The phone calls start right after Halloween and can be almost as scary.
”I just have to see the windows at Marshall Field`s.”
”I want to take my kids to ”The Nutcracker.”
”It won`t be Christmas without the lights on Michigan Avenue.”
Some plan to swallow up the city in a weekend, others are limited to 24-hour kamikaze missions, but their phone calls always end the same way.
”So, can I stay with you?”
The problem is, where do you put overnight guests when the only bed in the house already is occupied-by you? Of course, there are always sleeping bags, but probably anyone who glowingly recalls snuggling up inside one as a Camp Fire Girl would call a chiropractor at the sight of one today.
The lodging dilemma sent me on a quest. There are lots of space-saving sleep alternatives out there, and anyone who lives in a studio or one-bedroom apartment knows that turning one`s home into a hotel, even for a night, can take plenty of thought, not to mention bucks.
But, hey, entertaining friends-and sometimes slight acquaintances-is, after all, part of the joy of the holidays . . . right? So, while repeating the mantra, ”It sure is fun having house guests,” I checked out alternative sleep surfaces, as they are called in the trade.
In the name of research, I spent six hours ”test driving” convertible sofas, futons and air mattresses. Although snoozing publicly is not the same as curling up at home, it can at least tell you whether your guests will take home stiff necks as souvenirs of their trip to Chicago.
Sofa beds
To begin, I should confess my bias against sofa beds, or
”convertibles.” Our family had a boxy, burnt-orange sleeper sofa in the basement that we used when we had company. Of course, the thing-with its foam mattress and metal bar that dug into your back-was deemed too uncomfortable for guests, so I got stuck on it when Dad and Mom played host and hostess.
Sofa beds were always regarded as the worst of both worlds: not as attractive as sofas and not as comfortable as beds. But things have changed. For starters, there are such stores as Jennifer Convertibles. The national firm entered the Chicago market in 1991, and now has 17 locations here. Last year, the chain rang up more than $100 million in sales nationwide. However, there are other firms that specialize in sofa beds, such as H. Brian, with five locations in the Chicago. And, of course, traditional furniture stores usually carry a sampling, as well.
At the Diversey Avenue showroom, customers can choose from a sea of couches that look a lot more like interior-design statements than the torture chamber of my youth.
But the real difference comes when you strip away the cushions and get down to business. Unfolding these beds is easier than I remembered. The beds pop out easily, and mattresses look as if they were meant for adults.
Standard in most sofa beds now are five-inch inner-spring mattresses, and Jennifer Convertibles` sofa beds don`t have bars underneath the mattresses to cause discomfort, a factor to look for regardless of where you do your shopping.
Other points: Do upholstery patterns line up? (Not a comfort factor, but important if you`re considering plaids or stripes). Does the frame feel solid? (A heavy metal frame will last longer than one made of thin-gauge steel). Do the legs wiggle? Or, when you lie on the mattress, do the bed legs rise up? Can you feel any lumps in the mattress?
Although they`re not likely to be as good as the standard eight-inch mattress you already own, there was nothing to suggest that a guest wouldn`t get a good night`s sleep. Jennifer sells mostly full-size (53 inches wide) and queen-size (60 inches) sofa beds, but it also has ”chair beds” that fold out to twin-size beds (36 inches) and save space.
Jennifer Convertibles, 730 W. Diversey Ave., and 16 other locations in the Chicago area. Prices range from about $400 to $3,000 for sofa beds. 312-281-9991.
Futons
Futons-a thin mattress filled with layers of cotton or foam batting-is still perceived as something more appropriate for dorms than for people who have mortgages, but the futon folks are trying to shed that image.
At Futon Design, one of about a dozen futon shops in the Chicago area, the cavernous showroom is filled wth eight types of futons on an array of frames (pine, oak, birch) and styles to fit any decor.
Styled after traditional Japanese bedding, futons are economical and space-saving. Over the years, they have become more widely accepted by consumers, and because they now come with various frames that allow conversion into sofas, many people buy futons for the same reason they buy sofa beds.
I tried out several popular models, from the Basic (a four-inch polyfoam and cotton-blend mattress) to the Ultimate II (an eight-inch polyfoam, cotton and wool mattress).
The range in comfort matched the range in prices: A queen-size Basic cost $89; the same-size Ultimate II cost $339.
The Basic was unforgiving but serviceable, and I suppose a heck of a lot better than sleeping on the floor. But it wasn`t something I`d offer anyone over the age of 16 and expect to get a smile back in the morning.
The Ultimate II, and for that matter the cheaper Ultimate and eight-inch Foam Core, were substantial mattresses that provided firm support.
With a futon there isn`t any bounce because there aren`t any springs. Instead, these futons offer a plush, soft-topped sleeping surface that molds to the sleeper`s body. Advice for futon shoppers? Buy the best you can afford. The cheaper the frame, the less structure and strength you`ll get in return.
Two more tips: Try out the folding mechanism to make sure it works easily and buy from a reputable store. Frames often need to be assembled at home and, if a piece is missing, you want a place that`s still going to be in business. After spending an hour going from futon to futon, it was hard to tell the difference between the handful of top-of-the-line designs, but it was easy to understand why some people who have bad backs and need firm beds are futon lovers.
Futon Design is at 3647 N. Halsted St. The most popular futon, a queen-size eight-inch Foam Core with fabric slipcover and a frame that converts into a couch starts at $350, ranging to $800 for designer fabrics and frames. 312-975-9393.
Air mattresses and air beds
I headed to Erehwon, a sports and camping-supply store, with finances in mind. In the basement there, among the sleeping bags and tents, I found inflatable mattresses similiar to the ones I remembered from camping years ago.
But today`s air mattresses have one improvement: They`re self-inflatable. They also sport a foam construction which makes the inflating process even easier. The price is right (the Therm-A-Rest costs $74), but these things still are undeniably narrow. At 25 inches, some of my plumper guests probably would be offended if offered one. Others would have to like a board-like surface, with only slightly more give than the floor two inches below.
Air beds work on a similar principle, only they`re not self-inflatable. You don`t need an extraordinary amount of lung power, since a foot pump, a hair dryer or even a specially-equipped vacuum cleaner can do the trick. The advantage is the surisingly lofty feel, but it`s still not anything you`d want to offer your mother. At a price of $25 to $35, however, most consumers aren`t looking for luxury. The air beds come in a range of sizes (twin, double and queen) and when deflated can fit into a shopping bag for storage.
Erehwon is at 644 N. Orleans St.; 312-337-6400. Sportmart is at 3134 N. Clark St. and other area locations; 312-871-8500.
Murphy Bed
My grandparents had a Murphy Bed built into their apartment wall, to be lowered into use as needed. It made me wonder, where are they now?
The 92-year-old Murphy Bed Co. is still making hidden beds, but now they also offer a model that folds into a cabinet that looks like furniture.
There are two Murphy Bed dealers in the area, but neither had a sample for me to stretch out on.
Custom Furniture (7339 N. Lawndale Ave., Skokie, 708-673-3155) and MCW Custom Furniture (3462 W. Dempster St., Skokie, 708-933-9910) both sell Murphy Beds. The most inexpensive model starts at $1,300. Another source: Off-the-Wall Beds, 6847 Lincoln Ave., Lincolnwood, 708-679-1212. Prices start around $2,000 for a queen (mattress not included).
