Would you believe they still make those horrid sleeper sofas where the whole seating apparatus pulls out and flips over to leave a metal bar perfectly positioned in the dead center of the sleeping surface? And speaking of that, I can't resist resorting to another Seinfeld reference (see Joseph's post on Jacuzzi's Shower Panels): the episode in which Jerry and Elaine visit Jerry's parents in Boca and-at the parents' absolute refusal to let them get a hotel room-they're both forced to spend a miserable night on a miserable piece of furniture and subsequently endure crippling back pain for the duration.

Diplomat Sleeper Sofa. Designed by Blu Dot.

I'll be the first to admit that a visit to the parents really isn't complete without crippling pain of one kind or another, but I like to avoid it when I can. That's why I'm lobbying for a Blu Dot Diplomat in the home of mothers and fathers everywhere. This new breed of convertible sofa is contemporary and stylish-it has the functional comfort of the best of Clei's Space-Saving Beds and the aesthetic panache of the infamous Party Lounge.

The Diplomat is also deceptive, which may or may not be apropos of its name. In sofa mode it appears as if it were made for that purpose alone: a simple, thin, and strong walnut frame supports a rigid foam base, seat, and back in four fabric options (an evocatively-named line-up of brunette, ocean, smog, or stone). This description belies its easy conversion into an inviting queen bed, especially since the Blu Dot images show what seem to be two completely un-related furnishings. The deception I allude to above is the key to comprehending Diplomat's sea change. Unlike most convertible sofas, diplomat actually flips forward, hinging such that the sofa's arms become the second half of the bed's base. Not only is this mechanically intriguing, it also makes Diplomat a more intelligent variety of sofa bed because it requires no moving away from the wall, no locking mechanism, no superfluous adjustment to annoy users. Of course, the best quality of Diplomat is that it's not some temporary facsimile but an authentically supportive bed for grown-ups who require comfort and function. In the perennial negotiation for sleeping space for guests, Diplomat definitely keeps the peace.

Via ContractDesign.