A brilliant way to make the most of your space without compromising essentials or luxuries, multifunctional living can be effortlessly incorporated into the home and tailored to your unique style. For those of us who don’t have separate living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and home offices, combining multiple rooms into one is perfect for utilising your floor space.
Stylish and practical, sofa beds are ideal for those with only one room for sleeping and living in – like most studio flats – or for those who frequently have guests over but don’t have a spare room. These sofas transform into comfortable double beds and turn your living space into a cosy bedroom with a few easy clicks. From unassuming and contemporary leather designs to chic Scandi and more traditional appearances, sofa beds are great for both relaxing in front of the TV during the day and catching your 40 winks at night.
For those who like their sofa and sleeping area to be separate, trundle beds are a great alternative, effortlessly folding away after use to fit in tight storage areas.
Children’s bed frames come in various clever designs with multifunction in mind. Combining nap time and playtime, some cabin beds have areas underneath for your little ones to hide in their very own den, and some even come with slides. For older kids, mid-sleepers offer ample storage for toys and schoolwork and pull-out desks for drawing and homework.
If you’re stuck for space for tables and chairs, a folding set might be the answer. When dinner is nearing, pull it out from the cupboard or corner of your room and unfold it to create a sturdy and comfortable setting for you and your family to dine on. The bonus of transforming your living room into a dining space is that the sofa is only a couple of steps away when you’ve eaten just a little too much and need to stretch out.
If you’ve got the room for a more permanent table but don’t want it swallowing up too much space when not in use, then drop-leaf tables or extending tables are also great options. Remaining in place as a permanent unit, the surface area of these tables can be expanded to seat more people when needed and left to a smaller size when the kids are out, or your guests have gone home.
Multifunctional living creates a need for multifunctional furniture. Like the sofa beds mentioned above, seating can offer a variety of secondary uses. Storage is a sought-after feature, and ottomans, pouffes, and footstools provide ample room inside for all of your bits and bobs. Available in an array of leather and lush velvet fabrics, their lids are comfortably cushioned to provide an extra perch in your room.
Another way to utilise your seating choice is to pick stools that can double as side tables. If your seat has a flat surface - like industrial wood or metal Scandi styles - it could be positioned by the side of your sofa or chair as a convenient table for your cup and remote. Then, pull it back out into the room when guests arrive. Just ensure you’re using a stool specifically designed to be sat on, unlike most side tables, or you may end up breaking it or yourself.
If your open-plan living space feels too chaotic, try creating divides in your room to separate the space slightly. Partitions can be made using various methods, from chic curtains that section off areas to cleverly positioned furniture. An open-backed bookcase or shelving unit can be placed sideways onto a wall to create a make-shift divider. You can even decorate it in a stylish way to enhance your interior theme.
Read our handy articles below for more great ideas on furnishing homes that are tight on space.
