you’re in the right spot if you like minimalism, street photography, cars, and tattoos.
hi, i’m brad and this is my creative outlet to share my passions and life learnings.
flonought (flo•nawt) is a word i made up based on two words, florens (latin) and nought. to me it means “to flourish from nothing.” it’s based around the simple ideas of embracing the uncomfortable and to never stop learning.
i enjoy it as a sofa, it's comfortable. yes, i have sat in it for a long time. my office chair took longer to ship, so i was using the sofa to work from home and then watch a tv show/movie after work. so there were full days on the sofa. i'm going to cover some of this in my next video, which will be a follow up for this to show how it's holding up after about 2 months.
appreciate it! 🙂 and agreed, it's unfortunately just part of putting yourself out there online; gives you thicker skin. but you meet/hear from a lot of cool people from all over on here too, and that to me is still fascinating that we have that kind of reach today.
I just made the purchase yesterday for 2nd bedroom. It will be a sofa for me and a queen size bed for guests (bed use a couple times a year). I have a little concern for my guest, of getting up off the floor in the morning. It's either this Koala sofa bed or a King Koil Queen Plush air mattress. I'm hoping the Koala works!
nice! i hope it works out for you. definitely keep the trial period in mind if for some reason you don’t end up liking it and/or it’s not working out for guests. seems like a great option for you if you’re mostly using as a sofa too; the dual purpose is convenient.
i still love it, no regrets. what's your goal with buying, are you getting it to use as a full-time bed too or more as just an extra bed in your place? and what kind of sleeper are you?
@@flonought Appreciate the response. We're looking for a sofa for the office room (mostly for solo tv watching) that can also turn into a 2nd bedroom when friends/family are visiting. I'd guess it would be used as a bed about 15 nights a year, but I absolutely hate the old-school metal bar pull out sleepers and wouldn't wish that on any of my guests.
@@oliolioli. you’re welcome. okay cool, that’s good to know, appreciate the context. and i agree with you, those look very dated and usually are not that comfortable (or you get the creaks of the metal/springs when shifting). so here’s my long-winded answer that hopefully helps ya out. i looked at more sofa beds than i hoped to have looked at in my lifetime. the thing i noticed time and time again, is that a lot of them didn’t have a good aesthetic or if they did a minor detail would ruin it for me such as the sofa base being a weird color, the legs being too big or oddly shaped, the side arm rests being to thin or square (which makes it awkward or uncomfortable when laying down). i did look at other brands like article, ikea, burrow, sabai, and someone else mentioned ecosa (hadn’t heard of this one before) which seems to have some decent ones too. the other sofa bed i was really considering was the “omhu teddy” but i didn’t like that it is always on the floor. i was looking for something somewhat plain, with subtle style. something that looked cohesive. my main goals were also for a sofa, a bed, occasional nap, and something that looks good on camera for youtube; some textures can have that vibrating effect (i.e., a close striped shirt goes nuts on camera). and the last big one, was something that was easy to move by not requiring tools, and was not super heavy if i needed to move it by myself. with all that in mind, that’s what really had my attention with the koala sofa bed specifically the paper bark color. the arms were wide enough with round edges, the pillows have this light and airy look the way they flow over the sides, and the way they stitched the seam in the center makes it look more like a regular sofa. so for you, i think the koala would work well for what you’re looking for. the one thing worth mentioning is someone commented that it is somewhat uncomfortable for back sleepers. i’m a side sleeper so I could only speak to that in my video, but the good thing is that they have a good trial period so you have plenty of time to test it out and confirm it fits your needs. hope this helps! PS the follow up review for this is the next video i'm filming.
appreciate it. yeah the seating position took a little getting used to for sure. but i will say, i’ve had it for over a week now and have used it a lot; full days of work and then editing for hours after work. it has made a huge difference for me. i don’t know about you, but in a normal chair i have a tendency to want to lean forward which puts my body in this odd/uncomfortable position; noticeable neck and back strain. but the way this is shaped it helps my posture by keeping me in that natural curve position, with my head up and shoulders somewhat back. having that full stretch position has been super nice after sitting for awhile too.
Wow, I certainly hope the cushions on this thing hold up over time. It literally looks like an updated version of one I had back in my late teens when first moving out from home. Everybody called this style of sofabed the "Flip & F**k". EDIT: forgot to add the cushions on that one lasted maybe a year, if that.
i hope so too. the follow up review i’m planning on doing should provide a good indicator of how it’s holding up, especially since i’m using it a lot. i can say I’m getting better sleep on this than i was on my traditional bed before it, which is still surprising to me.
thank you! i believe it can, but it also depends on the size of the 3 people on the sofa. koala lists it on their website as a 3-seater. i haven’t had 3 people on it at once yet, but sitting on it by myself (especially if i take the side pillows off) there seems to be enough room. that’s a great question though and this is something i’ll work into my follow up review video. i bought this version mostly to be able to lay down comfortably when watching a show/movie. if that’s a priority for you and you’ll constantly have 3 people on it, in my opinion you may want to look for something a little bigger such as their “byron” sofa (which someone else did a youtube review on) or something else entirely.
Thank you for making this! I looked at these Koala beds last year because I live in a studio apartment in Brooklyn, and they unfortunately only shipped within Australia. I'm SO HAPPY to see that they now ship to the US, because there are no other companies making something as versatile as this.
absolutely, you’re welcome. i 100% agree with you! there really isn’t anything like it online; the colors they offer and the pillows that just fall over the sides are what stood out the most. appreciate you taking the time to watch!
@@SydneyDrums i think i saw someone else mention this brand too. this is one i haven't heard of before but it looks like they have some decent stuff too. thanks for the recommendation.
Welcome to Seattle! I visited here many years ago and loved it so much I found work while on vacation here then packed up and moved in 40 days. Best decision ever.
@@flonought I wish I could get as minimalist as you, but some of my hobbies do indeed take up a bit of space. I subscribed so will keep an eye out for minimalism inspiration on my efficiency journey :)
@@kireix i appreciate that 🙂 minimalism has definitely helped me a lot in life, but the great thing about minimalism is it's unique to an individual. you get to define what it means to you, and what brings you value. even if your hobbies take up more space, if they are bringing you value that's the most important.
Thanks for review, been debating on getting something similar. Off topic though, u mentioned recently moving to Seattle. Would love to get ur take on being a new resident there coming from the Midwest; and mayb a video on u getting to know the area and vibe of the place. Ive considered moving to Seattle in the past but hear it can be different living there and meeting folks. Anyways, just a thought/request. Thnx!
you're welcome. appreciate you taking the time to watch! and for sure, i wrote down a topic similar to that for a video to potentially make so thanks for suggesting that and I'll keep that in mind for a future video. it can be quite a big change and seem overwhelming to move to a new state, but i can tell you in short that it's worth it. really comes down to your willingness to put yourself out there, be open-minded, be comfortable doing things on your own at first (going to restaurants, coffee shops, parks, taking walks in the city, etc.) making it a point to introduce yourself to people. if you have instagram, feel free to hit me up and I'd be happy to answer any specific questions you have about moving.
tell me one of your top 5 favorite movies? for those of you who don’t know me, movies were a big part of my life growing up. i’m going to date myself here, but i remember going with my family to blockbuster to pick out a couple movies to watch on a friday or saturday night. for those of you that we’re not around when that was a thing, there was something pretty special about picking out a movie off the shelf. walking through all of the categorized isles, getting candy on the way out, no copies of the movie you want left on the shelf but then you find out someone returned a copy when you’re checking out… all of this created an experience outside of the movie itself, something that is somewhat lost today.
agreed, they are pretty expensive when you consider the cost of a mattress too. there were a few on amazon that had a similar style for a lot less money, but they either looked cheap or just didn’t look quite as aesthetically pleasing as the thuma. i was actually considering a twin to save room before getting the sofa, but the sofa bed was a bigger draw for me; queen bed when you need it, small sofa when you don’t. do you have a twin for a smaller apartment?
agreed, i was thinking about that as well but the issue - at least while i do not own my place - is most of them are pretty heavy. if i bought my own place, that would make a lot more sense. i really like this furniture builder/designer @gethandsdirty. she did a super cool murphy bed design for her place, and built it from scratch. i dropped the link below if you want to check it out. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pBsWQ2jT3Sw.htmlsi=BEm4peI1CvRBW4zZ
When I was a kid in Seattle, we often took family trips to interesting places around the area. Our favorite outing was “the locks”. It was so cool to be able to stand just a few feet from a large vessel that was moving through the canal. All sorts of vessels, including small boats came through. It’s been many years since those little adventures, but many of them are still fresh in my mind. Seattle is a great place for a kid growing up.
i imagine this would be an awesome place as a kid growing up. that's cool to hear that was one of your favorites. my first time in seattle, before i moved here, was in april of this year and that video was from that trip. "the locks" was one of my favorite places. something about it, especially that day because it was raining, just instantly made me feel clam. soft sounds of water. the cool breeze and light rain. coffee in hand. so beautiful. do you have any other favorite spots you enjoy?
I’m not sure why there’s a debate.. but the toilet paper should always be over.. I am 41 and single with a rescued cat, and we went from a 420sq ft studio to a 750sq ft one bedroom. Personally I loved my studio is was a railroad style (without any walls), but my cat was going a little stir crazy, fast forward four years together, I think we could go smaller.. I prefer smaller then the 700ish we have now.
😆 agreed! oh okay nice, your original studio sounds like my space now (412 sqft), i just have walls for the bathroom but the rest is one open room. and i feel ya on that. once you get used to a smaller space, having more just feels like too much (but all relative to a person’s life with partner, pets, kids, etc.). it’s a very interesting topic.
@@rebeccacartier153 the idea of that is intriguing for sure. i imagine that would be extremely freeing, and also somewhat scary (at first). well that sounds like something to works towards then. stuff can always be minimized.
understandable. the height difference did take some getting used to. however, i will say there is something quite meditative about putting a little more effort into getting out of bed in the morning/going to bed at night. it’s a small difference, but i’ve noticed a positive effect in my life because of it. i would compare it to waking up and stretching in the morning before starting your day. it’s relaxing.
Agreed - at my age high beds are much more comfortable both to sleep in and get out of! But he is young and probably very agile so wouldn’t be a problem for him. My meditative time is in stripping the sheet and duvet to the end of the bed exposing the mattress, then opening the window to air all, having breakfast and then coming back and making the bed from scratch! I hate having a wrinkled bottom sheet so I’m not a person who just throws the duvet over the bed.
Very helpful. Our issue is that the doorway into the room is so constricted that we couldn't possibly get a regular sleeper sofa in. We bought a small loveseat that came in pieces but we really wanted a sleeper sofa. This looks like the answer for us. Thanks!
Enjoyed seeing your hairy legs and backside view. Otherwise, I don't have anything constructive or complimentary to ssy about your video or the subject matter. Hopefully, your move to Seattle will turn out to be a happy and successful decision. Be well! P.S. The RU-vid algorithm goddess is a cruel mistress.
well the first bit of that wasn’t necessary to actually leave a comment about. and that’s okay, not everything has to be constructive/complimentary; i knew at least that much to be true with wanting to get into this whole youtube thing in the first place. it can be quite vulnerable at times to put yourself out there. but thank you, it very much has been a good decision. still adjusting but learning a lot in the process. i imagine it’s going to be one of those life decisions to look back on and be thankful i took the opportunity.
Actually I am feeling this content. I'm also feeling this salary transparency. Listening to you made me realize just how god damn lucky I've been in my career. I worked in 2 start-ups, but both roles were fully-remote and in Sales. So with my commission I started at 50k base and 30k OTE. Now Sales, in a start-up, sometimes hell and that internalized stress and work obsession. I can verifiably say that was me for years. I am looking to go into a more corporate job where the turn-over is less frequent. Also, liked learning what SME or "Smee" meant. Overall though I still would recommend Sales because that 30k a year, with a college degree, seems really unfair. When I graduated I was looking at the Median salary for someone with a college degree and the fact most jobs involve a bit of selling. I'm still bought into the concept you don't just want a job, but you want growth potential, a bonus, and or equity in the company.
This is a helpful video! I'm 18, just switched to full time only making 40k pretax in upstate NY. so far I'm not planning on college. I'd like to make more to actually support myself and buy a home further south.
thank you! and good for you, that’s interesting. after a quick search online it looks like you’re a little above average for that salary and your age. if you don’t mind sharing I’d be really curious to know, do you live at home still/not have any rent? how comfortable do you feel at that salary in nyc? what do you do for a job?
@flonought fortunately, I'm still living at home without rent, so for now, I'm very comfortable and focused on saving. I work at Valvoline, we mostly do oil changes. I'm planning on moving to a full service shop soon, but the people here are great.
@@VQEthan I like the sound of that. In economics we are calling those middle-skills jobs and they are in pretty high-demand. I would say if you have an interest in a particular career outside of this one, a degree might make sense then. I think you are making the right move given the flux in the higher education market.
@@VQEthan thanks so much for sharing. that is great to hear! take full advantage of the time you're at home and don't have rent. and since you mentioned you want to buy a home, is there a strong reason why you'd be looking to buy rather than rent for a while (when you move out on your own)? i ask because i felt pressure to buy from people around me when i was in my mid 20s - the classic phrase "you're wasting your money renting" always came up - and i ended up buying a place when i was 26. looking back at that experience, it would have been much smarter for me to rent while my salary was still somewhat low and consistently invest the extra vs. buying a place; it made me somewhat "house poor," added stress, found out some hidden costs beyond just what the mortgage payment is compared to flat rental cost, etc.
@flonought personally, I'm not presured either way. I think it would be smart to rent for the first couple of years to really find the right location. I like the freedom that comes with owning a home, but there are for sure a ton of hidden costs.
in my opinion it sleeps warm, but comfortably so. i don't think it's hot. to give you an idea, my current apartment in seattle doesn't have a/c - which i found out is pretty common here - and is usually 78ish for temp; currently in summer sometimes in the low 80s. i sleep with a fan on (low to medium strength) and a sheet and I don't sweat.
Absolutely! Trust me, I was in the same position before I purchased so I get it. I wished there was a review out there when I researching (but I’m glad it worked out), so I’m happy my review is helpful for others.
I also just moved to Seattle to a smaller space and bought this exact same couch!! I was looking for a review before I bought it but there isn't an unsponsored one to be found... until now:) It truly is a great sofa bed AND couch. I've had two guests sleep on it, and I slept on it for a few nights. It's also great for simply sitting on and watching TV. I'm glad you mentioned the crease - I'm a back sleeper so it did cause some discomfort for me, but I'm actually short enough to where I can lay sideways and avoid the crease all together if I so choose. Definitely something to think about for other people buying tho. Overall this was a great video and I'm glad there's finally a real review of the koala on the internet cause it truly is a great pick!
thanks so much for the insights! glad to hear you comment about sleeping on your back, that's great for other people to know. i imagined that would be the case because it seems the dip would be more noticeable in that sleeping position, but as a side sleeper it really surprised me with how comfortable it is. And appreciate the kind words, thanks for watching! how are you liking seattle so far?
@@jim27105 thank you! yes, definitely a culture shock. and yes, i’m very much enjoying it here. the city is beautiful, and the walkability is great compared to st. louis.
@@Dogsnark were you priced out of the city from rent prices? after seeing prices in st. louis slowly go up, i'm sure they have sky rocketed here over the years.
really appreciate you watching! and thank you for that, i’m learning a lot. i’m not looking to be famous, but the goal is to do this full time without burning out and/or killing the awesome creative outlet it is currently. And to keep connecting with like-minded people along the way.
hey! very informative video! could you please comment if the sofa is comfortable to sleep on a regular basis? We intend to buy one but use it for regular sleeping purposes. is the mattress holding its shape ?
hey, thank you! yes, i find it to be very comfortable. i’m a side sleeper, so i can only speak to that position. it’s been about a month of daily use and it still looks/feels great. i assume it will develop somewhat of a ‘lived in’ look over time. i’ll be doing a follow up video about 2 to 3 months in to show how it’s holding up and speak to it in more detail. but so far i couldn’t be more happy with the purchase, especially for my small space.
@@flonoughtI would love to see your updated longterm review! I’m considering a koala or a luonto for the same reasons as you except mine is a tiny room in NYC haha
@@AmazingTofuSlayer haha understood, a sleeper sofa seems like a great option for that! for sure, i’ll definitely be doing one. want to make sure mine gets a lot of use before doing the review to make sure i cover anything that comes up. i’ll most likely do one at the end of this month or so to get a full 2 months of use in for the first follow up review.
You can still run the black foam piece. Slide it under the bar. I've got the same Cusco bar. I trimmed the rear carpet so I can see the bar and be able to adjust my K-Tuned coils. Your next mod should be ECU either Kpro or Ktuner.
@@mikelowrey8225 that’d be awesome man, appreciate it. i don’t think that works here but you can shoot me a dm on instagram if you have it/if that’s easier.
@flonought I've got a pic of everything that I did. But unfortunately, I can't upload them here. I'm not on social media. But thinking about IG again just for my car build.
Glad you’re excited! I’m stoked to do that video too, and am very happy with the apartment. Waiting for my office chair to arrive and then I’ll shoot that video. Will eventually have to get some of my photography printed and framed up also, but I’ll do that later on.
as you age if you spend a lot of time on your feet, you will grow to appreciate your feet hanging off the bed for strengthening / not putting pressure on your ankles.
I’ll keep that in mind. I have a desk job so I do a lot of sitting during the day. Main form of movement is going to the gym regularly and walking outside.
I agree and am beyond thankful for how open they were/are with me. I’ve realized this more and more as I talk with others about money. But I’m glad to hear that you figured it out. Is there something you can think of that helped you most to get started in the right direction with money?
@@jahanas22 sometimes that’s what it takes, and those moments typically stick with you the most because you want to avoid feeling that way again. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my rock bottom moments and dumb money decisions along the way too but I know I was in a better position than most starting off. All you can do is learn from your mistakes, and find people smarter than you to teach you (online or in person). My parents, books, and RU-vid have played a vital role in what I’ve learned/continue to learn. I appreciate you sharing.
For sure, that is definitely something I’ll still be on the lookout for since it’s my full time bed. My impression from researching was that it would be less maintenance/risk than the shikibuton/floor futon, but I understand it’s still a possibility if not cared for properly. I’m going to do an update video 3 to 6 months in to review how well it is holding up.
@@xxwoman in theory. It would still be something you should keep an eye out for regardless. The dehumidifier would be relying on proper airflow under the mattress and can only pull so much water in so much space. So you'd have to be sure that it's large enough to handle your space and be checking regularly, at least for a while after starting to use it.
Thanks man! Much more comfortable than I thought it would be. And definitely, it has saved so much space in the apartment. So glad I didn’t go with a mattress and frame.
