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Design Dilemma: Furnishing a Study/Guestroom

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When guests arrive for a few nights or even a few weeks, where do you put them?

Many of us opt to stash guests in a home office which also functions as guestroom. The advantage is clear: Since most of the time we don’t have guests, we get to use this space for important tasks like paying bills or surfing the net.  We haven’t wasted precious square footage on an event that happens rather infrequently. And yet, when that occasional guest does arrive — well, we’re all set!

For those of us who have gone this route, the success of a guestroom/study depends largely on choosing multifunctional pieces that are compact and easily convertible. If a room is more guestroom than office, you might incorporate a small bedside table that can convert into a multifunctional desk unit, complete with space for a laptop.  On the other hand,  if the room is more study than guestroom, you might opt for a full-size desk that allows you to spread out with computers, papers and books but choose a sleek sofabed or futon to serve as an occassional bed.

Here are some of the cooler options we’ve seen:

The CI Desk from Creative Industrial Objects is a multifunctional desk on wheels.  Just swivel the top 180 degrees and the unit converts into a small station for laptops. Several wooden drawers opening from the front and sides provide storage for office supplies and papers. When the desk isn’t functioning as a home office it’s just small enough to serve as a bedside table. CIO is a design group based in Vienna, so check their website for current prices and availability in the United States. 

How about a desk unit that folds down into a bed? It’s a computer-bed dubbed “The Tale” from FlyingBeds.com which specializes in multifunctional murphy beds of the sort that are common in Europe.  It retails for about $3650. Check out their site for other study/guestroom options.

Loveseats, fold-out chairs, futons and fold-out couches are all excellent multifunctional pieces that can work double-duty in a study/guestroom. And here’s another option: the fold-out ottoman, produced by LucyAu of Montreal.  LucyAu offers several design variations on the pull-out ottoman theme and several of the ottomans pull into full-size beds, not just twins. Contact the manufacturer for prices and availability in the United States.