We have all witnessed the transformation this past year, bedrooms become offices, kitchen tables become classrooms, and your basement doubles as a home gym. The problem is most of these spaces were not ready to accommodate double duty. Multifunctional means one area of the home can handle multiple duties, while this sounds great no one wants it to look like it’s a three in one which is where good design comes into play. Selecting furniture pieces that can serve several purposes or planning a layout that can fulfill multiple needs is key to creating a home that suits your families unique lifestyle and routine. Let’s discuss what goes into designing these spaces and how you can accomplish the most with the room that you have.

Planning for multifunctional spaces

Everything begins with planning, a good plan can help you accomplish your goals while avoiding unnecessary delays or problems. We recommend that you take the time to write down your needs for each space. Will you spend a lot of time here? How many people will need to use this space at the same time? What needs to be accomplished in this space? Also consider pairing things that naturally go together such as an office space and study area or a kitchen and dining room. By placing areas that have a similar purpose together it makes it easier to design. Spend some time browsing Pinterest boards and reading blogs to get inspired and find what would work best for you.

Furniture for multifunctional spaces

Selecting the right pieces of furniture for your home is important as they can help you get the most space possible from each room. There are so many options available now with more being continually added as manufacturers see the need.  Here are some helpful tips when browsing potential options:

• Utilize wall space: sometimes the best solution is to go up, utilizing cabinets, built-ins or shelves. Each of these options allows you to gain valuable storage space by going up instead of out, leaving room for other items you may need. Adding boxes and containers to these spaces will help you maximize these pieces even more and keep everything nicely organized.
• Unified pieces: one thing that is helpful is if much of the furniture pieces have a common thread such as color or texture. This helps to keep a room together in style while allowing it to serve multiple functions within the area.
• Versatile pieces: we normally like to pick our furniture pieces based on what we like such as color and style but storage should be factored in when trying to maximize usable space. There are many pieces now that are designed to double as storage such as a bed with drawers built underneath or a coffee table. What about a couch that doubles as a fold out bed for guests? Some even transform into an additional piece of furniture such as a table that folds down into a bench. Don’t forget about that ottoman with the hollow inside that can be used for storage too.
• Think outside the box: just because something has been used for one thing doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. Furniture is continually adapting so when you see a piece you like, don’t just stick with what it is but let those creative juices flow and you never know what can happen.

Most manufacturers have boarded the multifunctional train meaning there are ample choices available to you and many have even done the work to show you the multiple jobs their pieces can fulfill so be sure to spend time browsing through different vendors. 

Layout for multifunctional spaces

When planning a space to serve a variety of purposes, layout can have a big impact on the functionality. The flow of a room influences the use so it is important to be strategic in placing your furniture. When creating multiple spaces in a room, keep these things in mind.

• Boundaries: by setting boundaries within a space it can help define the multiple areas and still keep it all looking aesthetically pleasing. Some simple ways to do this is by placing a rug or even assembling furniture that shares similar characteristics.
• Open concept: while it is important to make boundaries, open concept makes the room flow easier which gives a nice easy feel to the area. This works well for main spaces in the home such as the kitchen and living room.

Layout is a great tool when designing multifunctional spaces but thoughtful planning must be paired with it. Talk to your designer when looking to start a project making sure to make your needs known for each space.

More with less

Multifunctional spaces are a great asset to any space in the home and will make sure you maximize your space to the fullest. This is also a great asset if you chose to sell your home because it is something potential buyers will love to see. Gather a few more ideas by reading this additional blog post or come take a tour of our showroom where we can let you see the many ways we help clients achieve the most from their home.