14 Genius Furniture Designs for Small Spaces

When it comes to functionality, small spaces can be especially challenging. As real estate prices continue to soar and folks in urban areas are increasingly embracing smaller living spaces, there’s an ever-growing need for cleverly designed space-saving furniture to help do more with less space. Check out these 14 genius examples that bring big functionality into small space.

Published October 11, 2016, Updated May 21, 2019

Furniture Tech Lab

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Elephant in a Box Sofa

Not only does this small sofa fit in your small space, but the effort required to move this piece of furniture into your condo is small, too. “Gone are the days of lugging a heavy sofa up flights of stairs in apartment complexes and yelling ‘PIVOT’ after that iconic scene from Friends,” says Furniture Tech Lab about their new Kickstarter-funded foldable sofa Elephant in a Box. “Simply remove the cushions and fold the sofa into itself for easy transport.”

Resource Furniture

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Nuovoliola Hideaway Bed/Sofa

This queen-sized Nuovoliola 10 Murphy bed from Resource Furniture turns itself into a three-seat sofa with little effort, boasting the perfect design for any bachelor pad or studio apartment. Hideaway beds like these can leave the room lacking when they’re closed up, but not this one; once it’s shut, the footboard turns into an attractive multi-use shelf.

Home Edit

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Martin Gallagher’s 3D Coffee Table

There’s no better conversation-starter than this unique and oh-so-versatile coffee table (with pull-out stools) from Irish designer Martin Gallagher. The sophisticated design allows for the table to adjust in height and the stools can easily pull out to provide extra seating or, in a pinch, be used as side tables.

Ivy Design

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Ivy Design Wall-Mounted Table

Like beds, tables can take up an awful lot of space in a room, but we can’t do without them. In a small space, this drop-leaf table from Ivy Design is a saving grace. Even better, when not in use it, it hangs on the wall and features a plexiglass frame that can house a poster, artwork, mirror or chalkboard.

AyA Kitchens

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AyA Bed/Desk

Canadian design firm AyA offers this genius Murphy bed that’s ideal for a tiny bedroom. It folds down to a spacious bed for sleepy time and folds up to create a cool-looking work station.

ayakitchens.com

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Aya Expandable Kitchen Island

This multifunctional kitchen island from AyA expands to create additional seating space – perfect for entertaining in a smaller area!

Philippe Malouin

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Philippe Malouin’s Hanger Chairs

Extra seating is always an issue in a smaller living space. With storage space at a premium, there’s not a whole lot of room for big, bulky seating. Enter Canadian furniture designer Philippe Malouin, who came up with the Hanger Chair, which features an ingenious design that allows the chairs to fold flat and then be easily stored like a clothes hanger.

Home Edit

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Alfred Averbeck’s Circle Kitchen

Covering only 20 square feet, the Compact Circle Kitchen, created by German designer Alfred Averbeck, is a space-saver’s dream. It’s basically an entire kitchen enclosed in a rotating cylinder that features a sink, microwave, dishwasher, fridge, freezer and an ample amount of cupboard space. One of the coolest features is that it can easily be relocated anywhere in an apartment when the dweller wants to change its location.

Indiegogo

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3Moods Multifunctional Sofa

The latest in space-saving furniture, this set by UNAMO design studio (which received its seed funding from an Indiegogo campaign) appears to be just a sofa, but its clever design allows it to fold out to become a bed, armchair, chaise lounge, dining table, desk and four benches. Dubbed 3Moods by the Spanish design firm, it’s multifunctional and the ultimate in versatility.

David Gaynor

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David Gaynor’s Stackable Stools

These unique and space-saving stools are fun and attractive. Designer David Gaynor designed this high stool that can be unstacked to become three smaller stools – or a stool and an ottoman. Flexible or what?

Flux Furniture

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Flux Foldout Bar

This unique bar starts off small, but can grow as large as you like. When folded up, it’s thin and easily transportable. When it opens up, however, the Flux ARC can be linked to other units to form a spacious bar boasting loads of storage and enough space for serious entertaining.

Kitchoo

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Kitchoo

This ultra-clever design, by French firm Kitchoo, is space-saving personified. When closed, the unit looks like an accent chest, but when the lid is flipped up, a sink and two burners are revealed. Below the counter, there’s a drawer-style microwave, a small refrigerator/freezer and even a petite dishwasher. It’s like a kitchen in a box!

EeStairs

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Space-Saving Spiral Stairs

Need a set of stairs in your tiny house? Then EeStairs has got you covered with this amazingly functional (and quite groovy looking) spiral staircase that extends a full storey in height but only takes up one square meter of floor space.

Sculptures Jeux

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Foldout Coffee Table

Small-space functionality doesn’t get cooler than this inventive little table from Sculptures Jeux. When the extra leaves are pulled out, you instantly get five times the table surface. It’s also ideal for a small family with kids, as the leaves are mounted at different heights.