Global movements towards scaling down our consumption of resources and the blurring of home/work boundaries, means making mindful using of a home’s inside and outside spaces is more than just a trend. And consciously shifting the response to the home environment into the area of awareness puts multi-functional furniture front and centre in achieving the balance between using space efficiently and eliminating clutter, and even distributing design resources.

Here are some of Shimwell Designs’ favourite contemporary ideas for making the effective and aesthetic most of home spaces.  

1.       Bed bases with drawers: these are an exceptionally worthwhile investment, providing from much-needed under bed storage for linens, books, or keepsakes, through to providing additional bed(s) and even sleeping spots for cherished pets.  Simply closing the drawers instantly neatens, tidies, and creates room to move.

2.       Ottomans: traditionally upholstered living-area footstools or seats, new-generation fabrics and finishings have enabled functions that include additional storage, creating a serving space, and becoming a side table.

3.       Nestle tables are a fantastically functional investment, adding instant table tops and work-surface area to living, bedroom, outdoor and even bathroom spaces. Designed to disappear, they stack away to a fraction of their size, with this form also highly usable as sturdy seating.

4.Furniture morphing into adaptable shapes: chairs becoming tables; tables and seating slotting neatly into wall units and bookshelves; coffee tables housing hidden drawers, and wall-mounted, foldaway beds doubling up as daytime desk-space. Traditional sofas and seats are also doing their duty, with designs including side and underside drawers, shelves, and cleverly hidden storage nooks.

5.Crates, trunks, and chests have moved into lounges, housing throws, remote- and console controllers, as well as books and magazines, to declutter living spaces and create additional table space.
 
Thoughtful interior design and multi-functional furniture can add tremendous value to small spaces; with carefully chosen pieces filling the home space without crowding rooms and their residents. As space-planning and –efficiency experts, Shimwell Designs are a great partner to guide and assist in using your home’s footprint to its best advantage.