I have been thinking a lot lately about the tiny house craze and stealing ideas for multi functional furniture from these minuscule masterpieces.

Even if you live in a larger home or perhaps are downsizing to a smaller but not so tiny house, there are still very practical ideas for multi functional furniture that can serve dual purposes. Many revolve around dining and sleeping because, let’s face it, these are two activities we do everyday, not to mention two of the most pleasant rituals of our day.

Here’s my top five multi functional furniture ideas:

1/ I love this little multi functional number for its style and sheer practicality.

     

I would place one in a child’s bedroom tucked in a corner as a reading nook, but also with the notion that it can accommodate a sleepover at a moment’s notice. If you have a guest bedroom with a larger bed, this would be a wonderful addition for a family visiting with a small child.

2/ Another multi functional kid room/playroom option is this comfy piece.

This over sized beanbag is constructed in a variety of materials, both playful and chic, and can really enhance the function of any room. It is a super soft reading chair but would work well for a video game station or movie night. Then when the little or big monsters need a place to crash, it unzips and out pops a comfortable mattress. I bought two of these for my boys’ bedroom and, along with the existing bunk beds, we have had scattered mattresses and seven bodies in this room on any given weekend.

3/ I love, love, love this exceptional and multi functional piece of design.

Home office? Check. Small dining table? Check. Friend had too much wine and needs to spend the night? Check. This would work well in a small NYC apartment, as well as in a carved out niche devoted to a home office.

4/ For those without a dedicated dining room who would like to entertain in proper style, this is a great dual function piece.

Maybe you and your partner have a weeknight Jeopardy war with your feet propped on the coffee table while eating dinner. And maybe you want to be more civilized when you have folks over. Here’s the solution.

5/ And finally, and quite possibly my favorite, there is this.

I know this is not for everybody, and I admit that this is a large piece, but c’mon, shooting pool apres dinner? I LOVE this idea and if you are a pool shark and don’t have a dedicated billiards room, this is uber practical.

There are many similar items hitting the market all the time…too many to list here (and here’s a little vintage primer on one of my favorite multi functional pieces of all times).  The good news is that the multi functional furniture trend is here to stay and I, for one, couldn’t be happier.