Experts reveal why you should invest in a sofa bed ahead of the next heatwave – ‘this might be your best bet during extreme heat’

by Furnishly | Aug 5, 2025 | Design Inspiration

There’s another heatwave on the horizon, and with high summer temperatures becoming more frequent in the UK, you might be racking your brains for ways to beat the heat at home, especially in the bedroom.

Over the past few months, many of us have likely realised that our houses aren’t equipped for these types of summer temperatures.

However, if you’re wondering how to stay cool in bed without going to the drastic measure of selling up and moving house, experts have a possible solution. And it’s in the shape of the humble sofa bed.

There are plenty of tips and tricks for how to keep a bedroom cool, but, as property expert at My Local Toolbox, Adam Clark, explains, there’s only so much we can do to cool down a bedroom. A significant part of the problem is that many British homes aren’t properly insulated, which results in overheating in the summer.

‘Recent data reveals that over 9.6 million UK households are plagued by poor insulation and inadequate ventilation,’ shares Adam. ‘This can make summers uncomfortably hot for many. 11% of households report temperatures so extreme that sleep is compromised.’

‘The ideal bedroom temperature for a restful sleep is between 16-18°C’ shares Adam. ‘When the room is too hot, your body struggles to cool down, resulting in restless nights marked by tossing, turning, and night sweats. This disrupts your circadian rhythm, leaving you tired and less alert the next day.’

This is the case in my home. I have a south east facing dormer bedroom, and despite employing every trick under the sun (no pun intended) to sleep cooler – from adding one of the best blackout blinds to my south-facing widow, adopting the bedding Indian Maharajas use to sleep cooler, and using one of the best fans to create a breeze – my bedroom still got to temperatures in the high twenties during the last heatwave.

So much so that I took to decamping downstairs, where temperatures are cooler, and sleeping on the sofa during the hottest nights.

However, had I given my summer sleep setup a little more forethought, I could have made my living room campout a lot more comfortable.

‘A great hack to getting a restful night’s sleep during those sizzling temperatures is to sleep downstairs,’ says Alex Bridgman, co-founder at furniture retailer Bridgman. ‘Heat tends to rise, meaning that the bedroom can often be the warmest room in the house.’

If you want to sleep more comfortably downstairs, ‘invest in a sofa bed or footstool bed that can be easily transformed at a moment’s notice,’ says Carol.

‘Since hot air rises, sleeping downstairs might be your best bet during extreme heat,’ agrees Molly Freshwater, sleep expert and co-founder of bedding brand Secret Linen Store. ‘Equip a lounge area with a sofa bed or even an inflatable mattress for a cooler night’s rest. Think of it as an at-home sleepover.’

I think this is an ingenious solution. A changing climate means we need to be more adaptable, and – assuming your home has more than one floor – equipping the lower floor of your home with one of the best sofa beds could be a way to ride out those hot and humid summer nights.

You could opt for one of the best portable air conditioners, of course, but personally, I think that added energy use only causes more environmental problems.

Admittedly, not all of us can stretch to the added expense of a sofa bed, because this multifunctional furniture doesn’t come cheap – plus, you can’t generally squeeze a whole family onto one sofa bed, unless you’re blessed with a very large house!

However, most of us could consider adding one or more of the best air beds to our summer sleep arsenal. When not in use, an inflatable mattress takes up barely any space.

3 sleep solutions for decamping downstairs in a heatwave

As Ideal Home’s Sleep Editor I’ve tested numerous air beds and sofa beds in the past four years. These are three of my top recommendations if you decide to make sleeping downstairs a temporary solution for beating the heat.

As another run of hot and sticky nights approaches, I know I’ll be adopting this solution to ensure a cooler sleep. How about you?

I’m a room decor editor with expensive taste on a high-street budget – and this H&M lounge chair is the best thing I’ve seen all season

by Furnishly | Jul 26, 2025 | Design Inspiration

As a Room Decor Editor here at Ideal Home and general enthusiast for anything stylish and pretty, I regularly look through new arrivals of various brands and retailers. And one of these regular sweeps recently resulted in me stumbling upon a chic H&M lounge chair, which happens to be the best thing I’ve come across all season.

Selling for £349.99 a pop – which I think is a reasonable price – this beige boucle-upholstered chair that celebrates one of the biggest home decor trends of 2025 (chrome furniture) has already got a handful of reviews to its name – and unsurprisingly, they are largely positive.

One reviewer wrote, ‘Absolutely love this chair. Made of great materials and good value overall. Been looking for an accent chair for my living room for a long time and finally found this amazing piece!’

H&M Home is one of my favourite places to shop for homeware, as I’ve already touched on when obsessing over all of the designer-look H&M table lamps which I have no space for at home, unfortunately. Sadly, this chair also doesn’t currently fit in my living room, otherwise I would have been adding one to basket right now.

Why should you invest in the H&M lounge chair?

I don’t know about you, but I’m currently all about chrome furniture, whether that’s accent chairs or coffee and side tables, both of which I’ve seen plenty of at the John Lewis autumn/winter 2025 collection preview. It’s not entirely surprising though as it’s a major living room trend of this year, inspired by the overarching trend celebrating 1970s-style interiors, as seen on other popular designs like the OMHU Teddy sofa I’ve tried before.

‘Chrome stands out with its cool, futuristic vibe that somehow feels both nostalgic and brand new,’ says Alex Stubbs, Flitch interior stylist. ‘The chrome furniture trend really took off in the 1920s and 30s, thanks to Bauhaus design in Germany. Picture those sleek tubular steel chairs by Marcel Breuer (now available at Heal’s). This movement was all about moving away from heavy ornamentation and embracing industrial materials with clean, functional lines. Fast forward to the 1970s and chrome made a comeback in the UK, appearing in glam interiors and mirrored coffee tables that added a space-age or disco vibe to living spaces.’

And while I haven’t tested out this particular H&M chair IRL – as I usually do with most chairs and seating to know which are the best sofas and lounge chairs for you (and me) to invest in – the combination of the positive existing reviews and the high aesthetic value make this my favourite lounge chair of the season. And one that I would highly recommend to elevate your living room.

And if you’re into chrome seating styles as much as me, here are a few other designs that I’m currently loving.

Alternative chrome chair picks

Which one is your favourite?

EastEnders star Lacey Turner’s olive green living room is a masterclass in cosy luxury – and I’ve found a Farrow & Ball colour match

by Furnishly | Jul 22, 2025 | Design Inspiration

EastEnders’ star Lacey Turner has revealed her stunning taste in colour in a recent Instagram post – her olive green walls are the perfect example of cosy luxury.

The actress, best known for her role as Stacey Slater on EastEnders, is no stranger to sharing glimpses of her life and family on her social media pages. But what caught my eye was her expert use of one of the year’s hottest paint trends.

Greens have been a defining part of the year’s colour palette from pistachio to the ever-popular Green Smoke by Farrow & Ball. But Lacey’s rich walls prove olive green deserves a place on your radar, and experts have even tracked down the closest colour matches so you can get the look, too.

Green living room ideas are nothing new, but after seeing Lacey’s paint choice, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. A rich olive tone, it has a warm and cosy look that will make your space look grander with ease. Olive greens have been trending all year due to their grounded and earthy, yet expensive-looking hue, which makes it the perfect choice for combining cool with classic.

‘Lacey Turner’s olive green, colour-drenched living room is a beautiful example of how deep, earthy tones can transform a space. The shade she’s chosen is a rich, sophisticated olive—very much in line with what we’re seeing as a top trend for 2025,’ explains Victoria Robinson, style and trend expert at Hillarys

‘If you’re looking to colour match, I’d recommend shades like Farrow & Ball’s ‘Bancha’ or Dulux’s ‘Olive Tree’. Both capture that same enveloping, natural warmth.’

From the video, it appears Lacey has used this rich olive tone to colour drench her room. A bold choice, but one that pays off. When working with dark colours, you can sometimes risk making the room feel smaller, but the colour drench effect has extended her ceiling to make the space feel larger and more dramatic.

‘Dark green works beautifully for colour drenching because it absorbs light in a way that softens edges and creates intimacy. It is dramatic without being overpowering, and when used across walls, ceilings, and trim, it wraps the room in a unified, calming atmosphere. This particular shade evokes a sense of heritage and sophistication, while still feeling fresh and modern,’ Sam Tamlyn, Home Expert and Managing Director of Shutterly Fabulous.

‘What makes it so stylish is its versatility, because it goes well with pretty much anything, whether it’s brass, wood, natural, or soft textures and furnishings, and acts as a perfect backdrop for both bold and minimalist decor. Dark green is a colour that encapsulates the essence of being timeless, luxurious, and quietly confident.’

Style olive green

Like Lacey has done, I’d recommend pairing the shade with brass finishes (such as her picture frame) as well as warm-toned furnishings in browns, taupe and cream.

Olive green is moody, yet inviting, which is why it’s a fantastic choice if you want to create a room with drama, yet it still feels like a cosy, relaxing space. I think Lacey has nailed this olive trend. What do you think?