Best bed for studio apartment: Orlando’s top space-saving beds

Living in a studio apartment in Orlando or Longwood means every square foot is prime real estate. Finding the best bed for a studio apartment isn't about a single "best" product, but about striking that perfect, clever balance between a great night's sleep and your day-to-day life. As your local furniture experts, we've found the real winners are almost always the multi-taskers: pieces like sofa beds, Murphy beds, and storage platform beds that work overtime to maximize your living space without cramping your style.

Finding The Best Bed For Your Central Florida Studio

Choosing a bed for a compact home is easily one of the biggest design puzzles you'll solve. Since 1980, we at Slone Brothers Furniture have helped our Central Florida neighbors figure out this exact problem. Your bed is so much more than a place to crash; it’s the anchor of your entire home, often pulling double duty as the centerpiece of your living area. Our goal is to help you find a piece that works as hard as you do—total comfort at night, total function during the day.

This is especially true with the way the Orlando market is growing. We've seen a huge increase in demand for studio apartments as more and more people move to the area. When you're working with a smaller footprint—typically somewhere between 300 to 500 square feet—every single inch counts. We often find that a full-size bed, measuring 54 inches by 75 inches, hits the sweet spot, giving you plenty of room to sleep without eating up all your precious floor space.

Before you even start looking at different bed types, take a minute to think about your lifestyle. The right bed can honestly transform a room that feels tight into one that feels open and versatile.

A Few Things To Consider For Studio Life

• Your Daily Grind: Do you work from home? If you need more open floor space during the day for a desk or just to move around, a Murphy bed can be a total game-changer.
• Having People Over: If you love hosting, a stylish sofa bed or daybed gives you chic seating that effortlessly converts for overnight guests. No air mattress required.
• The Storage Struggle: Is clutter your constant enemy? A platform bed with built-in drawers is an incredibly powerful way to tuck away linens, clothes, and anything else you need to stash.

At Slone Brothers, we’re firm believers that you should never have to compromise. Our in-house Design Team is here to help you find furniture that not only fits your space but actually elevates the way you live in it.

Thinking through these points first will make the whole process so much easier. Once you know what you truly need, you can pick out the perfect bed for your studio with total confidence.

Exploring Multi-Functional Beds For Small Spaces

In a Central Florida studio, your floor space is the most valuable real estate you own. Multi-functional beds are the secret weapon to reclaiming it, acting like furniture chameleons that shift roles as your day unfolds. They’re not just about saving space; they’re about creating a more dynamic, useful, and comfortable home. The right piece can transform your room from a simple bedroom into a welcoming living area, a productive workspace, or an entertainment hub at a moment's notice.

These clever designs are really the foundation of smart studio living. To truly master a compact home, you have to get creative with your layout, and learning how to live in a studio apartment and thrive almost always comes back to using multi-functional furniture. Let's walk through some of the most popular and effective options we recommend to our Orlando-area clients.

The Modern Sofa Bed: A True Day-To-Night Solution

Forget the lumpy, uncomfortable sofa beds of the past. Today's models are engineered for genuine comfort, both for sitting and sleeping. Brands like American Leather have completely changed the game with their innovative, American-made mechanisms that provide a real mattress—without that dreaded bar digging into your back.

These aren't just guest beds anymore; they are a perfectly viable primary sleeping solution for studio dwellers. By day, you have a stylish, comfortable sofa for lounging or hosting friends. By night, it converts into a supportive and cozy bed. This dual-purpose functionality is the very essence of what makes a bed great for a studio apartment.

• Pros: It serves two primary functions (seating and sleeping) in one footprint, making it incredibly efficient for small layouts. Modern designs offer a huge range of styles and high-quality mattress options.
• Cons: The best models are an investment, and you'll need to make the bed daily. You also have to account for the clearance needed when it's fully extended.

The Disappearing Act of The Murphy Bed

When maximizing open floor space is your absolute top priority, nothing beats a Murphy bed. Also known as a wall bed, this design allows your entire bed and mattress to fold up neatly into a cabinet or directly against the wall when you’re not using it.

For anyone in Orlando or Sanford working from home in a studio, this is a total game-changer. It allows you to create a clear boundary between your rest space and your professional life. Your "bedroom" can completely disappear during work hours, giving you a spacious and distraction-free home office.

We often hear from clients how a Murphy bed made their studio feel twice as large. It’s the ultimate solution for creating a truly multi-purpose room where you can host a dinner party, roll out a yoga mat, or set up a project without the bed dominating the space.

The Chic And Versatile Daybed

A daybed offers a stylish, elegant solution that bridges the gap between a sofa and a bed. With its three-sided frame, it functions perfectly as a deep, comfortable sofa for daily use. Just add a few throw pillows, and it becomes an inviting spot for guests to sit.

While it usually features a twin mattress, it's an excellent choice for a single person in a studio who wants a piece that feels more like living room furniture than a traditional bed. Many come with an optional trundle underneath, giving you an extra sleeping spot that pulls out when needed—perfect for occasional overnight visitors without taking up any extra permanent space. You can learn more about how these pieces add flexibility in our guide to multifunctional home office furniture.

• Pros: They are incredibly stylish and create a relaxed, lounge-like feel. The trundle option adds guest sleeping capacity without sacrificing floor space.
• Cons: Most daybeds are twin size, which might not be ideal for everyone as a primary bed. They also offer less "disappearing" potential compared to a Murphy bed.

Choosing between these options really comes down to your daily routine and priorities. Do you value a full-size sofa for entertaining, or is wide-open floor space your ultimate goal? Answering that question will point you toward the perfect multi-functional bed to transform your studio apartment.

Maximize Every Inch With Platform and Storage Beds

In any Orlando studio, clutter is the number one enemy of a peaceful, open-feeling space. This is where your bed’s footprint can, and absolutely should, work twice as hard.

A platform or storage bed is arguably the most straightforward and effective best bed for a studio apartment when your main goal is to conquer clutter. It takes the largest piece of furniture in your home and transforms it into a powerful organizational tool.

These beds are designed with one core principle: no wasted space. Instead of an open, dust-collecting void under your mattress, you get a highly functional storage system built right into the frame. This isn't just a place to hide a couple of things; it's a genuine solution for organizing everything from bulky winter blankets to your entire wardrobe, freeing up precious closet space.

Integrated Drawers for Everyday Access

One of the most popular storage bed styles features drawers built directly into the base. This design is perfect for items you need to access regularly. Think of it as a dresser that’s cleverly hidden within your bed frame.

These drawers are ideal for:

• Clothing: Storing seasonal clothes like sweaters and jackets keeps your main closet tidy and focused on what you're currently wearing.
• Shoes: Keep your collection organized and out of sight, preventing that inevitable pile-up by the front door.
• Linens: Extra sheets, pillows, and towels have a dedicated home, making laundry day in your Longwood apartment much simpler.

When you're choosing a bed with drawers, it's critical to measure your space carefully. You'll need to ensure you have enough clearance on the sides to pull the drawers out completely without hitting a wall or another piece of furniture—a small detail our in-house design team can help you map out perfectly.

Lift-Up Beds: The Ultimate Hidden Storage

For maximum storage capacity, nothing beats a hydraulic lift-up bed. The entire mattress and slat system lifts effortlessly, revealing a massive, open compartment underneath. We like to call it the "hidden closet."

This is the perfect spot for larger, less frequently used items that would otherwise hijack an entire closet. Imagine stashing away suitcases, sports equipment, holiday decorations, or even an extra comforter. It’s an incredibly efficient way to use every last inch of your studio’s square footage.

Because the storage is accessed from the top, you don't need any extra clearance around the sides, making it a fantastic option for tighter spaces. We find that daybeds and trundle beds offer a similar multi-functional appeal, which is why we've put together a guide to daybeds and trundle beds for those exploring all their options.

When you invest in a well-made storage bed, you’re not just buying a place to sleep—you’re buying a clutter-free lifestyle. It’s about creating a sense of calm and order in a small space.

At Slone Brothers Furniture, we prioritize pieces built for daily life. That's why we love brands like Bassett and the Amish-crafted quality of Mavin. Their storage beds are made with durable, high-quality materials and sturdy hardware designed to withstand constant use. The drawers glide smoothly, and the lift mechanisms are built to last. This focus on American-made quality ensures your investment provides long-term value, giving you both a comfortable bed and a reliable storage solution that will serve your Central Florida home for years to come.

Choosing The Right Mattress Size And Type

Finding the perfect bed frame is a huge step, but let's be honest—the mattress is what really makes or breaks your sleep. As your local mattress experts serving Central Florida, we’ve seen firsthand how picking the right size and type is absolutely critical for a studio apartment. This isn't just about sleep quality; it's about how you live in your space every single day.

The size of your mattress is a classic balancing act. It's a tug-of-war between personal comfort and your apartment's actual square footage. Sure, a sprawling King bed sounds like a dream, but in a studio, it's usually a space-stealing nightmare. The real goal is to get the most comfortable sleep possible without letting your bed take over the entire room. For many apartments here in the Orlando and Lake Mary area, that usually sparks the great debate: Full or Queen?

Finding The Perfect Fit For Your Space

Let's break down the most common mattress sizes that actually work for studio living:

• Twin (38" x 75"): This is the ultimate space-saver. If you're a single sleeper and need to squeeze every last inch out of your floor plan, a Twin is your best friend. It’s the perfect match for daybeds and trundles.
• Full (54" x 75"): Often the "just right" solution. A Full mattress feels like a major comfort upgrade from a Twin but doesn't have the room-hogging footprint of a Queen. It gives a single person plenty of room to stretch out and can even work for a couple in a pinch.
• Queen (60" x 80"): It's the most popular mattress size in the U.S. for a reason. With some smart space planning, a Queen can absolutely work in a studio. That extra width and length deliver true comfort for couples or for anyone who just loves having more room to roll around.

More often than not, a Full size bed strikes the perfect balance between saving space and providing genuine comfort, making it our top recommendation for the best bed for a studio apartment. But if you've measured and know you have the room, a Queen can make your studio feel less like a small apartment and more like a luxury suite.

Matching The Mattress To The Frame

Your mattress doesn't exist in a vacuum—it has to be compatible with your bed frame. A beautiful, solid Amish-made platform bed has totally different needs than a high-tech sofa bed. For example, premier sofa beds from a brand like American Leather are brilliantly engineered to work with specific mattresses that can fold repeatedly without breaking down, all while providing incredible support.

On the other hand, a heavy, dense memory foam mattress might be too much for the lifting mechanism on certain Murphy beds. It's so important to make sure these two pieces work together as a team. Our design team here can always help you double-check compatibility and point you toward the perfect pairing for years of comfort and flawless function. You can get a head start by exploring our guide that breaks down the different mattress types and their benefits.

Think of your bed frame and mattress as a team. One can't perform at its best without the other. The right combination ensures you get a great night's sleep and your furniture functions exactly as it was designed to.

When you’re picking out a mattress for your studio, you really need to understand the feel of different materials. For a great deep-dive, check out this article on Latex Vs Memory Foam Vs Hybrid: Which Mattress Is Actually Right For You. Whether you love the body-hugging contour of memory foam, the responsive bounce of a classic innerspring, or the best-of-both-worlds support of a hybrid, we have an option that will fit both your sleep style and your space.

How To Plan Your Studio Space Before You Buy

Before you fall in love with a specific bed, you need to get real about your floor plan. One of the biggest mistakes we see people make when furnishing a studio here in Longwood or Orlando is underestimating just how crucial a tape measure is. A bed that looks perfect in a spacious showroom can instantly swallow a small apartment whole if you haven't planned for it.

Your first move is to get the total dimensions of your studio. From there, you have to think beyond just the footprint of the bed itself. You’ve got to account for what we call "living space"—the paths you walk every day, the arc of a closet door swinging open, and the clearance needed for any furniture that pulls out or folds down.

Think about it: a beautiful storage bed with side drawers is completely useless if you can't actually pull them all the way out. That cool sofa bed you’ve been eyeing? It needs a clear zone in front of it to fully extend without crashing into your coffee table.

Map Out Your Pathways

Picture your daily movements. How do you get from the front door to the kitchen? From your bed to the bathroom? A good rule of thumb is to leave at least 30 to 36 inches for your main walkways. This keeps the space from feeling cramped and lets you move around comfortably.

For smaller paths, like the space between the side of your bed and the wall, you can get away with a bit less—try to keep it around 24 inches if you can. These numbers are the key to creating a home that feels open and functional, not like an obstacle course. If you need a little help getting started, our guide on how to plan a room layout is a great place to start.

The Power Of A Professional Floor Plan

This is where having a local expert on your side becomes your secret weapon. At Slone Brothers, our complimentary in-house Design Team is here to help you dodge those costly "it doesn't fit" moments. We can work with you to create a simple, to-scale floor plan of your studio.

This isn't just about avoiding a headache; it's about making a smarter decision. A visual map lets you:

• Test Different Layouts: We can digitally drop different bed types and sizes into your room to see what works best before you commit.
• Confirm Clearances: We’ll double-check that there's plenty of room for drawers, sofa bed extensions, and those all-important walking paths.
• Visualize The Final Space: Seeing your layout on paper gives you the confidence that your pick will truly be the best bed for your studio apartment.

This flowchart can help you start thinking about which mattress size might be the right call for your needs and the space you have to work with.

As you can see, the choice often comes down to balancing solo comfort with the potential need for partner space, which is why the Full has become such a popular compromise for studios.

Planning isn't about limiting your options; it's about empowering you to make the smartest possible choice for your home. It’s our commitment to you, ensuring the piece you bring home is one you'll love for years.

Taking a few minutes to plan can save you a world of trouble later on. It’s the difference between just buying a piece of furniture and truly designing a home that works for your Central Florida lifestyle.

Finding Your Perfect Bed: The Power of Custom Orders

One of the biggest myths about furnishing a small space is that you have to settle. That you’re stuck with whatever generic, one-size-fits-all options are sitting on the showroom floor. We’re here to tell our Central Florida community that’s just not true. You should never have to compromise on style simply because you have a smaller footprint.

This is where the magic of custom-ordering comes in. As a local, family-owned business since 1980, we believe your home should be a direct reflection of who you are. Our custom-order program is designed to make that happen, turning a pretty good furniture choice into the perfect one for your home. It’s the best way to get exactly what you want, ensuring your bed isn't just functional but is also a beautiful centerpiece you’ll love for years.

Tailoring Your Bed to Your Unique Style

Picture this: you find a sofa bed with the perfect, easy-to-use mechanism, but the fabric options are… underwhelming. Or you’ve found a sturdy platform bed, but the wood finish completely clashes with your other furniture. Our custom program solves this problem entirely.

We’ve spent years building relationships with industry-leading brands known for their flexibility, like American Leather and Amisco. These partnerships give us—and you—an incredible range of choices, essentially letting you step into the designer’s seat.

You can select from:

• A Vast Library of Fabrics: Pick the exact texture, color, and pattern that speaks to you. For a studio here in Orlando, we always recommend looking at performance fabrics. They’re incredibly durable and resistant to fading from our strong Florida sun.
• Dozens of Finishes: You can match the wood finish on your storage bed to your existing dining set, or choose a metal finish on a daybed frame that complements your light fixtures. The little details make all the difference.
• Specific Configurations: On some models, you can even get into the nitty-gritty, like choosing the arm style on a sofa bed or the leg design on a platform frame.

Creating a Cohesive and Personalized Space

This level of control is what allows you to create a truly cohesive and personalized home. It ensures the best bed for your studio apartment is one that feels like it was made just for you—because, in a way, it was. You’re not just buying another piece of furniture; you're investing in something that perfectly fits your space and your personal taste.

Custom ordering empowers you to stop searching for the perfect piece and start creating it instead. It’s the difference between a house and a home.

There’s really no substitute for seeing all the options in person. Feeling the different fabrics and seeing the wood finishes firsthand is the best way to make a decision you’ll feel great about. We invite you to come see us and explore what’s possible.

Common Questions About Studio Apartment Beds

Figuring out the best bed for a studio apartment is always a balancing act between comfort, day-to-day function, and the reality of your square footage. As the go-to furniture experts here in Longwood, we've heard just about every question from our neighbors across Central Florida.

Let's dive into some of the most common ones we hear in the showroom. We'll give you the clear, straightforward answers you need to make a great decision for your space.

Can a Queen Bed Really Fit in an Orlando Studio?

Absolutely! It might sound tight, but with a little bit of smart planning, a queen bed can feel right at home in many standard Orlando-area studio apartments. The trick is to think vertically and choose a frame that doesn’t take up an inch more than it has to.

A low-profile platform bed is a fantastic option because it gets rid of the bulky box spring. When you pair that with a slim headboard—or even no headboard at all—you’d be amazed at how many precious inches you save. This approach gives you all the luxurious sleeping space of a queen without making the room feel cramped or closed-in. Our in-house designers are pros at mapping this out to make sure it's a perfect fit.

Are Today’s Sofa Beds Comfortable Enough for Everyday Sleeping?

This is a great question, and we get it all the time. The answer is a resounding yes—as long as you choose the right one. The days of feeling that awful metal bar in your back are long gone, thanks to some incredible engineering from brands like American Leather.

They’ve completely reinvented the sleeper mechanism, swapping out the old clunky stuff for a solid platform topped with a true, premium mattress. These aren’t just for your in-laws anymore; they’re designed from the ground up to give you the support and comfort you need for a fantastic night's sleep, every single night. You get all the style and function of a great sofa without sacrificing an ounce of sleep quality.

We always tell our clients to think of a quality sofa bed not as a compromise, but as a two-in-one investment in both stylish living and genuinely restorative sleep.

How Do I Balance My Budget for a Multi-Functional Bed?

When you’re buying a single piece that has to do the job of two, it's smart to shift your focus from the initial price tag to long-term value. A well-built, American-made sofa bed or a solid wood storage bed from a brand like Smith Brothers or Mavin is an investment that will pay for itself over years and years of reliable, daily use.

Here at Slone Brothers, we’re all about making that kind of quality accessible. Our Low Price Promise is our commitment to you that you’re always getting the best value. On top of that, our huge Clearance Outlet is a goldmine for finding high-quality, durable pieces at incredible savings. It's the best way to get the perfect multi-functional bed for your studio without stretching your budget.

Ready to find the perfect piece for your home? Visit the Slone Brothers Furniture showroom in Longwood, FL, and let our design experts help you get started