Many Americans are spendingmore time in bed, not less. Butthat doesn’t mean they aregetting more rest.The place that we once set

aside mainly for sleep is nowdoing shifts as the home office,in-home cinema seating, or aretreat for late-night Skype and

Face Time chats. Maybe that’s why the market seemsflush with beds that are at least dual-purpose.These sleepers – daybeds, sofa beds andMurphy beds

– are no longer for cramped apartments or diminutivedorm rooms. They’re for anyonewhowants tomake themost of the space they have or wring more function outof little-used areas such as guest rooms.Beds with built-in flexibility may be particularly

appealing for people carving a space out of a corner in adining room or welcoming adult children back to theirformer bedrooms. The trend has boosted sales of sofasleepers and other dual-purpose furniture, said PatriciaBowling, of the American Home Furnishings Alliance,which is based in Hickory, N.C. A record 57 millionAmericans, mostly millennials, lived in multi-generational households in 2012, according to the PewResearch Center.“People are getting resourceful in terms of creating

additional storage in the bed or using vertical space to

- POTTERY BARN

Pottery Barn’s Stratton daybed has handsome storage bins built into the frame.

Optimize space withdouble-duty beds

Dual identity tipsm Before you buy, know how much space a sofa bed will take

when it is open. Make sure there is enough extra space in theroom so guests can move about.m Position a daybed between two vertical bookcases to create

a cozy reading nook. Mount sconces above the day bed for lightand prop plenty of pillows against the wall for back support.m A daybed that includes bottom drawers provides a handy

place to stash bedding, blankets and pillows.m Create a budget daybed by placing a twin-size box spring

and mattress against a wall. Tuck a lightweight comforter orbedspread under the edges, and add a variety of pillows andthrows.

- URBAN OUTFITTERS

The seat back on theAva Tufted Sofa unhingesand lies flat.

YOUR OPTIONS FOR DAYBEDS,SOFA BEDS AND MURPHY BEDS

ARE BETTER THAN EVER

By Beth HowardCorrespondent

SEE BEDS, PAGE 2D

About the designerLisa Stewart holds a degree in interior architecture from Anne Arundel College in Arnold, Md., and

studied interior design at Meredith College in Raleigh. She opened her interior design business in Raleigh in2001. She has lived in France, Hong Kong and Singapore, and her lifelong passion for travel and interiordesign takes her back to Asia periodically to design model homes for an architecture firm there. Shecollaborated with Joseph Andrassy of Andrassy Custom Construction in Raleigh on this project.

The challenge

A townhome in Raleigh’s BrierCreek subdivision was the perfectplace to put down roots for thisjet-setting American couple whoraised their children abroad. Butthe 13-year-old master bath didn’twork for them. They wereadamant, “Get rid of the tubbecause we never use it. It’s awaste of space!” See more on 2D.

DesignMaster Class TIPSANDTRICKSFROMTHEN&ODESIGNTEAM

Bathroom redo yields spaceworthy of luxury hotel

- CAT WILBORNE PHOTOGRAPHY

Between his-and-her 48-inchvanities in the new bathroom isa spacious zero-thresholdshower tiled in honed limestoneand with a heated floor.

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Home&Gardennewsobserver.com/life

At HomeFlip the flap to find storiesabout gardening and more.

I have an interesting small tree onthe wooded edge of my landscape. It isabout 8 feet tall with fans of 2- to 3-inchoval leaves, and has large sprays ofsmall, off-white flowers above eachcane. The spiny canes have concentra-tions of odd rings of sharp thornswhere the leaf branches are attached,or were attached because the lowerbranches seem to die away. Last year, Iremember this plant had clusters ofsmall purple berries after the flowers.Would you know what it is?Jerry DanielsDurhamYou gave me just enough pieces of

the puzzle to take a pretty confidentguess: Aralia spinosa. Its commonname, devil’s walking stick, mightseem nefarious, but this tag simplydraws attention its abundance of nastythorns all along the branches. For me,there is nothing evil about this shrub,which is native to the eastern UnitedStates. The clusters of flowers are verypopular with bees and butterflies inlate summer, and the dark purple ber-ries that follow are some of the bestbird bait I have in my fall garden. It isdeciduous, so after the leaves drop, thesharp spines on the gray wood radiatein the low winter sun, creating a beau-ty that, depending on your tastes,ranges from cool Goth to horticultural-ly haunting.Devil’s walking stick can stretch to

more than 20 feet tall, but I keep minecloser to earth by cutting the older,taller canes off at the ground and thengiving them to friends as weird souve-nirs from my garden. This shrub caneasily spread from seed and root suck-ers, so you have to be vigilant to letsuch a prickly plant grow only whereyou want it to be, meaning away frombusy garden areas frequented by ex-posed skin, expensive Polo shirts andpanty hose.

Overun by slugsYou seem like the perfect guy to ask

this question. This year, because it hasbeen sowet, I have never seen somany

Sympathy forthe devil’s

walking stick

- L.A. JACKSON

Aralia spinosa is often called devil’swalking stick, taking its name fromthe thorns all along the branches.

Ask theGardener

L.A. Jackson

SEE GARDENER, PAGE 2D

For college kids who move offcampus, learning to accommodate thestyles and needs of housemates is goodpractice for life after school.Take Erica Weidrick and Caitrin Cur-

tis,whowill share anewtownhousewitha third friend at the University of NorthCarolina. While they’d all been livingtogether in a dorm, they wanted someorganization and style helpwith this newarrangement.Here are some typical problem

areas, with advice from two designerson how to solve them:

Front door dump“We all come in and just drop our

stuff in a pile, and sometimesmail getslost or keys disappear– usually whenwe’re late,” Weidrick says.Veronica Valencia, a Los Angeles-

based designer and stylist, suggestssetting up a bin for each housemate

Some style tips foroff-campus living

College students getschooled in decoratingand clutter control

By Kim CookAssociated Press

SEE OFF-CAMPUS, PAGE 2D

- TARGET VIA AP

This wall shelf withhooks and cubbies helpskeep things organizednear the front door in ashared house.

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slugs in my garden! I pick as manyas I can find, and more keep com-ing. Have you tried saucers of beerto control slugs? If so, how welldid it work?Thelma BerryDurhamBy referring to me as the “per-

fect guy,” I’m assuming thismeansyou think I am a gardener whomight – just might, mind you –have occasional interactions withthe bubbly beverage known asbeer. Well, without going into anydetails, I will plead guilty. Besidesusing beer for what it is obviouslyintended, I have also tried shallowdishes of it in the garden to dis-patch slugs (and snails). The trickis, of course, the beer attracts theslugs, which then drown in thebowl of brew. I have only hadmod-erate success with it – and, quitefrankly, I don’t like sharing a goodbeer with bad slugs.What I have been impressed

with, however, is the new genera-tion of slug baits that have beendeveloped recently. Instead of thehazardous metaldehyde that wascommon in formulations yearsago, many of today’s slug baits useiron phosphate as the active ingre-dient. While toxic to slugs, ironphosphate is much safer to usearound children and pets, and itnaturally breaks down to becomenothingmore than amild fertilizer

for plants.

A walk in the woodsI moved here from California

lastMarch and this will bemy firstfall in North Carolina. I was won-dering whether you ever take gar-deners on organized tree identifi-cation trips in the forests.Sandy BarnesRaleighI try not to venture out into the

woods too much, just to give locallaw officials a break. It seems likeevery time I go deep in-country,sightings of Sasquatch spike. Any-way, you might check the eventscalendar on the Chapel Hill-basedNorth Carolina Botanical Gar-den’s website: ncbg.unc.edu. Iknow they do walks centeredaround observations of WilliamBartram, the famous Americannaturalist who explored andwroteabout the Southeast wilds in thelate1700s. If you want to try a self-guided tour through local woodsthis autumn, think about pickingup a copy of “Fall Color andWood-land Harvests” by Anne H. Lind-sey and the late, great C. RitchieBell (UNCPress, 2007). It is an ex-cellent reference for identifyingplants in the beautiful autumn out-back of the Southeast.

L.A. Jackson is the former editor ofCarolina Gardener Magazine. Sendyour garden questions, including the

city where you garden, to:askthegardener@newsobserver.com.

GARDENERCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1D

and not allowing any overflow.“I love fabric bins or wood

crates,” says Valencia, who blogsat DesignHunterLA.com. “If youhave an entry table, considerfabric-wrapped magazine boxes,one for each person.”A wall shelf with hooks and

small baskets for keys and mailwill also help contain clutter.

Common-area clutter“The living room is a challenge

because that’s wherewe spendmostof our time, so it’swheremost of ourjunk ends up. It’s hard to keep ashared space organizedwhen every-one is coming and going at differenttimes,” Curtis says.They need stylish storagewhere

the clutter can hide when compa-ny comes. Valencia’s solution:storage ottomans. Consider an ot-toman in faux leather or suede,with a flip-top tray that can beused for TV remotes, phones andsnack dishes. Clutter can bescooped inside, and the ottomanprovides seating.Melodie Froment, PB Teen’s

vice president for product devel-opment, suggests using a pair oftrunks. “They’re great becauseyou can store extra blankets andother essentials.”

Common-area style“We all want our shared space to

bewarmand relaxed,” Curtis says.

“But the living room and kitchenare supposed to be social spots,and it’s nice to be able to changethe atmosphere.”Valencia’s answer is to “think in

terms of movable and modular.Add floor pillows so your coffeetable can accommodate a studygroup, and poufs for extra seatingon movie night.”She suggests sharing Pinterest

inspirations and finding styles andpatterns that all the housematescan live with.Your own room is where you’ll

be able to put your personalstamp.For common areas, Froment

says, “Pick a neutral color schemefor the larger furniture items andadd splashes of personality withdecorative pillows, art and decor.If you’re not planning on paintingyour walls, identify one to dec-orate with removable wall paperor decals.”If floors are bare, add a rugged

nylon rug in a bold geometric orfloral. Rugs bring pattern to thefloor and give rooms a finishedfeel that’s a little more grown-up.For ambient lighting, Fromentsuggests a fun floor lamp, perhapspaired with a playful wall light.“Accent with string lights for a

soft glow,” she says.

Bedroom spaceIn bedrooms, Valencia follows

the “3H” rule of organizing:“hamper, hooks and a hangingcloset organizer.”

OFF-CAMPUSCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1D

- PBTEEN VIA AP

This living area uses a trunk for a table and bins on shelves forstorage, perfect for a shared off-campus home.

Super space

Before, the 12- by 12-foot bath had a large cornertub and a claustrophobic shower. The space feltawkward with two unequally sized sinks, and thecabinets functioned poorly. Now these homeownershave a space that rivals the best hotel baths in theworld.In place of the tub, we installed a spacious, 5- by

5-foot zero-threshold walk-in shower, which could bewheelchair-accessible if necessary. A heated floor,double shower heads, a custom teak bench andniches for soap add to the luxury. We replaced theold shower stall with a built-in bench seat for perch-ing while painting toes, blow-drying and dressing.The mirrored wall behind it reflects light from achandelier with hand-blown glass droplets. Wall-to-wall glass-and-chrome shelves shine with the home-owners’ personality when filled with treasured travelsouvenirs and air plants.We chose sealed 3- by 6-inch tiles of royal gray

honed limestone for the shower walls. The curves ofthe natural pebble floor tile add softness. Smallmosaic accent tiles with rust-colored glass andmetallic slate create horizontal lines that pull youreye to the back splashes of the “his and hers”48-inch-wide vanities. The Euro-style cabinetry,which has a contemporary espresso finish, floatsabove the floor, adding a light, airy feel. The soft-close drawers were designed specifically to fit thehomeowners’ lotion bottles.Custom-made medicine cabinets with floating,

mirrored doors are illuminated by sconces of chromeand frosted glass. Modern chrome faucets adorn the36-inch-high countertop sink combinations of glossyvitreous china. The wall color is Sherwin WilliamsVanillin (6371).

Terrific trick

A space without windows doesn’t have tobe dark. To overcome the lack of naturallight in this bath, we added plenty of re-cessed LED lights and four wall sconces ondimmers. Large vanity mirrors and a mir-rored wall bounce light around the room.Glass shelves, polished chrome and a chan-delier sparkle. Lighting below the floatingvanities and the bench seat provides a sub-tle glow that creates an alluring ambianceunderfoot and a dreamy night light.

DesignMaster Class LISASTEWART

Bathroom transformation

stow a mattress,” said Laura Casey,an interior designer in Charlotte.Her custom Murphy-style bed,which forms a small, upholsteredsofa when closed, allowed a play-room to shift seamlessly to guestroom.In general, Murphy (or wall)

beds live in a cabinet and have ahinge to lower a platform andmattress down to the floor from theupright position. They can savespace without compromisingcomfort.“The configuration allows you to

use a really good quality mattress,”Casey said.Daybeds also remain popular

because of their versatility. Theyprovide a place to sleep, attractivedaytime seating and sometimesadditional storage. Some sport aslide-out trundle bed for an over-night guest.There isplentyof variety indesigns

and prices. World Market’s StudioDay Sofa (about $319) folds down atthe ends, allowing the mattress to lieflat. The multitasking Stratton DayBed ($1,200) is a platform-stylesingle from Pottery Barn that comeswith either rattan baskets or drawersunderneath.If the daybed sits in a frame,

Casey recommends, make surethere’s a half inch to an inch aroundthe perimeter between themattressand frame. “Some are so tight it’s

next to impossible to make thebed,” she said.Sofa beds used to have skimpy

mattresses over metal bars thatcaused discomfort . Those olddesigns are evolving.“People who have not shopped

for a sofa sleeper in the last five to10 ye a rs w i l l b e p l e a s a n t l ysurprised at the new options avail-able,” the home furnishing associ-ation’s Bowling said. Mirroringtrends in mattresses, some sleeperscome with air-over-coil technologyor gel or memory foam.Some updated designs don’t

require folding a mattress in onitself. That helps the cushions holdtheir shape longer. Urban Out-fitters’ AvaVelvet Tufted Sleep Sofa($749) is an example. Its back foldsdown lengthwise to create asmoother sleeping surface.Try out sofa beds in person before

purchasing, Bowling advised.Workwith the mechanisms yourself –don’t depend on the salesperson todo it for you.Give opening and clos-ing the bed a test drive. Caseyagreed: “You don’t want to giveyour guests a backache beforebreakfast.”

BEDSCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1D

- AMERICAN LEATHER

Payton is part of American Leather’s Comfort Sleeper Collection,which is engineered with no springs or bars.

- PHOTOS BY CAT WILBORNE PHOTOGRAPHY

The previous shower stall is replaced by a built-inbench seat covered by a colorful rug, and glassshelves hold travel souvenirs.

Niches forsoap andshampoo addanother touchof luxury.

DesignMasterClass

N&O DesignTeam memberswho share theirexpertise twice amonth in Home& Garden are allmembers of theAlliance of In-terior Designers,a group of Trian-gle-area profes-sionals. Learnmore at allianceofinteriordesigners.org.

(Not) by the book

A kilim rug from the homeowner’s collec-tion became a colorful cover for the benchseat. This added a much-needed punch ofcolor and tied in the bath with the rest ofthe home. Using a rug to cover the benchwas unconventional, but it’s a great exampleof the power of repurposing.

Lisa Stewart Design7413-202 Six Forks Road, Raleigh919-275-2212 or lisastewartdesign.com

newsobserverstore.com or 919-836-2829Take off

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