A great way to save both money and space, is to find dual purpose pieces of furniture. Furnishings that do double duty can really come in Handy when decorating a small space or decorating on a budget. I love cubes and chests. They can provide extra seating or surface space while also providing hidden storage. I still use a chest as a coffee table, and it's filled with all the board games we've collected over the years. I used to have cubes that were once used as seats, and at another time were used as end tables, and then became night stands. I love repurposing things anyway, but especially furniture. I always wanted a bench with storage inside as well. Would be perfect in the kitchen, used for one length of the kitchen table instead of two chairs. The seat is the lid that covers the storage section. Inside you could hide all the things you want to keep around but that you don't use often enough to keep them out on the counter.
I like to use storage benches to save items that I don't use often also. It can be a seat and some place to store things. It is good to use things for something different from what is often made for like taking a trash can put a top on it and use it as a table, stuff can be stored inside the can that is not in use with the top on as a table.
I love those. I especially like those ottoman boxes were you can stash things you need in the living room. They can also be used as both a stool and a footrest so they have many uses themselves.
We have a sofa that turns into a bed. During the day, we use it as a sofa. It is in the living room so it can be used while watching television. During night time, we turn it into a bed for when we want to relax and lay while watching television. It really is a nice dual purpose furniture. We have hadb it for years now.
I also love those storage boxes, especially those ones you fit at the end of your bed. They're not only good for sitting in front of your mirror to get ready, they re great for storing bedding. I used to have this gorgeous futon from Next Retail; couch by day, bed for guests by night. It was gorgeous as well as very comfy.
When I lived in a smaller place, I had a chair and a half (like a loveseat) that pulled out into a single bed. I had a lot more company back then, so it got quite a bit of use. I don't have a spare bed these days, but both my couch and loveseat are very plush and serve as beds for my guests. When I got rid of the chair and a half, I kept the mattress part, so I have that stored away in case I ever need an extra spot for guests. I am a big fan of multi-purpose furniture, and have always loved trundle beds. I may buy one at some point, but don't have the room right now to pull it out. I do have a high bed, though, so use the underneath section for storage, mainly extra blankets, and some of my delicate Christmas ornaments. One thing I have found over the years is that I tend to get more use out of furniture that has pull out drawers, rather than tops that open, so those are what I lean toward, when buying furniture. It's just easier to leave whatever is stored on top, and pull out a drawer for what I need, rather than having to move things off the top to get at whatever is stored inside.
I'm also a fan of dual and multi-purpose furniture because I also live in a small house. I actually have a Pinterest board full of that kind of stuff. Here's a couple of my favorites (I'm planning to buy one of these or have a carpenter create a similar version):
I like cubes and chests also. I love convertible/dual purpose anything though. LOLOL I saw some woodworking plans for a living room set that were seats with storage on the bottom. I think those are great. It's a project I would love to take on but I'm too broke to even buy the materials. Lol
Ah, I have a friend who has a coffee table similar to that one. He loves it, and usually uses it for his dining table, and eats on the raised portion. I really like the idea of this, as well, since I don't really care for the look of a television set in a bedroom, but having one does come in handy, especially because it helps me fall asleep, and is good for those days when I'm sick in bed.
Oh, yeah, good stuff here. I've always wanted a trundle bed as well. The kids had bunk beds, but I always loved the idea of the trundle design. A friend recently build one of those loft beds for his daughter than provides tons of storage and also looks great. Futons, daybeds, and sleeper sofas are also terrific. I really like the designs you shared, @eppie. Very cool. I hear ya, @thatnewmommy. I'd love to get into some projects myself. I so want to do something with pallets. So versatile and the best part is that they don't cost a lot, lol.
I don't have anything dual purpose, but my mother was just looking at buying herself furniture that's made to hide a litter box LOL. Not a bad idea.. litter boxes are ugly and this will keep it hidden and give the kitty a nice dark place to do their business with some privacy. I won't be buying one any time soon, but I thought it was kind of neat.
@Zyni have you checked out Ana White's site? She has GREAT projects and the steps seem so simple. I love that site!
Yes, I think dual purpose furniture can be functional as well as attractive. I would like to have a storage bench on my deck so people could sit on it and it would also hold patio cushions and deck items at the end of the season. I have loked at these items for sale, but they are usually expensive. THis is the time of year to get something like that however.
I had seen a nice sofa bed with a center table that has a cabinet at the bottom. It was really a great furniture set that saves space and very elegant too. However, my husband disagreed because our present living room set is still okay. Maybe if I can think of a way to dispose the present furniture then I can buy that sofa bed.
Some of them could be nice but I find that most just become too compromised and fail at providing good enough merit for being either furniture. I have a sofa bed, for example, and it's really uncomfortable both as a sofa and as a bed although I admit it at least has a good function and looks nice, and it's far from being too uncomfortable that I would consider it unusable but still I think if I could I'd much rather just get a comfortable bed and a comfortable couch.
I haven't seen that site, but I will have a look. Thanks for the tip. @DrRipley I get what you're saying, but it's still a decent option when you can't afford or don't have the space for both a bed and a sofa. There are some that are pretty bad though. There are also some that are quite good. I stayed at a cottage recently that had a daybed as a sofa. It also had a trundle bed beneath. It was very comfortable for sitting on and resting on.
Agreed. Fortunately mine was at the very least serviceable and I honestly was expecting it anyway since I've already had experience with sofa beds in the past from visiting other people at home. I also agree that there are probably a lot of other ones that are more comfortable on both purposes but I'm assuming I'd probably have to pay a lot more for those lol. I'm fairly satisfied with mine though as like I said it's not really too uncomfortable, just a little less comfortable than a regular sofa or bed.
I love the dual purpose furniture too. I am working with a small space and it helps me so much. It sometimes turns out being more stylish than the conventional set up. It certainly brings out my creativity and keeps me from pulling my hair out.
I am quite fond of my sofa bed. As I live in a small apartment, I always look for ways and means to create space and room in it. The sofa bed that I bought about six months ago has been wonderful. When friends visit me, they now have a comfortable night, whereas before they had to contend with the inflatable mattress.
