By Miah Ayaan
Apartments are great in so many ways, close to transport, shops, and other amenities. Not only are apartments built around central and convenient locations, but they are usually much easier to maintain than a house with a back yard and abundance of rooms. Yep, apartments and units are great, unless you want heaps of space.
Living in a small space such as an apartment or unit is the reality for most city dwellers, and from a societal standpoint, learning to live together in a tight space has had mixed results. Living in a small space becomes especially troublesome when you start filling it with furniture. Just because you can fit a four-seater lounge in your lounge room doesn’t mean you should.
Multipurpose furniture is a godsend for those living in small spaces. A piece of furniture like the Newport sofa bed is a perfect example of multipurpose furniture; stylish and comfortable while serving dual roles as bed and sofa.
Multipurpose furniture isn’t limited to sofa beds, let’s have a look at some clever pieces of multipurpose furniture that can help you save space.
Sleeper Ottomans.
Oh, that’s cute, your lounge turns into a bed, what about an ottoman that transforms into a bed? Now where talking! Ottomans are a luxurious supplement to any loungeroom and enhance your lounges comfort but are less popular in modern living rooms. For those in small spaces an ottoman can be a superfluous and space-hogging addition, but an ottoman that can serve as an extra bed? Now that’s clever.
Foldaway surfaces.
Taking a cue from the Japanese art of origami, folding tables and desks aren’t a new idea, but they are certainly gaining traction. A folding table can add utility to a room when needed and tucked away in a cupboard when not in use. Folding tables are great for occasional use, but what about something more permanent?
For the keen DIYer, a fixed folding surface can be built with some simple tools and hinges. Beware: this is not a simple job, and some experience will go a long way. For the less handy, a professional can install a fold away table in your home in an afternoon, to your exact specifications.
Sofa beds.
Yes, I poked fun at sofa beds earlier, but simply put, they are the best piece of multipurpose furniture available. No other piece of furniture offers two distinct functions in one space-saving design. Quality sofa beds like the Newport from Domayne are attractive and durable and serve both functions well.
Sofa beds have garnered an unfair reputation as a compromise between two worlds. A decade ago, an average sofa bed was a nightmare to sleep on and not much better to lounge on. Luckily for us modern folk, a modern sofa bed is not only a marvel to sit on, but it is often more comfortable to sleep on than most beds!
When buying a piece of furniture, it pays to thoroughly test the goods, especially so with a sofa bed. Look for a hardwood frame, as this will ensure enduring comfort. Test the quality of the mattress, too, as this can make or break the venerable sofa bed.
Living in a small space is the reality for most people. There is an art to living big in a small space, and its often our material objects that weigh us down and trap us in our ways. It can be hard to live the way you want to, while low on room. Multipurpose furniture not only serves two functions for the price of one, but it frees the clutter of daily life by reclaiming much-needed space.
