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Short of space? Make room for transformable furniture

best furniture for small spaces stealth kitchen 3
We have all felt the desire, or need, to manage our living space. Whether that be wanting to open up more livable area in a small room or create an understated sense of compact organization, finding functional, attractive furniture that that doesn’t crowd the room can be tricky. That said, here are five pieces of space-saving furniture that will open up your rooms and allow you to look cool at the same time. The extra functionality may cost a pretty penny, but it’s a small price to way for maximizing your living area and your piece of mind. After all, hidden ironing boards only go so far.

Collapsible Dining Table

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What if you could take one of the largest pieces of furniture in your home, the dining room table, and make it easily movable and collapsible? This table from Span Black does exactly that. It can seat up to four people — six if you squeeze — taking up just shy of 5½ feet of space when open. But once you’ve finished with dinner, the table quickly collapses to a mere 9½ inches, allowing you to easily store it in a closet, behind the couch, or along an adjacent wall. And if you pair it with a nice set of folding chairs, you’ll have yourself an entire dining room set that breaks down in a matter of seconds.

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Hanging Wall Desk/Shelf

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Although there are several different versions of this design, the central idea remains the same. It’s essentially a small table that hangs on the wall, one that can be propped up and used as a desk. While it may lack the built-in storage of many full-sized desks, you can install a hanging desk at virtually any height, granting you the perfect elevation whether you’ll be using it while seated or standing. You can buy pre-made units at various sizes and in different looks too, meaning you could theoretically use the same concept for tables and shelving. If you’re feeling crafty, this is also a very easy project, with numerous how-to guides all over the Internet.

The Pick Chair

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This modern, simple space-saver has gained popularity over the past few years for good reason. It combines the functionality of an extra seat with the aesthetics of minimalist wall art, thus creating a multipurpose piece designed to serve several functions in the home. The Pick Chair from Studio Dror looks quite nice, whether it’s on the floor as a chair or on the wall as a piece of art, reveling in a hinged design that bends as you place it on the ground. It’s a great fit for any room, considering there are numerous designs and construction materials available, though sadly, a single chair can go for an upwards of $1,600. So, unless you have a healthy amount of cash burning a hole in your pocket and remain rather fond of hunting for rare artifacts, the Pick Chair may be more of a cool idea rather than a responsible purchase. Still, it’s a simple enough piece of furniture that the discerning DIYer could probably draw some inspiration from it.

Folding Wall Barbecue

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Maybe it isn’t an indoor space you’re working with, but instead a limited outdoor area. One of the best parts of warm weather is firing up the grill and cooking outside, but with limited space, finding a small grill can be tough — especially when it comes time to store it. Even the smallest charcoal grills will need a dedicated piece of real estate in your yard. Luckily, this small barbecue from Focus Creations takes up minimal space in your yard, given it hangs on your wall and folds up when not in use. Moreover, the integrated wall plate is designed to prevent the smoke from affecting you walls, while its sheer size ensures you wont need to refill charcoal constantly.

The Stealth Kitchen

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While this modular setup is a bit larger and more expensive than most offerings on our list, the Resource Furniture’s Stealth Kitchen is a great, simplistic design that hides an entire kitchen within a set of drawers and cabinets. From the outside, the unit appears to be a simple wall, with only small separations between modules hinting to the fact there’s an entire kitchen hidden within. Due to its modular design, the Stealth Kitchen can have a varied number of spaces to accommodate several appliances and plenty of storage.

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Brendan Hesse
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brendan has written about a wide swath of topics, including music, fitness and nutrition, and pop culture, but tech was…
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