Don't get me wrong, I love my new vintage sofa bed. The problem with buying a used sleeper sofa is that the bed is frequently pretty uncomfortable. This was the case with mine. The middle of the bed sagged horribly - so much so that I had to be creative about sleeping positions, lest the bar in my back cut me in half. I've started to take steps to rectify that, however. The first one is to replace the springs that hold the mattress deck taut.
The spring on the right is one of the old ones. You can see how stretched out it is. On the left is a new spring, all shiny and ready for service. I found the new springs at Planet Bed. Count the turns in your springs and then find the match in their catalog. Over the years these springs can become sprung, allowing the deck to sag in all the wrong places. Replacing them isn't a complicated procedure. It does take a bit of muscle and some ingenuity, however.
I had intended to use pliers to pull the springs into position. The tension is too much for the pliers, however, and they kept slipping from the grips. I ended up using the sturdy hook on a good quality wooden hanger to pull them tight. The first hanger broke after I was about half done, but the second one survived to finish the job.
So did it help? Yes, indeed! It's revived the bed beautifully, actually. The deck doesn't sag anymore and sleeping in it is much more pleasant. Taking the time and effort to revitalize something old instead of throwing it out and buying something new is a good step to take to combat the disposable nature of our consumer economy. My reasons for doing it really had to do with how the sofa looked, but it's been a lesson in sustainability as well. Why not try and upgrade something you've been thinking of replacing? If you do, I'd love to hear about it.
Hi people! Well, I've taken another step toward a completed apartment. I bought a sleeper sofa today.
I found it on Craigslist and it was only $50! I've been scrolling through the sofa bed listings there for a week or two, looking for a vintage sofa that would have the right flavor for the scheme I'm planning. It wasn't easy! Sofas tend to be somewhat perishable, so finding one dating back that far is tricky. I waded through relatively new, and somewhat bland offerings from Crate and Barrel and Jennifer Convertibles, slightly older models from the 80's with lots of over stuffed cushions and button tufting, and leather sectionals with recliners built in. I knew if I kept at it I would find what I needed. Indeed, this little model appeared this week and I was intrigued enough to take a look.
The proportions are very 70's, but it's simple enough to be somewhat timeless, so at first I wasn't sure if it was period or not. The owner had bought it second hand as well, but was under the impression that it had been new in 2004. Further examination proved this to be false, much to my pleasure!
Ball casters always look 70's to me. They were on everything that wasn't nailed down back then. This piece has them on the front, but not the back. This was my first clue that it wasn't new.
The graphics on the mattress clinched it. The space age logo and tag line "Motif - Contemporary as Tomorrow" just screams 1970.
It's upholstered in a mottled faux brown suede, typical of the period and the inside of the frame sports an inventory tag with a swatch of the upholstery stapled to it, and the inventory numbers typed on it with a typewriter, which is further evidence of it's pedigree.
I'm excited to welcome it into my home and will eventually reupholster it to suit my decorating scheme. I'm thinking dark grey with contrast piping. I'm also going to replace the mattress with an Air Dream. It should make sleeping in it almost like sleeping in a real bed!
