apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Personally, I'm a big fan of air mattresses. Unless you have so many guests that it's a nuisance to blow up again and again, I think they're better than a sleeper couch -- and cheaper. With an air mattress, you can adjust for a soft or firm bed.

So why not just leave the cushions as they are and get an air mattress?

Air mattress is a great idea! You could still use the frame of the sofa, just pull out the mattress when need be. They make some pretty good ones these days (I just bought one!)- huge air beds, pillowtops, adjustable, non-pvc, self-inflating... Well in your budget & probably more comfortable than cushions IMHO.

That would also allow you to keep the sofa from looking more like a sleeper sofa/futon- I really like how it looks now. :)

http://cozylittlecave.blogspot.com

Look up 'foam' or 'foam rubber' in your yellow pages, call with the dimensions and ask for phone quotes, be prepared to tell them whether you want soft, firm, or extra firm.

If you're in San Francisco I've used this company but make certain you sit on a sample before buying:

Dreams:
http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/map/868816/san_francisco_ca/dreams_down_duvets_bed_linen.html

and mailorder:

http://www.cushionsxpress.com/

I tend to get foam cut to order, occasionally have it wrapped with other materials to make it cushier (hypoallergic comforter materials), and then make my own covers. This method works really well if you take careful measures of the foam you'll need. I tend to over-estimate on size and then trim it down with an electric carving knife.

It's a good 'save' for your sofa but you might want to shop around for best price.

I wonder if those strips they sell for connecting two twin beds to make a king would work to connect the pillows to be more comfortable. You might have to modify it or make your own version.

http://www.improvementscatalog.com/product/create-a-king-twin-bed-connector.do

In the past, I made my guest bed futon way more comfortable by adding a featherbed to the top of it. They also sell down-alternative ones. I like the feel of them way better than memory foam.

I saw a Lillberg sofabed in the As-Is department at the Palo Alto IKEA on Monday. Instead of the usual Lillberg cushions, it had a split mattress (two pieces with a fabric hinge) that fit it quite well. I was curious about it - it looked like maybe the mattress came from a different Ikea sofabed? It didn't look as sofa-ish with that mattress but it seemed like you could put the normal Lillberg cushions on top of it.