How to

Spruce Up Your Daybed

Daybeds are fantastic furniture pieces that make relaxing so much fun. These versatile sofa/bed combos work perfectly in almost any part of the house. Tuck a daybed in quiet nook in your living room, or place one in front of a window with a view. Use a daybed in your home office or guest room space to serve your seating needs by day and giving guests a place to rest at night. Perfect for urban apartments and seaside cottages alike, daybeds are great additions to any home. These easy, helpful daybed ideas from Pottery Barn provide inspiration to turn your special daybed into something you love even more.

Daybed or Chaise?

Because they serve as both sofas and beds, daybeds are like chaise lounges in many ways. This is a fun way to think about the daybed – as a piece of furniture that’s specifically for lounging. If your daybed is up against a wall that provides support at one of its short ends, you can build up pillows and back support on that side and place a folded blanket at the other. This asymmetrical arrangement can also look really great if you use a good blend of colors and patterns to balance out the puffy pillow distribution.

Drape and Divide

Not all daybed decorations focus on the furniture piece itself. If your daybed is in a little nook or if you simply want to lend some privacy to that part of your house, feel free to think about using curtains and other framing elements to add a luxurious sense of place. Whether you opt for a sheer canopy of finely netted lace or you use thick velvet curtains to add a physical barrier to create a private reading space, adding some gorgeously draped fabric to the ceiling or walls around the daybed lends a romantic approach.

Make It Luxe

You can also make your daybed even more inviting by focusing on luxurious materials for accents. Velvet, silk and plush, tactile fabrics such as chenille and faux fur are all great choices for pillows, throw blankets and daybed covers. You can choose rich, inviting colors in regal jewel tones like emerald green, ruby red, sapphire blue and amethyst purple. Metallic accents here and there also lend some sparkle. If your daybed has a back piece, you can use a sheepskin rug as a drape over the back to add addition softness and a sumptuous layer of texture to the arrangement.

Take It Outside

If you have a covered porch or another outdoor space that isn’t completely open to the elements, you might want to consider making your daybed an outdoor furniture piece to enjoy in nice weather. From the front porch to a sunroom to a sunny spot in front of a sliding glass door, there are tons of great spots for a daybed to scoot in and support alfresco leisure. Use water-resistant outdoor pillows and an all-weather mattress if you decide to go this route, or simply ensure that your daybed stays out of the rain whenever it rolls in by keeping it in a covered area.

Brighten Things Up

In the same vein as the canopy idea, making changes to the space around your daybed can change the way you experience the daybed itself. Adding pendant lamps, hanging lanterns or sophisticated string lights to the ceiling above the daybed completely transforms the space, adding new light and a charmingly dreamy feel. Consider adding a dimmable chandelier above the daybed to make it feel romantic, or use a decorative pendant lamp to add reading light to the space. Bring in a new bookshelf and drape a throw over the end of the daybed and you’ve got yourself a brand new reading nook!

Take Advantage of the Depth

Most daybeds are deeper than the average sofa, and some daybed owners turn theirs into seating by adding large cushions to pad out the back, allowing guests to sit further forward with their feet on the ground. If you want, flip the script on this approach by emphasizing your daybed’s depth. If your daybed doesn’t have a built-in back piece, you can pull it out from the wall by a couple of inches and create a stationary padded back piece that stays affixed to your wall. That way, you and your guests can curl or sprawl out rather than sitting up straight if you choose.