More than meets the eye

THE trend for small-space living is growing, especially in cities, where real estate is a luxury.

In urban Malaysia, the number of small homes with a built-up area of less than 500 sq ft is rising; there have been more recent launches of one-bedroom and studio units than ever.

Living in small spaces usually takes some getting used to, but there are ways you can make life more comfortable, such as by custom-making space-saving furniture.

The key to space-saving furniture is multi-functionality. Mark Lim, director and founder of Penang-based MIXS Living Concepts, notes that this type of furnishing solution creates very usable interiors that can raise the value of your property.

Not only do they help solve the problem of lack of space in your home, they create new spaces within a space in a creative way.

“It is an approach associated with its multiplication, one that enables us to open up different scenarios,” he says. These multi-functional pieces of furniture are ‘transformers’ of a kind — a study table can be transformed into a bed; a dining table into a sofa; a bed appears out of a wall — all done with just a nudge here and there.

In employing these multi-usage furniture solutions, Lim advises consumers to check on the quality of the mechanism and the maximum weight such a piece of furniture can support. The products should also come with a warranty.

Eric Cha, director of Kuala Lumpur-based Mocof Sdn Bhd, sees space-saving furniture as an investment in the property, as it adds value to the space.

“Users can use a space for various activities or purposes. For example, a gym room and guest room can co-exist in the same space,” he says.

He also notes that potential consumers of space-saving furniture are not limited to just owners of small homes.

“More people opt for such furniture for very practical reasons, such as to organise the things in their room more efficiently, or to achieve a clutter-free, clean and tidy space. For example, if you use a wall bed, you can lift up the bed to clean all the dust underneath easily.”

This article first appeared in property+, a section of the digitaledge DAILY, on Sept 11, 2015. Download property+ for free here.