My DD uses a comforter on her daybed and it works just fine. However, it really is not long enough to drape down on both ends of the bed since most comforters and duvets are made to only reach the top of the mattress on the upper end. Given the placement of her daybed, this is not an issue since there is not much open space and she had nightstands. It more than makes up for the ease in making the bed and she can sleep under the comforter (or duvet). This shows what I mean as you can see her sheets peaking out the side. Even if she draped it over the edge it would not be so comfortable for sleeping under since the comforter would be bunched up around her head. As for what forhgtv describes in terms of the width, we just tuck the comforter down the backside so that it does not become displaced at night while sleeping so I don't see that as a concern. From what I've seen of the daybed covers, it is more for decorative purposes and meant to be completely taken off the bed when sleeping. It wouldn't seem that practical for daily use--esp. in winter when you require heavier blankets. I would think with that option, you would cover the bed with just the cover and then makeup the bed with the blankets, etc, when you have a guest similarly to what you do with a sofa bed. My other DD has a duvet on her bed. I like duvets for their ease of washing. Hers is from Pottery Barn and seems generously sized--most likely still short to cover both ends.

I made my daybed cover out of a full-sized comforter because I couldn't find a well-made, not cheap-looking cover that I felt would work in my Western guest room. Finished, it looked great (IMO) and fit like a glove over the bed. The problem was that once off, my guests would inevitably leave it folded up on the floor or on the easy chair throughout their stay. It was too much of a bother to put it back on every day! It was also very hard to launder it once they left. So, I bought a nice looking, easy to launder, thin, quilted cotton comforter and have packed the original cover away. I'll probably end up donating it to Goodwill. I used to keep sheets and a blanket or down comforter on the bed, so that it was ready to go for any guests, but now don't. I like to sleep on sheets that smell fresh and clean, and I think they loose that freshness after a while. Since we never have unexpected company, I now just put on freshly laundered linens the day (or day before) my company arrives. As for the new, thin cover, I wash it after every guest leaves. Another problem I encountered is that all my throw pillows also ended up on the floor while guests were staying here. I finally solved that problem by buying a large woven basket to hold all the pillows at night and just make a point of mentioning that it's to hold any pillows. We don't have company every month and the guest room, now with a different furniture layout than in the pic below, is also my study. I've become very frustrated with the daybed lately. I find it too high to comfortably use as sofa and end up sitting on my very comfortable leather easy chair (not pictured below) instead. I'm ready to rethink the room. I'm planning on selling the oak daybed and trundle and buying one of those very good quality automatic airbeds that I can collapse and store in the walk-in closet when not in use. Sorry, I'm most likely giving you more info than you wanted. As you can probably tell, I'm not a fan of my daybed today (LOL). Lynn My "Before" guest room:

Hi, Sumac. It's the West Elm Nailhead Trim Daybed. It's in linen, and is a true twin size. Mine is in the "flax" color. It can be assembled to put the "corner" on either side. The bottom is webbed slats similar to what you see on IKEA pieces, but a bit sturdier. The matching linen mattress cover is extra, but I bought it so I'd have a true sofa look. Beware, though, that the mattress cover is gracious in dimensions, and is pretty baggy on the tempur-pedic 'mattress we're using. Having the back and one side makes it a tiny bit more of a hassle to make up, but not much (I remember this discussion from another recent daybed thread). Our foam mattress is very light, so I can just flip it up to put on the fitted sheet, and it's easy to slide it a bit to do the flat sheet. I don't worry about making up with a blanket or quilt -- I just put that at the foot of the bed and let the guest do as they will. I'd never had a daybed before, but knew I wanted one for this little room. I shopped for months before finally landing on this one, and waitied until there was a sale. It's usually $1,099, but I think I paid about $800-$899. The construction seems pretty solid. It feels solid when you sit down on it. It's been used for guests three times, for about a week each time. No one has raved, but no one has complained, either. I figure that's a win. It's excellent for napping!

As a guest, I would be happy to arrive to your home and find a stack of clean linen on your covered daybed. I wouldn't think twice about making up my own bed and would actually prefer to do it if I knew the task would cause you discomfort. Maybe I'm too casual a person, but I think a stack of sheets, blanket, towel and washcloth is fine for a guest.