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When my husband and I found out we were expecting our first baby, I had our daughter’s nursery design mocked up before our first ultrasound appointment. But after mulling over diaper pail colors and mobile styles, I realized her space was missing one important thing: a place for guests to sleep. Would welcoming a new member of our family into our two-bedroom apartment mean no more overnighters? I was determined to squeeze in a comfortable bed for family and friends, especially once my mom signed up as our part-time sitter.
Limited by the location of the crib, dresser, and closet door, the new piece of furniture could only measure 5 feet wide by 7 and a half feet long. A pull-out couch was the obvious answer. I seriously considered Sixpenny’s Aria sleeper, which can easily hold two guests but was a good $2,000 more than I was looking to spend. I gave Article’s Braam sofa a hard think, but ultimately knew my mom wouldn’t enjoy sleeping so low to the floor. I nearly bought Pottery Barn’s Union piece, then I realized having a sofa with arms would be necessary when my husband and I were in the nursery for 2 a.m. feedings. My pros and cons list grew until I decided on Interior Define’s Sloan Slipcovered Twin Sleeper Sofa.
Interior Define Sloan Slipcovered Twin Sleeper Sofa
While the brand generously gifted us the sofa, the price was a draw from the get-go. It’s $2,620 but often on sale for closer to $1,965. Knowing that hosting my mom was the priority, I was okay with choosing a pull-out that could only sleep one person. The mattress is a smidge narrower than a standard twin at 36 inches wide, but I loved that its slim dimensions (the whole thing is 58 inches wide) meant I could fit a nightstand next to it.
I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of fabric options at my disposal (over 130!) and the range of materials, from performance tweed to textured velvet. I opted for the machine-washable chenille in the color Biscotti, coming to terms with the fact that the slipcover was bound to get doused in spit-up. The brand even lets you select between three cushions fills and three finishes for the legs (oiled walnut, painted black, or, my choice, natural oak). And for an extra $200, you can upgrade the mattress from a standard box spring to one topped with memory foam. If anything was going to make this a more pleasant stay for my mom, I thought an extra-cushy mattress would be it.
The Delivery
Have a strict design deadline? The Sloan might not be for you. While the brand estimates delivery between eight to 14 weeks, it took closer to 20 weeks for us. And when the couch did arrive, we unwrapped it only to find that the slipcover had a large slit in the front. I was worried I’d have to wait another few months for a replacement, but the brand shipped a new one in under two weeks for free, and it was a breeze to put on by myself.
The Sit
While the Sloan looks like a chair-and-a-half on the brand’s website, it reads as a true loveseat in person. My husband and I can sit side by side on it, which is particularly nice when one of us needs a helping hand (or just the company) at bedtime. The arms are extra wide, so I can set down a glass of water on it without fearing it’ll tip over. The back cushion is soft but will occasionally show some slouch—a little whack plumps it back up.
The Sleep
The Sloan’s pull-out mechanism is typical: after you remove the bench and back cushions, you pull the frame toward you and let the legs unfold onto the floor completely. Naturally, comfort was the quality I was most concerned about, because I’ve slept on plenty of pokey pull-outs myself. I’m convinced that’s where the memory foam mattress makes all the difference. My mom is fresh off a hip replacement and slept nine hours straight her first night on the Sloan. No aches or pains the next morning. To make it even more snug for her, I wedge the back cushion at the top of the bed so there’s no chance of her pillow slipping through the crack. The mattress is long enough for both myself and my mom to completely stretch out (she’s 5 feet 3 inches tall; I’m 5 feet 4 inches). My 6 foot 2 inch tall husband has to scrunch, understandably.
Tucking the mattress back in requires a little more effort, as the handle needs to snap completely flat against the mattress to fit back inside the bench. Still, it’s a one person job. I love that there is a sliver of fabric along the edge of the couch that hides where the seat cushion meets the hardware. There is no chance of spotting the bed when it’s in sofa mode.
My favorite thing about the Sloan actually has nothing to do with how we sleep. The mechanism is so quiet that I’m able to close it up even with my four-month-old napping in her crib. The designer must have gotten the memo to never wake a sleeping baby.