How to Make a Daybed Look Like a Couch: 8 Tips

Create a Backrest With Large Pillows

If your daybed already has a backrest, you are one step closer to a couch-like experience. But, whether it has a backrest or not, you can greatly enhance its look by adding large, long pillows along the back to create the same look as couch cushions. These not only make a daybed look more inviting, but also greatly improve its comfort. Since daybeds are much deeper than the average couch, adding thick pillows will provide better back support for activities like sitting or lounging.

Use Round, Rectangular, or Bolster Pillows to Create Armrests

Even if your daybed features side panels, most are too thin or too high to act as comfortable armrests. By adding pillows to the sides of your daybed, you can create a comfortable armrest area and add to the sofa-like appearance.

Round, rectangular, or bolster pillows are usually the best options for this purpose. Use a mix of shapes and colors to create a more eclectic look or pick uniform pillows for a clean, consistent look. However you style pillows on a daybed, they are sure to add a soft, inviting appearance.

Add a Coffee Table

Quickly turn your daybed into an inviting place to lounge with the addition of a coffee table. This instantly changes the appearance of the daybed, emphasizing its use as a seating area. Add coasters, magazines, or other items that invite people to take a seat and get comfortable.  

Incorporate Side Tables

Like the addition of a coffee table, adding side tables alters the appearance of a daybed. Instead of looking like a sleeping area, the side tables suggest that this furniture is designed for sitting. Try adding a side table to one or both sides and incorporate books, lamps, and other items to enhance the effect. 

Use Throw Blankets

Throw blankets are often found on couches to add to their coziness and make them more inviting. By styling your daybed with a throw blanket, you can achieve the same effect and add depth to the space. Because a throw blanket is designed for casual lounging, it welcomes sitting. 

Hang Art

Instead of hanging art at what would be the head of the bed, as is typical for beds, hang art along the back of the daybed. This shifts the perspective, making the daybed appear more like a seating area. 

Add a Rug

Adding a rug in front of a daybed is another great way to emphasize its length, and therefore shifting the perspective from bed to couch. Rugs also are a great way to guide the eye throughout the room, making the whole space flow harmoniously. 

Include a Footstool or Ottoman

Nothing invites someone to sit down and get comfortable quite like a footstool or ottoman. These pieces bring in a relaxing atmosphere and encourage people to sit down and put their feet up.

By adding a footstool or ottoman in front of a daybed, you emphasize its lounging possibilities and help add to the couch-like appearance. Another advantage to ottomans is that they often come with storage space inside. This extra space can be used to store away the more bed-like accessories, like sheets or extra large blankets.