The increasing prices of real estate is effectively shrinking home space as more and more home buyers are opting to get smaller homes that will fit better to their financial capacities. A consequence to this is that, since floor spaces are becoming smaller, home owners have become more practical in their choices of living room furnishings.
More and more home builders are choosing to use multi-purpose furniture like many convertible sofa designs that are currently flooding the market to supply the needs of this segment of home owners. Furniture like sofa beds and futon sofas are considered to be two of the most popular seating furniture that can serve at least dual roles--- they can be used as a for seating in their sofa setting and they can be used for sleeping in their bed setting. Both sofa types are convertible to beds and vice versa.
Futon Convertible
However, they are actually two different types of convertible furniture. Sofa beds are sofas that have been designed with the ability to convert to a bed. They look a lot like the conventional sofa but with the ability to fold down into a bed-like configuration which you can lie and sleep on.
Futon sofas, on the other hand, are not sofas in the strictest sense. They are actually a derivative of the Japanese futon mattress which are mattresses popularized by Japanese homes. They are merely mattresses that can laid down on the floor during night time and folded compactly during the day and are stored inside closets so that the space you use for them can serve other purposes during day time. It is a great way to maximize usage of home space in many Japanese homes.
The futon sofa is an innovation on the Japanese concept. By using the futon mattress with a futon frame that can be configured to a seating configuration that looks like a chair or a sofa, the futon sofa was born. During the day, you can use the futon sofa as you use any seating furniture but during the day, the futon frame can be opened up and set into a bed setting which people can sleep on.
The difference between the two has more to do with their origins but the idea behind them is exactly the same. They are furniture suitable for those homes that need convertible sofas in their living rooms. They are great for making sure home space is maximized and with the many stylish designs available, they should satisfy anyone looking to use them as decorative pieces as well.