Multifunctional furniture is

furniture Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., Stool (seat), stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (table (furniture), tables), storing items, working, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Furnitur ...

with several functions combined. The functions combined vary, but a common variant is to incorporate an extra storage function into

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. It may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

, tables, and so forth, making them so-called storage furniture. It more efficiently uses up living space. Lack of space can be an important reason for choosing such furniture, but combination furniture is also seen in larger homes for more space-efficient utilization. Historically, furniture with transforming mechanisms was called "mechanical furniture".

Examples

Some common examples of multifunctional furniture are: * Chair-table, a table where the tabletop can be hinged to form the back of a seat to serve as a chair, if necessary * Chest-chair, a type of chair where the seat doubles as the lid of a

chest The thorax (: thoraces or thoraxes) or chest is a part of the anatomy of mammals and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main di ...

for storage * Chest-table, a chest used as a table, with storage space underneath a hinged tabletop. Today more commonly seen as

coffee table A coffee table is a low table designed to be placed in a sitting area for convenient support of beverages, remote controls, magazines, books (especially large, illustrated coffee table books), decorative objects, and other small items. Most cof ...

s, since people's legs do not usually rest underneath such tables. *

Coffee table A coffee table is a low table designed to be placed in a sitting area for convenient support of beverages, remote controls, magazines, books (especially large, illustrated coffee table books), decorative objects, and other small items. Most cof ...

with extra storage on their underside is a type of multifunctional furniture * Daybed, a combination furniture which can be used as a bed, for sitting, or for rest and relaxation in common rooms * Lambing chair, a type of unchair commonly with storage under the seat in form of a

drawer A drawer ( ) is a box-shaped container inside a piece of furniture that can be pulled out horizontally to access its contents. Drawers are built into numerous types of furniture, including cabinets, chests of drawers (bureaus), desks, and ...

Monks bench A monks bench or hutch table is a piece of furniture where a tabletop is set onto a chest in such a way that when the table was not in use, the top pivots to a vertical position and becomes the back of a Settle, and this configuration allows easy ...

, a table/bench * Ottoman, a stool where the seat often is hinged with a hollow inside which can be used for storage * Pull-down bed, a folding bed that is hinged on one end so that it can be stored vertically against a wall or inside a cupboard *

Recliner A recliner is an armchair or sofa that reclines when the occupant lowers the chair's back and raises its front. It has a backrest that can be tilted back, and often a footrest that may be extended by means of a lever on the side of the chair, o ...

, a chair which can be folded out to a near supine position for sleeping * Storage bed, a bed with built in storage *

Sofa bed A sofa bed or sofa-bed (in the US often called a sofabed, hide-a-bed, bed-couch, sleeper-sofa, or pullout sofa) is a multifunctional furniture typically consisting of a sofa or couch that, underneath its seating cushions, hides a metal frame an ...

, a sofa where the seating area can be pulled or folded out to form a bed for sleeping * Storage bench,{{Cite encyclopedia, title=slagbenk, url=http://snl.no/slagbenk, date=2018-03-12, language=nb a bench where there is storage beneath the seat * Step chair and onit chair (the latter has an ironing-board mode) View_02.jpg, A storage bed with a white

bed frame A bed frame or bedstead is the part of a bed used to position the bed base, the flat part which in turn directly supports the mattress(es). The frame may also stop the mattress from sliding sideways, and it may include means of supporting a can ...

and

s Gulfstream G600, EBACE 2018, Le Grand-Saconnex (BL7C0701).jpg, A

recliner A recliner is an armchair or sofa that reclines when the occupant lowers the chair's back and raises its front. It has a backrest that can be tilted back, and often a footrest that may be extended by means of a lever on the side of the chair, o ...

in a position which can accommodate for sleeping 4Coffee Table.jpg, A

with storage Murphy bed.jpg, Folding a pull-down bed Workmen installing a wall bed.jpg, Workers installing a pull-down bed

Literature

* ''Møbler i Norge'' (1976) by Trond Juul Gjerdi

References

External links

"kombinasjonsmøbel" at DigitaltMuseum

Small spaces need smart solutions - Designing furniture for small spaces, in connection with human wellbeing.
''Kristoffer Thøgersen, Department of Design, Norwegian University of Science and Technology'' Furniture

Examples

See also

Literature

References

External links