Smaller living spaces prompt push for pull out sofa beds

MUNICH: When relatives or good friends call to announce they plan to visit, and not just for one night, but several, the host usually is pleased, but at the same time he might have to rack his brain over ensuring the visitors have a comfortable place to sleep.

Typically, there's not enough room in city apartments for a guest room. Putting a camping mattress on the floor of the living room is something a good host wants to avoid. "The most popular solution for overnight guests is still the sleeper sofa," says Ursula Geismann of the German furniture industry association. While earlier sleeper sofas had complicated mechanisms for converting them into beds, new models can be made into a double bed in no time by folding down the sofa's back and arms.

The look of sleeper sofas also has changed. The old ones often look puffy. Buyers had to choose between a practical or a chic couch. In the meantime, however, more value has been placed on the design of sleeper sofas, and the quality has improved noticeably.