What about getting a storage-less sofa with tall legs? Gives you clearance to store things underneath. As long as you get attractive, coordinating storage boxes, it won't look bad. And it frees you up to find a sofa in the style and price range you like - I'm sure storage sofas are more limited.

I googled: SOFA WITH STORAGE COMPARTMENTS and many pictures came up. All depends on your style and budget. Best of luck.

@Lyonstill: my impression was that the author was asking for *personal* recommendations, either for a specific product, of for custom furniture makers in the New York area. I spent the past month scouring hundreds of furniture websites for sectionals, using Google and other tools, but I'd also love to hear from someone who can personally vouch for a sectional that is well-made and lasts - precisely because, as the author says, a lot of this furniture falls apart after a year, and Google may not tell you that. :)

IKEA futons have storage bins available that tuck beneath them, so that approach is out there. I'm with @sabrinathedestroyer -- it would be easy to modify a non-storage sofa with new legs and custom built boxes on wheels (you could even finish the box fronts decoratively to go with your space) to accomplish the same thing without the special hardware and construction issues of the kind of unit you have now.

Good luck, though!

BIOE: I was trying to be helpful.
In regards to personal experience, I did purchase a small 2 seater love seat with an ottoman.
The sofa opens up into a twin bed and the ottomen is the lenght of the sofa. It opens up for storage and that is where I keep the sheets and extra blankets. BUT I purchased the set at COSTCO about 5 years ago and you know COSTCO..one day it's there, the next day it's out so I didn't think it would be appropriate to suggest something that is no longer available. They both have lasted wonderfully but I must say that the 'pull-out' sofa is not comfortable unless you lay down extra padding otherwise you feel the springs. However,if interested, I can try and find the tags to see who the maker is. Cool? :o)

Great idea @Sabrinathedestroyer . I'm sure you could even get a sofa, and buy separate legs to add on, ikea-style.

Probably not much help but King Furniture in Australia has a great couch called the 'Delta Storage' - perhaps you could see if they ship internationally?

I have a loveseat from these people:
http://homereserve.com/

Just a basic-looking sofa, but it's very comfortable, comes in leather, and is sturdy. Their costumer service is also spectacular.

Er, *customer* service that is

There's a Turkish company (Istikbal) with an outlet/importer on the east coast. If you google Istikbal, you'll find their location. They have a model called Kubo, which is exactly as you describe. But, this is not expensive furniture. They had this piece on sale here in Greece for only 500 Euro. It is a clever sleep sofa/storage unit, and would probably hold up for a few years. By then, you may be living in a larger apartment and not need the storage!

@SherryBinNH

Pretty sure ikea futons tend not to come in leather, though....

If you have the budget for a bespoke order, in your area, I'd go to Stone Classics:

http://stoneclassics.com/

I'd take multiple pictures of your existing sofa with you, including how the compartments open, and ask them to do a custom measure-to-fit-your-space sofa for you. They can change arms, add or eliminate tufting, customize it to fit your height, etc. They really do excellent work.

I currently have the IKEA Manstad, and what you have Poodle Mom, would be an improvement on that! Can you let me know what this sofa that you currently have is? I too, am looking for a sofa with storage (to put my tv in), that is a sectional, and that also turns into a sofabed (basically the Manstad I have now, but much nicer). I am interested in fabric versions too.

I on the other hand, am not ready to invest in super quality as I have a mortgage and a one year old, so budget options would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

I have the same question as Acutler. I recently moved into a new apartment with minimal storage and I'm always searching for space savers.

I would love to get something like this: http://www.dwr.com/product/havana-sleeper-sofa-with-storage.do?sortby=ourPicks (it's not leather but it's really nice) but it's $3,500.

Well, here is the place that I got it from http://www.modernlinefurniture.com/modern-furniture-leather-sectional-sofas.html - I don't see it on their website, but it wasn't when I bought it either - I found an old link to it on google, and called them to ask if they had it, and they did in black or white - and they did negotiate on the price a bit too - I think I paid around $1100 - $1200 total w/ delivery. Remember though - I did say it's not comfortable, and is not holding up well!
@Rucy - thanks for the info on stone classics! Could you give me a ball park idea on the price for a leather sectional (looking to stay under $4,000), but I am SO tired of wasting money on furniture that turns to junk after a few months, I may stretch it a bit more if it's really good quality, and I can get just what I want!

@acutler
... is putting the tv in the couch now a thing? Are you ever planning to use it? ... are you trying to watch less?

@Lepidoptery, I actually put 2 TVs in the couch. A 32" and a 19". We are trying to watch less TV and don't want the TV in the bedroom. Plus we have a one year old who we don't let watch TV. We just take it out when we want to watch something specific. It's all about Netflix Streaming and Hulu Plus.

It's sort of half way between TV all the time and my friends with no TV.

@Poodle Mom, thanks for the link. The sofa was the first one to come up. Is it uncomfortable for sitting or just sleeping? We currently use an extra foam topper on our Manstad for sleeping.

@ACUTLER - uncomfortable is being kind - 10 minutes sitting on the sofa, or 20 minutes laying on the chaise and I'm either numb or in pain. The storage though is amazing, so my dream is to get a comfortable sofa with as much storage, and one that will last a while. Besides nails starting to stick through the seats, the (plastic) legs began to crumble, and before I noticed it, nails stuck out from the bottom and scratched up my wood floors - it might be OK for somebody who needs to quickly furnish a short term place, but not for somebody who plans to do some living on it - this disaster convinced me that a good sofa is worth the investment!

I agree with Sabrina....tall legs and possibly odd drawers on casters underneath. I did this under my bed.

Check out KSL Manufacturing out of Canada. They make awesome stuff and sleepers so dual function is crazy good. Quality is tops.

ps, bought mine long ago from Copenhagen in Denver. An awesome store.

Just a thought about the "storage sofa"..I think the problem you are going to run into with a anything along those lines is that in order to create room for a storage area the maker will have to skimp on things like padding and springs. I would agree with the others that if you want something comfortable you should find a sofa you like and then work around the storage issues in some creative way.... I also wanted to ask jancola more about her experience with homereserve.com. Their prices (I just looked) are VERY reasonable, so if (s)he vouches for the quality their stuff looks like a good deal.

@ Kathiec - I considered that issue, but on the other hand, I have in the past had several sleeper sofas that were perfectly comfortable for sitting upon (though not so comfortable for sleeping), so I can't see why the same sitting comfort level can't be achieved using the space containing the bed for storage instead?
And, as for storage boxes under a tall sofa, I'm interested in storing bulky items, such as yarn, extra pillows, broom, stroller, plus, I prefer more of a minimalist look - that idea feels cluttered to me...

Hey guys - was looking up ksl manufacturing and found the most amazing website - don't know if I'll find what I want, but I've never seen so many easy to click through design choices in one spot! Here's the link - http://www.furniturefinder.info/category/

Hey guys, i just wanted to say that homereserve.com has some amazing stuff, They have a great selection of pet fabrics that are water repellent and machine washable! They even have leather if that is what you want. They come to you in boxes and you put them together, it is not hard, just takes a little time. When it is done, it looks great, is very comfortable, and you can change the fabrics down the road if you want a different color. The fabric fits tight and is not loose or cheap looking, Also if you decide to, it is very simple to change styles without buying a new couch.

Well I went for broke, and ordered exactly what I've been dreaming of from Carlyle - more than double what I wanted to spend, but my hope is that it will pay off in the long run by not having to spend money on new cheap furniture every couple of years. So far finding them very nice to deal with, but I will post a full review once it arrives!

Found a really cool website called carolinachair.com This website has a ton of fabrics to choose from, bed or storage underneath Best of all free shipping, home delivery & made in The U.S.A.