Multi-functional furniture for small apartments

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FACILE, Marco Gregori Architetto Marco Gregori Architetto Living room
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A desk masquerading as a sofa, a bookshelf that doubles as a workspace, or perhaps a versatile sofa with about as many functions as the mind can conjure— with today’s apartments and homes seemingly getting smaller and more tightly packed, it makes sense to incorporate furniture that serves not only one purpose, but can also cater to multiple uses and applications. Perhaps a table that doubles as a herb garden, or a modular sofa that lends itself to work as well as relaxation? These items can greatly influence and enhance your small space, and create an ambience of organisation as well as practicality. Today on Homify we check out pieces of furniture that serve multiple uses, and how these can be incorporated into your home practically and with ease. 

Take a look at the following great examples and begin thinking ‘outside the box’ when it comes to choosing furniture for your domestic space.

Useful and comfortable workspace

These days our lives can be hectic, busy, and often the line is blurred between home and work life. In addition to this, we find ourselves living in smaller and more confined spaces. Studio apartments, one-bedroom loft conversions, and shared accommodation all offer limited space, and it may be difficult to arrange a work space in addition to a home lounge. This wonderful piece of multi-purpose furniture allows the user to combine the two, with the manipulative ability to transform their sofa from comfortable relaxation station into a seat and table—add the facility of a laptop holder and you've got yourself a small but handy workspace.

Space saving writing desk

In small apartments, often every little bit of space counts, and so it is imperative that each area of the abode is functional and utilises its space practically. This wonderfully versatile folding shelf system makes good use of empty wall space to create an adaptable unit that can be easily operated when needed, while acting as a simple piece of wall art when tucked away. Often, corridors and hallways are wasted space in the traditional apartment floorplan; consider using a multipurpose piece of furniture that can transform into a bookshelf, a display shelf, or even a desk when needed.

The playful pouf

Poufs, footrests, ottomans and hassocks—they all function as a multipurpose piece of floor furniture and can act as an excellent addition to any home or apartment space. This simple cube may seem as though it has only one use, but in actual fact, the ottoman or footstool can become a versatile and useful item to employ in your domestic space. Do you need an extra seat in your lounge room? Is your space too small for a chaise longue? Consider an ottoman as a useful seat, footrest, table or just something to lean against while reading a good book in front of the fire. Choose an ottoman to reflect your decor, something soft and comfortable, yet stylish and hard-wearing.

Multi-purpose sofa

This wonderfully cute three-seat sofa is the ultimate in multi-purpose furniture, with so many different configurations, it will surely be a welcome addition to any abode, large or small.

The decorative table garden

With the unflinching and persistent bite of a cold winter at our doorstep, it can be extremely difficult to enjoy a moment in which to step outdoors and enjoy the natural flora beyond our home or office. The solution to this is often to include some indoor plant life or greenery that brightens up homes and injects much needed organic goodness into our lives. But where to put these indoor plants? Apartments and homes can be small and, with space at a premium, having enough room to display herbs or flowers can be difficult and an unnecessary luxury. Take a look at this multifunctional table-come-planter; it has enough space to grow as little or as many herbs or small plants, with the added benefit of acting as a stylish table when not in use. Bring the outdoors in during winter, and enjoy a tasteful piece of furniture when the plants are able to grow outside in summer—it doesn’t get any easier.

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