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t r e n d s

text Mavis ang

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space constraints, especially in urban living, have inspired a slew of double-duty furniture that integrates multiple functions seamlessly into its design. But a new breed of hybrid pieces conjoin separate entities into a singular item, such as the american-made Here & there seat by Why not Bespoke, which integrates a high-back Windsor chair into a bench.

With modular systems, you can play creator and decide how you want your pieces to look like and function. the two Be sofa by spanish design studio vitale allows seating configurations to be arranged around an attached shelf, and the Ophelis docks office furniture system by designers till grosch and Bjorn Meier comes with separate side tables, shelves, storage and upholstered seats, which can be mixed and matched to form hybrid islands.

dual (even triple) use designs just gOt a lOt MOre creative.

cOMe tOgetHera similar concept is seen in the Warren

collection by Berlin-based designer Michael sans, which allows a detachable reading lamp to be attached to either the table or seats.

as one-piece wonders, fusion designs that offer elegant functional extensions include the rise sofa with an extended side table by note design studio, the symbiosis bathtub and washbasin by slovenian design studio desnahemisfera, and the din desk and table by the germany-based gompf + Kehrer.

the hybrid design trend can also be expressed in smaller yet equally clever ways, with the help of quirky accessories such as the Blossom Fruit Bowl by emerging thai design firm studio 248, which combines a vase and dish together in a turquoise steel frame.

tHe design’s Multi-FunctiOnality.

exaggerating – ratHer tHan cOncealing –

nOW, it’s aBOut Flaunting and

you can re-arrange the two Be sofa’s upholstered modules to create different seatings around the display shelf. below the Blossom Fruit Bowl adds interest to the otherwise ordinary items on the tablescape.

the Ophelis docks system serves as an all-in-one office island that caters to changing work cultures. left the din table and desk by gompf + Kehrer is an elegant solution for both working and storage needs.

right Here & there is a quirky take on the traditional Windsor chair. left the Warren collection’s accompanying lamp can be attached to either the chair or shelf. below, left symbiosis is a two-in-one design for the bathroom.