It is one of those quiet facts that every famous composer who comes to stay at the Steele manor* knows, that in fact the fourth bedchamber, serving as the guest suite, also doubles as the master's study, and that in order to accommodate the desk, seating area, and requisite baby grand piano, some liberties had to be taken. As we could not allow our guest composers to suffer the ignominy of trying to work out a four-am inspiration on something as barbarous as an upright piano, the usual 4-poster bed was replaced with a loveseat sofabed.

Now hideabeds are not known for exceeding comfort. However, as most composers are unnaturally bent-over anyway and are usually inspired to produce their greatest works when the least comfortable, it was thought a trifling matter.

It has been pointed out to us though that other guests who are not famous composers, such as a mother-in-law, might want to spend the night, and to have a mother-in- law staying who has not slept well is simply to add insult to injury. So after days of research, analysis, and prototype development**, we proffer this solution.

Memory foam mattresses are quite comfortable, but the thick kind won't fit in a sofabed, nor are very easy to fold over because of their thickness. If the mattress were encased in a vacuum storage bag, however, then the foam could be compressed into a size which could fit. Care must be taken that the mattress folding be done in parallel while the air is vacuumed out, as anyone who has experimented with vacuum storage bags quickly realizes that the contents become as stiff as a board when they are fully compressed.

Mothers-in-law, rejoice. Your improved bedchamber is ready.

*that is to say, none thus far, but hey, it could happen

**actually 3 seconds of thought in the shower
-- RayfordSteele, Feb 03 2018

So an alternative idea to the four poster grand piano bed in which the work is slept on overnight.

Then again, simply, the foam mattress could form fit the baby grand.
-- wjt, Feb 03 2018


Sounds like the reverse of The Master's inflatable chair in 'Terror of the Autons', the one that ate people that sat in it ...

An idea with possibilities, then. [+].
-- 8th of 7, Feb 04 2018


A web search seems to indicate that memory foam shouldn't be stored compressed for long term. One site indicated that at stores, new vacuum packed mattresses had to be sold within 90 days or else unpacked.
-- scad mientist, Feb 04 2018


[wjt] Do you know what that would do to the sound of the baby grand? Do you want to scar a famous composer or my mother-in-law for life? Hmm... I see the logic here...
-- RayfordSteele, Feb 04 2018



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