Smaller budgets and smaller living spaces mean multipurpose furniture is the wave of the future. These 42 creations and innovations show that one piece can perform the functions of two, three, four, or even five traditional furnishings.
The idea is great for space. You don’t have to clutter your home with extra items, making for sleek and relaxing living. The idea is great for budgets. Individuals can spend more on one item, knowing they’re spending way less than if they’d bought three things to do the same thing. And the idea is a challenge to designers. What will be the next winning combination?
42 Multifunctional Furniture Sets
Proving the Secret to the Universe is Multipurpose Pieces:
Jessica Marcel — Sep 12, 2009 — Art & Design
42
Multipurpose Furniture
Bed + Couch + Sofa
41
Puzzling Transformer Furniture
Michael Alvisse's Giant Foam Building Blocks Based on a Toy
40
Ingenious Flat Pack Furniture
Small Space Living Made Eco-Easy
39
Transformer Furniture
Chair to Sofa
38
Origami Furniture
F1 Folding Chairs and F2 Table by Nils Frederking
37
All in One Furniture
The Unit Has A Kitchen, Table, Fridge & Bathtub
36
3-in-1 Furniture in a Box
One To Three For Five (Seconds)
35
Collapsible Multi-Purpose Furniture
The Pick Chair
34
Furniture For Small Space Living
The Pivot Table
33
Foldable Home Interiors
Small Living Spaces Call for Foldable Furniture
32
Stacking Furniture To Save Space
The Tiefschlaf Bed
31
Adjustable Furniture
Clamped Table by Ryan Sorrell
30
Secret Identity Furniture
It's a Chair! It's a Desk! It's a Podium! It's Marius Goetze's Ecobank!
29
Foldable Furniture
Adam Goodrum Stitch Chairs
28
Space Saving Furniture
Rotating Book Shelf
27
Furniture For Single Men
Ironing-Table
26
Tetris Furniture
Diego Silverio's Decor Enables Classic Gamer Living
25
Ottoman Workout Benches
Hybrid Furniture Designed for City Dwellers
24
Multi-Functional Treehouses
Wooden Structure Dances Between Furniture and Architecture
23
Convertible Furniture
The Tona Chair / Low Table / High Table
22
Convertible Furniture
The 'SwiTCH Table & Chair'
21
Flip-Over Furniture
You'll Flip for Joven De La Vega's 2-in-1 Chair Desk
20
Lifestage Evolving Furniture
YiAhn's Convertible Crib Tranforms Into Other Furniture
19
Multiple Personality Furniture
The Chair Stripe by Jan Schreiner Doubles as a Coffee Table
18
Interchangeable Furniture -INNO's Bondo Sofa by Harri Korhonen
17
Expansive Modular Furniture
Don't Call This 'Little City of Seating' a Mere Sofa
16
Skewered 2-in-1 Furniture
Skloib TV Drehturm Doubles As a Fireplace (On a Stick)
15
Furniture That Blooms
The Destalt Umbrella Table
14
Low-Tech Convertible Furniture
Shiina Kaori's Simple Chair Becomes Comfy Cushion
13
Shape-Shifting Shelves
Get More Out Items Out of Less With Ratchet Furniture
12
Transformative Tube Furniture
The Phase Griffin is a 4-in-1 Planter, Bench, Stool and Table
11
Stow-Away Art Furniture
Fold-Up Chair Disguised As a Painting of the Mona Lisa
10
Growing Furniture
Adjustable Tripp Trapp High Chair Can Last a Lifetime
9
Camouflaged Folding Chairs
Biombo Combination Furniture
8
Multifunctional Minimalist Furniture
The Tao Lounger by Colico Design
7
Transforming Furniture
Stove Doubles As a Chair
6
Furniture with Transforming Fabric
Scroll Table Eliminates Tablecloths and Stains
5
Adaptable Furniture
Mass Tables by John Truex
4
Origami-Inspired Furniture
The Folder Chair
3
2 in 1 Furniture
Chair With Built-in Hanger
2
2 in 1 Furniture
Time Table
1
Stacked Furniture as Art
The Possible Plateform Table
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15 Swank Treehouses
From Invisible Homes to Treehouses on Stilts
40 One-of-a-Kind Dining Experiences
From Treehouse Restaurants to Robot & Monkey Waiters
28 Elevated Architecture Designs
From Adult Treehouses to Gravity-Defying Homes
60 Origami and Folded Innovations
39 Small-Space Garden Innovations
From Pint-Sized Plants to Wall-Mounted Tile Planters
Furniture for Feet
High Chair Shoes
Intimacy Enhancing Workouts
The Coregasm Helps Motivate Gym Rats To Get Fit
Luxury Fire Sculptures
Ultra Modern Fireplaces by Elena Colombo
17 Futuristic Fireplaces
Perfect for Homes Where Fat Santas Aren't Welcome
Real Fairytale Houses in Trees
Amazon Treehouses
Convertible Pool Tables
Aramith 'Fusion' Tabletops Go From Billiards to Boardroom
Sofas That Climb Walls
Canape by Lila Jang
Treehouses for Cats
Nature-Inspired Scratchers to Keep Feline Claws at Bay
Transformer Furniture
Chair to Sofa
18 Nifty Coffee Tables
Do-it-All Desks
Table 180 by Emili Manrique Diaz is a Surface of Simplicity
Mural Dishwashers
Horizontal Design Hangs On Wall
Human Slaughterhouses
Joep Van Lieshout Turns the Tables on Pork Eaters
Transformer Couches
'Living Landscape Ludus Sofa' with Integrated Shelving
Antisocial Seating
Unusual and Uncomfortable Chairs and Benches
36 Smart Solutions For Small Space Living
18 Unique Wall Shelves
From Birds to Rubber Bands and Speech Bubbles
Origami Furniture
F1 Folding Chairs and F2 Table by Nils Frederking
Caged Treehouse Restaurants
The Yellow Treehouse Opens its Doors in New Zealand
Living Walls
‘Planter Wall Tiles' by Maruja Fuentes Fuse Nature & Decor
Wall-Mounted Pet Beds
‘Curve' Shelf Lets Cats Sleep in Midair
Childish Minimalist Furniture
BObles Creates Adorable Yet Simple Kids Designs
Futuristic Fireplace
Gaya Flaming Mouth
Modular Public Seating
The Campus Bench Encourages Socializing
Small Space Utilization
Zeitraum Unveils New Guest Bed
Modular Furniture
ZipZip is Your Sofa, Bed, Chair & More
Swank Treehouse Exhibitions
Sydney's ‘TreeLife' Event Showcases Eco Homes
Gaudi-Inspired Seating
Bram Geenen Takes Cues From Art Nouveau for Stool & Chair
Statement Sofas
Seats Yours Guests Will Never Forget
Boomerang-Shaped Fireplaces
The EcoSmart Zeta is Perfect for Eco-Friendly Indoor Fires
African-Inspired Furniture
Moroso's Binta Armchair Brings Culture to a Modern Home
Plastic Straw Seating
Scott Jarvie's Innovative Clutch Chair
Barbed Wired Crib
Baby Furniture by John Greg Ball
Convertible Storage Systems
The Transformer Shelf
Furniture For Small Space Living
The Pivot Table
Salvaged Slide Chairs
Evan Dublin Turns a Playground Staple Into Furniture
Fold-Flat Chairs
Ufuk Keskin & Efecem Kutuk's Sheetseat is Flat-Pack Seating
Attractive Bus Stops
Mass Transit Design Lures Riders in With Comfortable Waiting Area
Clear Chairs
Oil Monkey's Curene Seating Design Combines Plastic & Wood
Adjustable Furniture
Clamped Table by Ryan Sorrell
Dramatic Fireplaces
Wall-Mounted Flame and Butterfly Designs by Arkiane
Furniture as Wall Art
burJET Fold-Out Picture Seating
Origami Lamps
The Folding Lamp
Colorful Classroom Chairs
Eco-Friendly One-Piece Plastic 'QDesk' Brings School to Life
$59,000 Exercise Bikes
The Hypoxi Trainer S120 is a “Wind Tunnel” Workout Bike
Treetop Restaurants
The Yellow Treehouse
Foldable Furniture
Adam Goodrum Stitch Chairs
Sit Down Workouts
Ergoergo Lets You Burn Calories and Stay Active While Seated
Table in a Suitcase
Portable Cardboard Table
Blooming Furniture
Fatih Can SARIOZ's 'Flower' Transforms Into Table & Chairs
Fitness Desks
The Steelcase Sit-to-Walkstation Comes With Built-In Treadmill
Convertible Stool Matress
Nap at Work With The Teo Stool Matress
Wall-Mounted Kettles
Diamantine
Wall-Mounted DVD Players for Small Space Living
LG DVS450H
Armadillo-Inspired Furniture
Oluf Lund and Eva Paarmann Create Cozy Chairs
Cry-Sensing Cradles
The Suima Robotic Crib Imitates The Motions of Human Mothers
Twisty Tables
The Bonsai Tree Table is Made Out of Real Branches
DIY Modular Living Room Terrain
The Mountain Sofa
Warped Bookshelves
Sang Hoon Kim Warps the Regular Perception of a Bookcase
Typography Furniture
'Question Mark' Chair from Stefan Heiliger
Tetris Towers
'Kranhaus' Jazzes Up Germany's Rheinauhafen Harbor
Moss Carpets
Biodegradable Moss Planter is Mother Nature-Approved
Origami Architecture
Customized Kermit Rockers
Steelcase Allows You to Personalize Your Cobi Chair
Turbine Toy Boats
The Motorized Inflatable Bumper Boat is Raging Water Fun
Barely-There Seating
Sancal's Maxie Chair is a Minimalist's Dream
Transformer Armchairs
"Ooch" Lets You Customize Its Size and Shape
Teeny Flower Vases
Carved Beach Stones by Mitsuru Koga
Charitable Workouts
Cybex Launches Pink Treadmill for Breast Cancer
Sleek Computer Desks
Sung-kyu Nam's ‘DesCom' Situates Your Laptop Perfectly
Tactical Tables
Qusai Kathawala's Breathe Table Examines Intimacy
Swarovski High Chairs
Icansit Blinged Baby Seat
Top 9 Ways to Keep Tetris Alive
Lifestage Evolving Furniture
YiAhn's Convertible Crib Tranforms Into Other Furniture
Push-Button Transformer Seating
Dzmitry Samal's 'Hypnosis' Design Changes from Chair to Lounge
Racetrack Bookshelves
The Infinite Loop Bookcase Makes Continuous Reading Easy
Unfolding Chairs
Yellow Diva Creates the Most Comfortable Looking Seats
Geometric Furniture Designs
Frederik Roije's 'Squares' Series is Exceptional & Avant-Garde
Pop-Up Fireplaces
Portable Bonfire Enclosed in a Table
Game Inspired Furniture
Tetris Mirror
Collapsible Table Boxes
The Rox
Transformer Benches
German Designer Jorn Kiefer Provides a Fresh New Twist To a Sedentary Staple
Saddle Seating
Fernando Akasaka's 'Giddy Up' Stool Will Still Your Horse-Lovin' Heart
Fabric Planters
Non-Woven Polypropylene Gardening Bags Fold Flat for Storage
Gravity Defying Bookshelves
Neon ADDI Billy's Brother Shelf Looks Like It'll Tip
Fully-Loaded Kitchen Tables
The N1 Robot Table is a Multimedia Masterpiece
Floating Computing Stations
The Throne V1.0 is Perfect for Gamers Who Don't Like Desks
Sailing Serving Sets
'Paper Boat' Tableware Will Have You Floating Through Dinner
Cheery Children's Seating
The Eco-Friendly Astronomer Stool for Little Explorers
High Chair Pods
MOZZEE Nest
Low-Tech Convertible Furniture
Shiina Kaori's Simple Chair Becomes Comfy Cushion
Shape-Shifting Shelves
Get More Out Items Out of Less With Ratchet Furniture
Recyclable Baby Cribs
Eco Cradle
Flexible Wall Units
Stretch Shelves are Made From Expandable Rubber Bands
Artistic Tableware II
Origami Spoon
Designer Branded Workouts
Jukari Is The New Fitness Craze From Reebok and Cirque Du Soleil
Pretty Peacock Chairs
Dror Studio Pairs With Cappellini to Make This Seam-Free Seating
Cubic Chic Chairs
Sancal's Fusion Armchair Works in any Room
Training Leg Furniture
Deger Cengiz Attitude Chair Could Be Inspired by the Simpsons
Snail-Inspired Furniture
Helix Chair by Karmelina Martina Adds Nature to Your Decor
Shoelace Seats
Timothy Liles Creates Chairs Wrapped Entirely in Converse Laces
Ductile Desk Lights
LED MIO Trask Lights Shapes to Your Everyday Situations
Arcade-Style Workout
Turning the Wii into a Gigantic Machine
Speech Bubble Bookshelves
'Shelves Comic' Makes for Quirky Wall Storage
Shade-Shifting Dining
Sang Hoon Lee's Digital Table Refrigerates, Heats and Changes Color
High Chairs for Adults
‘La Cultura Eleva' Elevated Seating
Pocket Knife Shelves
Ivan Hernandez Quintela and Juan Zouain Use Swiss Army Knife as Inspiration
Boldly Bizarre Bookshelves
The 'Crisis' Shelf Adds Electric Orange Punch To Your Decor
Paper Tables Made for Doodling
The SCRIBOman
Convertible Chair Shelves
Power Chair
Sliced Sofas
The ‘Cut Armchair' by Filippo Ghezzani
European-Chic Children's Rooms
KidsLoveDesign.com
Storage Furniture for Small Spaces
Storable Table Features Integrated Shelves
Multi-Purpose Kids' Centers
The Deskhouse is a Children's Playhouse and Art Desk
Houndstooth Pod Chairs
Alexander McQueen Seats With Broken Check Patterns
Trampoline Coffee Tables
Fun-ctional Furniture by Alberto Bonomi
Shopping Bag-Shaped Stools
Gitta Gschwendtner's Concrete Take on Consumerism
Handicapped Tables
Mantas Lesauskas Creates Crutched Furniture
Stationary Inspired Office Furniture -The Folder Chair by Rita
Transformer Seating
XYZ Converts Sofa To Lounge Chair
Ballsy Seating
Hugh Hayden Creates the Ultimate Tennis Ball Chair
Good Vibe Workouts
Brio Active Healthclub Shakes You To Health in Half the Time
Human Tetris Game Shows
Squeezing Through Shapes in Moving Walls