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Thursday, 11 July 2013

11 ULTRA-COMPACT LIVING PODS AND SYSTEMS


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Fold-Out Room: 11 Ultra-Compact Living Pods & Systems
By Steph,
Web Urbanist, 10 July 2013.

When you live in a small space, every square inch counts, and furniture that can expand and contract on demand makes it a lot easier to fit all the functions you need into your home without feeling overwhelmed with clutter. Modular furniture sets and rooms-within-rooms containing fold-out and slide-out components make clever use of the space available, and the ability to hide things away when they’re not in use will please minimalists, too.

1. Sleepbox: Tiny Bedroom for Public Spaces

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Sleepy travellers can catch a night’s sleep in private surroundings with the Sleepbox, a compact lodging pod meant for public spaces like airports and train stations. For those with layovers or unexpected delays, a room-in-the-box right inside the transit station could definitely be an affordable and convenient option.

2. Cocoon 1 Room Pod

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This unusual room-within-a-room is almost as much an art piece as it is a functional living space. Cocoon 1 by Micasa Lab is a plastic pod offering a separated space that provides a sense of privacy and solitude while maintaining a connection to the outside world. It contains built-in furniture, a kitchen and a power pack that can provide either 40 hours of light, or 20 hours of light plus 30 minutes of cooking.

3. Boxetti: 3 All-in-One Fold-Out Living Spaces

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Minimalists, rejoice - options that hide virtually everything from view when not in use are not only becoming easier to procure, they’re more stylish than ever, too. The Boxetti Collection by Rolands Landsbergs is a series of fold-out, slide-out living spaces contained within simple white modules. It includes a bedroom box, a living room box, an office and a kitchen.

4. Sleek and Simple Fold-Out Bedroom Box

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For those in temporary living spaces, or who just don’t care about personalizing their homes, all-in-one box systems like the Room by ODA offer a modular dwelling system that collapses and expands. It comes with three elements - the pod, a media station and a satellite. Colours and materials can be customized.

5. Fold-Out Kitchen by Giorgio Armani

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The ‘Disappearing Room’ by designer Giorgio Armani is yet another system that hides lots of function, ideal for those who prefer a minimalist aesthetic. The kitchen comes complete with a dishwasher, refrigerator, gas stove, steam and standard ovens, a food warming drawer and a miniature wine cellar, but you’d never know by looking at it when it’s all closed up.

6. Slide-Out Platform Room Set

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This all-in-one furniture set from Matroshka packs down to just thirteen square feet at its most compact, yet it contains everything you need for an entire studio apartment, including bookshelves, double bed, corner couch, dinner table, four stools, workspace, drawers, a wardrobe and extra hidden storage. One piece after another slides out of the platform that supports the little ‘office.’

7. Mobile Fold-Out Office, Desk & Work Station

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Wheels and a handle make this compact home office design ultra-portable, too. Made by Planet 3 Studios, this work module contains two desks and lots of drawer space, offering plenty of function when you need it, but it can easily be moved out of the way when you don’t.

8. Z Box Bedroom Cubes

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The Z-Box is perfect for lofts and other wide-open living spaces, offering a private bedroom or office with attractive wood-lined walls and ceiling. The components are small enough to be carried up stairs and fit through standard doorways. It includes built-in shelves, an open doorway that can be fitted with curtains, and even little nooks that could be used as pet crates.

9. Mobile Office Made of Foam

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This odd-looking mobile office made out of foam almost seems like a commentary on the transient nature of today’s job market. Created by Tim Vinke, the modular office set on wheels uses one of the chairs as a handle when it’s in transit. It’s easy to imagine pushing this thing into one office to start a new job, and then moving out just as quickly as you came in.

10. 4 All-in-One Kids' Rooms

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Modular sets are especially popular for kids’ rooms, especially if they can grow with the children or expand to accommodate additional kids. These loft bedroom ideas from IMA Mobili are colourful, with interesting layouts that include all sorts of slide-out components.

11. Fold Out Furniture Set

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It’s a lot easier to imagine being able to live comfortably in an extremely small space when you have access to furniture options like the Fold Out Furniture Set by Japanese students Toshiko Suzuki and Kentaro Honma. Individual components like kitchens, workspaces and bedrooms fold out from impossibly tiny wooden boxes on wheels.

[Source: Web Urbanist. Edited.]


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