight indeed induces a welcoming atmosphere since it symbolises comfort. Regarding comfort, throw pillows can not only help elevate a futon’s comfort level but also how nice they look to the outside world.
The colour of the pillows can also complement your futon’s appearance, the way blankets can complement the bed. You can mix and match different coloured pillows, select a good matching colour, and place them on your futon.
3. Use Lighting To Your Advantage
There’s a reason why IKEA showrooms have so many lighting fixtures in place—lighting creates ambience and influences mood, which is the exact reason why there’s something we call colour psychology.
Interior designers swear by lighting, and you can also use lighting to your advantage when making your futon look excellent and pleasing to the eyes. For example, a poorly lit space near your futon might look uninviting.
You can fix an uninviting atmosphere with excellent yellowish-tint lighting that adds vibrance to the space while avoiding straining the eyes when you or an important guest is about to sleep. Remember: proper lighting adds elegance.
4. Adjust Futon Position
Whether you live in an apartment or house, then it’s important to place a futon to elevate the overall aesthetic. Is it placed in the middle of the room? The corner? Or perhaps leaning towards the left side or right side of the room?
It may not look that way, but adjusting your futon’s placement is one of the keys to making it look classy and fabulous. A futon placed in a corner can look cramped and tiny; one placed against a wall will look mediocre. Try it out; switch your futon’s position, and you’ll see.
The appropriate positioning should be somewhere in the middle but not the exact centre of the room (since it’ll look like a baby’s crib). Positioning the futon in the middle is also beneficial when you have a futon size that won’t necessarily do good in a small room.
5. Utilise A Side Table
To start, it’s time for some DIY and finding the perfect side table that complements the style and colour of your futon. This will give your space a cohesive and polished feel. And don’t forget about the height – pick a side table that is the right height for your futon to make it functional and user-friendly.
Adding some storage is another great way to enhance your futon. Look for a side table with drawers or shelves, this will help you keep your space organised and clutter-free.
And finally, the lamp placement is key! Place the lamp on the side table in a way that provides task lighting and adds a touch of elegance to your futon. A well-placed lamp will create a warm and inviting atmosphere in your space.
If you’re in the UK and looking for some great online places to buy a side table and lamp, check out these popular retailers:
– John Lewis & Partners
– Amazon UK
– Wayfair
– Dunelm
Do Futons Need To Be Placed Against Walls?
No, futons do not need to be placed against the wall, and they can be freestanding. Beds placed against walls can give off a limited, cramped space vibe. But, if this is your reality, then definitely go for it, as it does work.
There is also a specific type of futon that needs to be placed against a wall; this is something we call a wall-hugger futon. However, it would be best to put it near a wall (we’re talking about 1-2 inches in the distance).
Standard futons are best placed somewhere in the middle, with ample space to access both the left and right sides of the bed. However, this is just a recommendation, and your preferences come first. Your bed, your rules.
Can I Use A Mattress Topper On My Futon?
Yes, you can. A mattress topper can make your futon look classy, especially if surface imperfections are noticeable. Apart from that, a topper can also make your futon live longer.
Futon mattresses are prone to sag, and a mattress topper can prevent sagging by shielding your futon from damage such as liquid damage and mechanical damage, as well as the age-old wear and tear phenomenon.
It also adds comfort to your futon, and mattress toppers come with classy tints of pearl white, grey, and other elegant colours, which can add some class and elegance to your futon bed without buying a pricey mattress.
