MULTI STORY

As multifunctional furniture is set to be a major trend in 2022, Jacqueline Wake Young looks at the benefits of flexible living for us and the planet

Mechanical houses, that’s what we need. Homes that can have their spaces easily transformed to suit whatever function they need to serve at any one time. A wall that can be pulled in and out to house a bed; a floor that can shift to reveal a sunken bath; a bookshelf that can double as a door.

Making the most of the available space is a resourceful and beautiful thing to do. It puts designers to work, stretching their creativity to the max while being conscious of the footprint a property places on the land and making sure not to waste an inch of it.

Of course, creating such a home has to be done at the design stage, although some retrofitting of clever, functional features may be possible, if not altogether elegant.

The next best thing is multifunctional furniture, which adopts this same philosophy of enabling spaces to serve more than one function, but with a piece-by-piece approach.

Multifunctionalism is one of the major trends predicted for 2022 as we place ever greater demands on our homes in terms of space and facilities. Staying in has become the new going out and for many the move to home working is irreversible.

Now everything from our sofas and footstools to sheds and tables have to work harder to serve our needs by extending, folding or doubling up.

We have to work harder too – with more organisation and less clutter.

Making the most of the space also means creating space, so book in those recycling centre visits and prepare to make eBay, Gumtree, charity shops and car boot sales a way of life.

Carter high sleeper bed, £939, Furniture Village.

Hem hide side table, £331, Nest.

Portnall coffee table and magazine rack, £795, Soho House.

Gosford ottoman to chair, £299, Next.

Magis folding air-chair with arms, £227, Nest.

Pack away desk, £20, Paperchase.

Home brown foldable bedside table, £24.99, TK Maxx.