Multifunctional Designs And Small-Space Furniture Picks

Create fluid rooms for work, play and entertainment with these multifunctional designs and small-space furniture picks.

- Yaiza Canopoli

Getting your home renovated soon? Ask your designer to plan modular built-ins, like a dining table that disappears into a wall for space-savvy fluidity.

Living in a city means making the most of limited space, especially for those of us staying in small HDB flats and even smaller condos. Thankfully, there are countless ways to transform a standard home into one that is flexible and suited for the 21st century. Here are some of our favourite ideas for turning any room into a multifunctional haven for flexible living.

COMPACT LIVING

The Japanese way of “compact living” is perfect for small homes. Instead of dedicating various rooms to different purposes, this style of living suggests crafting a bare-bones space that transforms throughout the day. For instance, you can build a storage platform across the entire room and store seat cushions and bedding inside, then take out the pieces you need and arrange them in the room as you require.

PRO TIP Check out tiny home designs and van conversions for lots of innovative small-space ideas.

If you don’t fancy a room that is quite so fluid and want something a little more mainstream, focus on choosing modular furniture that can shift or even disappear entirely. Murphy beds that can be lifted into a wall-mounted unit are perfect for this. If those are outside your budget, look for a sofa bed and storage furniture instead.

WORK AND PLAY