- Design Inspo
The 5 Best Daybed Sofa For Every Design Aficionado
Ah, the daybed. Simply the mention of these combo-bed-slash-sofas calls to mind relaxation, among other pastimes. Indeed being able to recline in the middle of the day, or evening, while dressed and ready for activity is a luxurious act in itself. Most certainly, the last year’s events have welcomed a slower pace to life, so naturally, these daybed sofas with a rich past are again gaining traction.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A DAYBED SOFA?
Generally speaking, a daybed is a single-person metal or wood- framed piece of furniture with a cushion or mattress-style top. Typically, today’s daybeds are about the average couch’s width and, depending on the style, usually have a support cushion at either end or one side. Alternatively, they can be a twin mattress atop a three-sided bed frame, often with a trundle used to provide a bed for additional guests. As with most furniture pieces, they suit any decor or room, from bedrooms, living rooms, sunrooms, or Great rooms or Keeping rooms. Here, Nest Casa breaks down this intriguing piece and picks out five of the best styles to add to your personal space for a thoroughly modern take on this storied furniture piece.
THE DAYBED SOFAS' DEBUT
Like democracy, architecture, and well, civilization, the ancient Greeks are to thank for this irresistible piece of furniture. Being that wood was scarce in biblical times, their version of the daybed was usually made of marble or stone and layered with pillows. Always present in the central gathering room where family and guests assembled, these klines, as they were called, took the place of a modern-day couch or sofa.
CALLING DR. FREUD
Perhaps the most well-known concept of the daybed sofa was conceived by the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. While he tried several methods prior to this daybed, when he attempted a relaxed, it was in the laying-down position that he perfected his free association method. According to an article on BBC.com, the original bed was a Victorian-style daybed sofa draped in Oriental rugs - a gift to Freud from a ‘cured” patient. This lounger was so crucial in the development of psychotherapy that the expression ‘on the couch’ came to mean being in therapy. This association prevailed until a new style of analysis, such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, came about in the 1970s and ushered the daybed out in exchange for two chairs facing one another.
THE DIFFERENT STYLES OF DAYBED SOFAS
Surprisingly, incorporating the daybed sofa into any space is a cinch. The beauty of a daybed sofa is that no matter what your taste, there is certainly one that can fit with any decor. Ultimately, whatever you taste, whether you are a Modernist, Antique connaisseur, a Mid-Century buff, a Boho Beau-Boo, or lover of Outdoor living, Nest Casa compiles inspiring styles to fit with every aesthetic.
The Modernist:
If your preference is for a classic look with ultra-clean lines, presumably, you don’t shy away from being labeled a Modern design lover. However, this moniker also is rooted in a certain classicism. For this London apartment, Russian interior designer Alexander Kozlov, as a case in point, anchored this stately room with a modern interpretation of a daybed sofa. This daybed – oval-shaped with a truncated backrest and globe-style pillows – perfectly channels a modern yet classic style.
Curves Ahead - Don’t let its name fool you - The Rock daybed from Artemest is ripe with softly curved, sinuous lines.
Float On - This seemingly gravity-defying daybed sofa from CB2 seems to magically suspend on two simple walnut finish legs.
The Antique Lover:
Naturally, if a typically antique look is to your liking, then consider yourself a traditionalist in this furniture genre. In this Parisian apartment that once belonged to Jean-Michel Frank. Pierre Yoyanovitch follows in his design heroes’ footsteps by retaining the past while incorporating the present. The daybed sofa, here, refers to a traditional timeless style with hints of the 18th-century apartment where it resides.
Chateau Worthy - With roots in the 18th-century court of Louis the XVI, this 19th-century high-quality reproduction is a treasure for anyone’s castle.
Brocade Beauty - Another stunner influenced by Louis the XVI, this 19th-century French chaise lounge constitutes a classic daybed sofa style.
Mid-Century Master:
Of course, today’s interpretation of vintage furniture generally refers to Mid-Century Modern. Design spirit animals of a Modernist, this style celebrates the simple lines of one of the design world’s most admired eras. Situated in a 16th-century Ibizan home and gallery-esque in nature, obviously, the central focus of this room is this combination daybed-sofa-slash-side-table.
Danish Dreams - A rare find in spectacular condition, this 1950s Hans J. Wegner modern daybed sofa with hidden pillow draw is the most chill place to grab a fashionable nap.
To The Point - Simple and sleek is Mid-Century Modern and displayed in this wooden frame and tufted leather daybed with precise feet that come to a sharp angle.
The Boho Beau:
Daybedding, as a verb in more modern times, recalls the relaxed lifestyle of the elegant hippies a la Talitha Getty. One imagines Saint Laurent’s pal and their gang lounging around with hookahs in their hand and caftans on their back in an exotic Moroccan riad. These days the spirit lives on through Bo-Bos, which the French like to call them. The name implies a mix of Bougeouis and Bohemians hence Bo-Bo aka Rich Hippies. American artist Brice Marden and his wife Helen perfect the daybed sofa in their “villa” on the Hudson River.
Bali Bound - The next best thing to being there, Anthropologie offers this hand-carved tropical wood daybed commonly found in the Indonesian paradise.
Weaver’s Dream - In a more subtle nod to the Boho spirit, Restoration Hardware offers a sleek style trimmed in rattan to reference a natural vibe.
The Outdoor Life:
You don’t have to profess a love for camping or hiking through the woods to be considered the outdoorsy type. In fact, plenty who reside in warm tropical regions do so for the benefit of spending a majority of life outdoors. Subsequently, a patio, deck, or porch outfitted in the furniture to fully enjoy it is a given. For this reason, a daybed for lounging away in the sun, shade, or moonlight is in order. This duo in Corsica allows the user to take in the majestic landscape surrounding this small French municipality.
Luxe Living - Ramon Esteve spares no detail in creating this outdoor Vela “Pavillion” for his daybed sofa that proves luxury is possible indoors and out.
Party Pad - Designed complete with a cocktail table, this daybed is as fun as it is functional, made from durable, weather-resistant materials.
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