It’s a beautiful sunny day! The breeze is cool and calming. The sky is clear and bright blue. You can feel the aroma of the spring flowers touching your soul. You wish to go outside and enjoy this bliss sitting comfortably. But, you can’t! All this because you don’t own some patio furniture.
It is rare to find yourself being blessed with good weather on the days when you are free. It is better not to miss it just because you don’t own patio furniture. With all the DIY craze and experimentation with home décor, you can make yourself a makeshift or permanent outdoor setup using your futon mattress.
Read on to know how this single piece of furniture can be so versatile in use.
What is a futon mattress?
A futon mattress is one that is placed on a futon frame. This frame can be folded in the shape of a sofa and spread out in the shape of a bed. The concept of futon mattresses comes from Japan, where they are sold with a filling of hay, reed, and even animal hair.
These mattresses aren’t like the regular mattresses that we use on our beds. They are relatively thinner and sometimes come with cushions that can be used along with the sofa setup. A futon mattress is cheaper than a bed as well as a sofa and works well for those who own a small or studio style apartment.
Though it is a piece of furniture well suited in situations of space crunch, you can put your futon into multiple uses. One great use is to flip it into a type of patio furniture to enjoy those evening teas and just chill out.
Can a futon be used outdoors?
As mentioned earlier, a futon is a very handy and multipurpose piece of furniture. It gives you a great deal of comfort indoors, and you can reap the same benefits outdoors as well. Lately, futons have been getting highly popular in the form of patio furniture.
With this recent change in futon mattress trend, manufactures have started producing futons with material that can resist outdoor wear and tear. Even if you don’t want to buy a new futon, you can simply make some changes to your old futon and fix it up for the outdoors.
How to protect an outdoor futon?
There are multiple ways by which you can prepare your indoor futon mattress to gel perfectly in an outdoor environment. The key is to protect the soft mattress from getting ruined in bad weather or dust outside.
Place your futon mattress wisely
Keeping your futon outdoor doesn’t mean you have to throw it straight in the middle of the garden. If you don’t want to cover it up and ruin its natural beauty, you can simply keep it in a covered area of your backyard or lawn. This way, you can enjoy your futon even on a rainy day.
Find an easy storage
Some people might wish to use their futon mattresses for basking in the lovely sun. In that case, you would have to bring your futon to the open space and then lounge. This space can be near your pool or in your garden space.
It might be a bit tedious to carry the futon every time you need it, but it is advisable to store the futon in a protected and covered space after use. You can simply dump it in the garage or cover it and leave it in a covered space in the backyard. Leaving an indoor futon out in the harsh conditions can ruin its filling and grace.
Cover the futon properly
Covering something up is the easiest way of safeguarding it from getting ruined. The same applies to the futons as well. You can get beautiful slipcovers at affordable prices online. They do not just add a protective layer, but they also give your futon a different look.
These slipcovers come in numerous fabric options. You can choose from cotton blends, synthetic blends, acrylic, or polyester for your outdoor futon. These slipcovers will also add a layer of protection in case you own a pet. You can let your pet jump freely on the futon if you have a slipcover in place. It will not get ruined very easily.
DIY Ideas For Futon Mattress
1. Make it fancy
You can get super creative with the positioning of your futon. Instead of keeping it plain and simple, you can jazz it up and make that backyard space quite chic and romantic.
All you need to do is place your futon at a spot where you can see your entire backyard or garden. Invest in some beautiful and rustic looking long-standing lamps to place on either side of your futon mattress. Place a small patio table in front. Place some aromatic candles and a small potted plant in the center of the table.
Line the ceiling of this covered space with some fairy lights. If you wish to keep it natural, you can position some lush green climbers to make a beautiful canopy. This spot will become one of your favorites for a romantic date night or just to gaze at the stars with a glass of wine and some good music.
2. Keep it comfy
Another great placement idea for your futon mattress under a covered area is to keep it simple yet funky. Place your futon mattress in a sofa position in your backyard. Cover the mattress with some groovy looking covers. Deck it up with fluffy pillows and cushions of all sizes.
Finish the look with a side table on one corner and a potted palm tree on the other corner. You got yourself a casual living room right in your backyard.
3. Create a cozy corner
In order to style your futon outdoors, you are not required to own a big house with a fancy backyard. You can design a corner of your balcony to make a comfortable and cozy spot to just relax and decompress during the weekends or in the evening after work.
All you need to do is set your futon in one corner of the balcony. Cover it with a nice slipcover to protect it from bad weather conditions. Put some puffy cushions to give it a proper sofa look. You can keep a small coffee table in front of the futon and decorate it with tealight candles and aroma oil dispensers.
Decorate the railings of the balcony with hanging pots of different colors. On the wall side, you can either put a beautiful drape for decoration or set up fairy lights in a cute arrangement. This setup will become your go-to spot for sipping tea, for reading a book, and even for working on your laptop.
4. Make it a brunch venue
How satisfying does it feel to have a family brunch on a Sunday morning! The backyard can be a great place to enjoy and relish a delicious brunch with the family on a Sunday morning blessed with good weather.
All you need to do is find a perfect spot in your backyard to place your futon mattress. Add two more patio chairs to this setup. Keep a small dining table in the middle of the setup. To finish the look, fix a full-size outdoor umbrella to the table. This set up can be made under a covered area and even in the middle of your garden.
However, in this setup, you need to be careful about the protection of your futon. If it rains unexpectedly, there is a chance the mattress will get completely drenched and ruined. You can either add a slipcover to the futon as a layer of protection. Or you can store it whenever it is not in use.
5. Swing it up
If you are one of those DIY freaks whose brains are always floating in creative juices, here is one crazy idea for you to explore. Why not turn your futon into a porch swing?
Porch swings are an absolute delight to have in a backyard. They look elegant, chic, and are fun to use. Installing a new porch swing can cost you a fortune. Instead, you can just innovate your futon mattress and turn it into a swing.
You just have to style your futon mattress in a comfortable-looking sofa. Put a nice cover and pair it up with comfortable cushions. With the help of a strong rope, suspend the futon from the roof. Make sure to keep the length of the ropes equal or appropriate so that your futon is stable and straight.
You can surround your swing with potted plants to give the surroundings a lush green look. You can also style it with a canopy of lights for some warm elegance.
6. Style a romantic spot
A futon is commonly used as a makeshift bed indoors. But there is no law that restricts the use of a futon as a bed only indoors. People with huge backyards can make use of the deck to set up a romantic and dreamy corner to enjoy with their partners.
Place your futon in the best spot on the deck. Set it up with a soft color bedsheet with block prints. If you are a neat freak, then you can keep white satin linens as well. Put some good quality, mushy pillows near the headrest. Use some matching or contrasting fabric to create a canopy over the futon.
Line this canopy with warm fairy lights. Place a big, lush palm tree on one corner of the setup and a small table on the other. Pour your partner and yourself some Pina Noire and gaze at the sky while you share some thoughts.
7. Make a poolside living room
It is always fun to have some seating area near the pool. A place where you can sip on delicious margaritas or just bask under the sun. Instead of wasting money on buying a new set of poolside furniture, put your futon into action.
Just place your futon at a considerable distance from the pool. Make sure it is not in the splash zone. Put some nice sofa seats on it and matching cushions. To set in the vibe of the pool area, you can keep the covers of the sofa seats in tone with blue.
You can also add a small table in front for the convenience of placing drinks and snacks. If you have kids and pets, you can use a slipcover to prevent the futon from damage.
To sum it up
It is always better to get creative with your old household items to create something new. You will be surprised by the resultant being much prettier and unique than the store-bought items.
Bring the versatile nature of your futon to full use. Get innovative and creative and make yourself a piece of nice outdoor furniture to enjoy some good times with your friends and family.
