By Kathryn Weber
If you think twin beds are just for kids or an antiquated bedding choice, think again. They offer terrific versatility you might not notice at first glance.
TWIN OPTIONS
When family or friends come to visit, there’s not always a married couple staying in the spare bedroom. Often there’s a generational relationship among guests, such as father and son, siblings, grandmother and grandchild, etc. That’s where twin beds offer a great option. Instead of relegating a teen to the sofa in the living room, now both father and son can sleep in the same room and each can have his own bed.
For a couple, twin beds can be moved together to create single large bed. A foam bridge will create a single mattress feel for about $15 (Bedbathandbeyond.com). Cover both mattresses with a pad or foam topper and no one would ever know they’re not sleeping on a single mattress. For the most attractive look, add padded headboards to twin beds. Then, when you want to move the beds together, the headboards will look uniform.
Consider using a shared console as a nightstand between the two beds. When the beds are pushed together, the console can be moved to one side or the other. A small table can stand in on the other side as a nightstand. Adding ottomans at the foot of each bed for guests to sit and put on their shoes or to hold a suitcase makes a nice touch. Ottomans can also be pushed together to create a unified seating area at the foot of combined twin beds.
OTHER OPTIONS
Another option for your guest room is sleeper chairs. Often, a home office or other spare room is used for guests. By outfitting the room with sleeper chairs, a TV room, study, home office, or even a basement area can be transformed into a guest room for two with a flip of a cushion.
Trundle beds are yet another choice. Most often used to accommodate young guests in a child’s room, a trundle can be used as a daybed or sofa the rest of the time. Guests can sleep on individual trundle beds, or push two together and add a foam bridge.
TWO OF A KIND
Furnishing your guest room with twin beds doesn’t mean you have to leave them pushed apart at all. Pull a pair together and add a single headboard. Presto, you have a good-sized, comfortable bed for couples or singles, plus the flexibility to switch to two beds.
© Kathryn Weber, all rights reserved
