TL;DR: Any recommendations for a NEW sofa bed/futon that doesn't look like a college dorm room, $500 or less?
Finally found a place to live in Chicago. After a lot of looking, applications, getting rejections because our rental history is sporadic, we finally got approved. Instead of a 2-3 bedroom like we wanted, we've gone with a 1 bedroom. Boo. But we're saving $600 a month off of our budgeted amount. Yay!
We don't have a couch. While we could fit a couch up there, it would be much easier to get a Futon up the stairs (3rd floor) since it disassembles. On top of that, while we could get an air mattress for guests, that would take up precious storage room.
So, any recommendations for a futon/sleeper sofa? It cannot look like a futon. It has to look like a couch--that means arms on the side, and preferably sofa cushions. It needs to work first as a seating area; the sleeping function is much, much less important. The top contender right now is the IKEA FRIHETEN, but I'm open to other options.