I hate daybeds. You can't use them as a sofa because they are too deep and your knees don't bend at the edge. You have to put hige pillows on them to make them the width of a sofa, but even then your feet won't reach the floor. They are ok to use in a guest room that you also use as an office like he does.
I’m looking at this exact day bed as a guest bed and additional seating and I’ve come across this problem too. I’m short and the Ikea day beds make me feel like a small child! The amount of pillows and cushions it would require would add visual clutter too and are not sturdy enough to really feel like a sofa back. I was very keen on the day bed idea but now that I’ve tried it out in the showroom, I’m more inclined to look for another solution.
these are great ideas. Full disclosure: i subscribed to this channel & liked the vids simply because he smartly/kindly shows his feet without shoes 18:13. How do those no-show socks even stay on? 😅
Wonderful tips, thank you so much. One caveat; Tolix chairs are the most uncomfortable chairs, and I actively avoid restaurants that have them. Their narrow, grabby painful side rails and non-existent lumbar support put these off my list of options, despite their cool look. I know several other people who also avoid this chair for the same reasons.
Day and Folding beds have few disadvantages: If You really want to use the extra space it provides, you really needs extend the bed into space, that's usually made for walking/standing (usable space) If you put one in bed-livingroom in corner, you're not gonna benefit, becuse you can't really use the extra space for anything. The second problem is putting two matrasses in top creates very big visual distraction, even in the video, you can see the bed is almost as high as pc table and even worse with higher mattrasses. For that reason, I hope IKEA can design some low profile day bed, similar to Fyrestal, but more comfortable.
my opinion of disadvantage of day beds is that the mattress becomes bended where you mostly sit while using the day bed as a couch, so it could be uncomfortable to sleep on an uneven mattress. same thing with pullout couches, what is designed for sitting upright is less compatible with sleeping horizontally. that's why I'll choose a combo of murphy bed and compatible couch
Hello Daniel. Can you make a video about working with spaces/appartments with low natural light? Most of the small-appartment videos featured on Yt are very well-off on natural light, but some of us don’t have these ideal circumstances.
I think your solution where the chests-of-drawers supported the mattress should have gone higher on your list. I love it. I’m moving next month & I will be building that in my bedroom. Thanks for that fantastic idea & instructions.
Daniel, you're a remarkable human being. Not only are you a brilliant designer and home organizing specialist but you provide convincing solutions for people on a tight budget, as you wax poetic over everything IKEA. Your dedication to them never wavers.
Daniel i think the folding furniture are the worst idea for small home... let me explain... yes, you can fold the furniture anytime you want, but how many will actually do that?... and also whenever you want to expand the table, you will need that much of free space to expand it... so everytime you fold and unfold your furniture, you will still need that amount of elbow room... for few times, it might sound good idea, but after few days of back and froth, you will just leave the furniture unfolded as it is... so foldable product are just too much of work which will end up occupying the same space which a fixed furniture will do... plus you cannot keep anything on the desk as it has to fold
I actually opted for a small coffee table instead of a folding table, precisely because I knew I wouldn't use it that often. Now I can enjoy all the space in my tiny living room
Oh I actually use folding furniture all the time 😅 idk my family is half Asian though so we use the floor space a lot for all sorts of things and I’m ND so I just like being on the floor in general. I have folding stools everywhere 😂 my husband jokes that out of our 10 year marriage heated blanket and folding furniture is the best gifts he’s given me because I look like old man with my folding stools or little folding tables everywhere. The folding IRONING BOARD 😮 game changer! I feel like I’m in the dang bat cave and my Dad always comes over and pulls my mom like “darling, we need one of these” every time I show off my cool folding furniture 🤣 were gadget fiends lol. The collapsing buckets, laundry basket, and washing basin 😏 girl game changer.
I actually got a foldable table for my kids and they love! They pull it up and down and get their chairs out for playtime. There 2 of them and watching them “set it up” is the cutest thing
I like the idea of the folding table. I’ll keep it collapses majority of the time, but when guest come over expand it. Vs having a big separate table or a small table that is not usable for guest possibly
We have a Transformer Table with bench. Amazing piece of furniture. We can seat huge dinner groups and then shrink it down to a 4 person table. We also use it as an extra work space for visitors.
Love your channel. I'm also a firm believer in function over fashion ... especially in the kitchen. I'm in the process of designing my new apartment, and your videos have been an inspiration ... and a great help.
Hmmm, very interested to see your take on those toekick drawers. My diy version was to snap the pannels off, add those grey plastic ikea trays under and store canned goods on their side. My real pantry cabinet has space for 1-2 of each type of can but with this it's like I gained a whole new second pantry. It's not very user friendly to snap the pannels off and on but I do it once a month maybe so I'm willing to deal with the inconvenience. That said.... and upgrade would be nice. ^_^ Looking forward to your video.
I’m grateful for this video 😊. Could you please make a video how to organise a baby/kid room. Which furniture is worth to buy. I’m mum of the 4th months baby girl who share with me and my partner room. I’m keen on how to design interior for this room. Thanks xxxx
Great vid and lots of food for thought. Being a chef/cook, I resolve many of these problems by closing off my kitchen as much as possible, while still handy to the service door and trash can. Cooking is just like any other work, WHO needs to chit chat while cooking? I have a "working kitchen", a lot like a wood shop. Functionality and hygiene is number one. I don't care what it looks like as long as I can get the job done. When I am in the kitchen, I have to concentrate on what I am doing and think ahead. If I am waiting for water to boil or a cake to bake, I busy myself with the next dish or just clean up after myself. Traditionally kitchens were the hub of social gathering, but not for me. There is a living room and dining room for that. If I had children to mind, then this would be different. I like glass table tops and do a lot of various work on my dining table, even paint is not a problem. For cleaning use 1/2 distilled water, and 1/2 rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Along with micro cloths. It takes me no longer than 4 minutes to wipe down 2 tables and 2 or 3 mirrors or windows.
Chest beds are a variation of the Murphy bed. They fold out of, and into, a chest that looks like a normal console chest of drawers. They don't have to be bolted to the wall and are renter friendly.
I had never heard of them before either, so I checked them out. And I think they could be great for a guest bed. But for me, a bed where I would have to put on the sheets every day due to the mattress being folded, would be too much work.
@@piahyer8023 I have a sofa bed as a guest bed (one of those with the hinged mechanism that transforms into a "real" bed), you can leave the sheets on and remove pillows and comforter only. You can even leave the comforter on, but it will squish the mattress a bit.
Thanks for this Daniel. I didn't learn anything new today, but it was brilliant to be able to save all the ideas we're considering in one place for quick reference. It's also a good reminder to me not to go wandering down paths to less suitable, but attractive pieces that are tempting me! 😂
I agree- whilst these items are great space savers, they are also not always practical or comfortable for daily use- and can require effort to build/ collapse or move around the room. I have the “ironing board” dining table and it weighs 80kg! I actively avoid using it and usually just eat casually on the sofa instead. The storage sofa (Ikea) is “ok” for a few years but quickly sags and isnt exactly the most comfortable everyday family couch. Had an ottoman bed and nearly lost a finger (it wasn’t hydraulic and had to be manually held up)- never again they are crazy dangerous.
Yes, daybeds are kings. Mine is part of a small living room arrangement on a diy platform. Since my room height is generous, but not enough for a loft, I constructed a simple platform with two rows of cinder blocks decked with osb board. On top are rugs (and some adhesive vinyl paper in one part not covered by a rug). In the space under the platform I am storing construction and emergency items. The platform is about 2 x 4 meters (about 6,5 x 13 feet) and in addition to my daybed it houses two chairs, two sidetables, a small desk and a stool.
Hey Daniel, could you please share your solution for towel drying? Not after washing them in a washing machine, but, e.g. after taking a shower and using a towel. I don't have enough space to put a big drying 'board' to let it dry naturally, so my towels hang from doors and chairs. I wonder if you have a better way
I forgot gateleg tables existed and had plans in my head for a murphy table of sorts which honestly would have been way less functional as it can only expand out in one direction instead of two, thank you so much!
Excellent ideas, of course. I bought a height-adjustable table which does the trick of rotating the top and folding it out. I was able to have 30 people in my small apartment for a brunch not too long ago.
I like that ten person table a lot!!! For what it's worth, eating in the living room without tables is really not a bad idea and I bet that most people do it all the time. It makes a huge difference which dishes you use!!!! Pasta serving bowls are the absolute best choices to use!!! Their generous size (11"+ diameter) makes them super luxurious and you don't feel compromised or cramped at all when the food itself is served in such a roomy dish. You can pile the food in the pasta serving bowl any way you wish, and nothings going to spill or fall out because of the tall sides, the tall sides just make you feel safe while eating on the couch. The pasta serving bowls (serverware specifically, not "pasta bowls" meant for individual portions of pasta) are often found in the "coup" style, many are familiar with this. For soup and salad, of course, deep serving bowls are the ideal for eating on the couch! Whereas you can eat a dinner sized salad in the pasta serving bowl, a deeper serving bowl is still better for salads since the surface area of the sides of the bowl is more convenient for spearing salad items onto a fork, than would be the flatter bottom of the pasta serving bowl. Plus, as salad fixings often sink to the bottom of the bowl, a deeper bowl would make it easier to remix everything together than would be a flatter pasta serving bowl. But, to each his own!!! I am just saying that pasta serving bowls and deep serving bowls are the absolute most wonderful items to have to allow everyone to very comfortably and luxuriously eat in the living room!!! All you need is a place to put your drink and you are golden, that's what serving bowls do, as eating dishes, for small apartments!!! I just wanted to add this since this has been my own experience, and my guests love the luxury large bowls.
If you can’t put your toes beneath the counter you’re standing in front of, you will either bend forward at the hips & waist when you’re working, or you will extend your forearms forward from your shoulders. Spend even a short period of time in either of these postures on a regular basis and you WILL begin to feel it in your lower back (first posture), or upper back and shoulders (second posture.) How you then position your head to accommodate your new poor upper body posture determines the severity of the headaches you will begin to experience. Toe kicks are there for reasons of occupational health. Fill them in if you want but unless all you do in your kitchen is brew a coffee once in a while you are going to pay the price in back pain, neck & shoulder pain & headaches. (Source: me. I’m not an Occupational Therapist but ergonomics is my day job. I help people track down the sources of their aches & pains all day long & work with OT’s whose clients are in pain. There are better places to stash your trays.)
I do always enjoy your videos. One little FYI though, just to share info, in regards to coffee table into dining table options, Amazon has SEVERAL styles of the hinge open variety for under $600 that do actually open up to both sides to form a square table, and some even have built in stools that come with them.
Your Malm drawer bed solution inspired my bed. The only difference is that on one side I have Malm, on the other I have 2x4 kallax, and at the feet I have 2 2x2 kallaxes that I can easily move if I need the storage
One great thing about Murphy beds is that they can be combined with so many other pieces of furniture: desks, sofas, dining tables, bookcases, etc. In my studio ADU, I put a Murphy bed/sofa combo (similar to the one in your video, but smaller) because it was the only way to fit both a sofa and a bed in the space. As far as storage in the toe kicks, be careful. My designer says she used to install that for her clients, but she now highly recommends not getting it because they scratch the floors as they slide in and out. She said every one of her clients who got toe kick storage complained about scratched floors.
Many of these products/suggestions you have talked about before - was hoping there were new products you have discovered or layout/organisation suggestions you have from having a young child.
Let me tell you something worse: wood flooring in the kitchen. Yes, they do this in newer homes and it’s hella stupid. Lived in an apartment like this and put a rug to make sure the floor doesn’t get bad from any drops or food that falls down. I would always recommend a washable rug or at least one that is not that cheap so you can change it once in a while. And as the person before commented, it helps with sound cancelling but also defines the eating area better
Great work Daniel! I'm excited to see how the toe kick cabinets turn out. I was looking at doing the same, but I'd have to replace the Ikea cabinet feet with some other support.
I don't really like the bed with drawers underneath as most of their designers do not account for the existence of a nightstand next to the bed. If you have a nightstand next to the bed this makes one of the drawers on each side unusable (unless you plan to move the nightstand every time you want to open the drawer).
you either need to store rarely used items in there or you could search for bed where drawers are design to double as nightstands (usually drawer next to headboard is smaller and can be used as night stand when open, but can be easily closed with all the clutter if needed). The real issue is when you have tiny bedroom (as many Europeans do) and you can't open any drawer because bed is almost from wall to wall ;)
I used a square box shelf mounted to the wall as a nightstand and it worked great with my drawer bed. But then I moved to a place with plaster walls and have been too lazy / intimidated to put them up again, so I’ve just not accessed that drawer for a year.
I actually bought one last week that leaves about 18-20 inches near the head before placing the drawers. I know they are not common but they are starting to show up. Found it on both Amazon and Wayfair and it was quite affordable. Super happy with it!
I'm not disagreeing, but for a coffee table I use a very small "floor study table" (no idea what it's really called, but that's what I call it) with folding legs, that I can easily make disappear under my loveseat, and it's a pretty good solution. I don't know how much table top area you would require, but it's a good solution also.
@@MultiCappieThat's an excellent idea! And I hope it helps someone. But to clarify, with waste of space, I meant useless (in an exaggerated way), as the height places the table further away from me and makes it less useful as a table. E.G. the extra distance and body movements necessary, elevates the risk of spillage (especially when there are children involved). Not to mention that one time you walk into someone's glass top with your shin! :p
@@RannonSiAh, I get you now. Yeah, fair points. I guess I don't know how the idea of a coffee table ever established itself. I think I have one because everyone else has one, but for some reason I keep using it rather than side tables. Watch your shins!
I lived in a very small apartment before and as these are all excellent and creative ideas... after some time using these pieces of furniture are very tiring to unfold, assemble and disassemble. :( I prefer having less or smaller furniture than doing all this work when I have little space to work with. As always - great video. ;)
As always, your advice is great! I love the way you give pros and cons then offer alternative suggestions. Super useful! I wish I'd had your RUclips advice and these buying options when I was living in a studio apartment. We had the Internet but my searches always came up nil. Apartment Therapy online magazine was about the only thing available covering this topic but the prices for creative designs were astronomical.
Good day, Architect Daniel. I've been following your channel for the past months. Your designs are really great, impressive, and detailed. I'm from the Philippines and I'm planning to have a lofted house built next year. Your principles on minimalism and practicality, maximized multifunction spaces, multifunction space saving furniture, easy maintenance and cleaning, etc are also my considerations. Since budget is a main concern, I'd be reusing, recycling, upcycling furniture and items from my previous 4 bedroom house that I had to give up years ago because I got bankrupt. Is it ok if I tell you about my plans for the lofted tiny house? Thanks in advance and more power.
Daniel's new daybed has a weak spot: the mattresses. They are thin and light, probably just light foam. That can be comfortable, but they wear out quickly. A viable solution for light children or if you just need one mattress. Daniel can't use standard mattresses because they would be to thick and also heavy.
Extendable tables are not new at all, and in rural Indiana we call them harvest tables. I inherited one that my grandmother bought at auction in the ‘60s. It looks like a demilune table, with a top that folds open into a square table, or you can extend it and add leaves to seat 8-10. It’s a very clever piece of furniture.
Hey Daniel, love your channel. I keep seeing photos and videos of your old London kitchen. Can I please ask you about the marble tiles? Where did you buy them from? Did you have any issues using them as a splash back behind the hob? Etc.
Hi Titchener , ur contents are awesome and unique . And I wanted to mention the clarity of ur videos and lighting are just amazing 🤩. What camera do u use and ur filming method , can u pls say ❤
Thanks for your videos Daniel! I have identified some IKEA dressers I like (Songesand, Koppang and Hemnes) and other IKEA items that I’m thinking of buying to furnish an ADU here in CA. However, most every item I look at has reviews that IKEA’s product quality has gone downhill in the last couple of years and often times there are complaints about pre-drilled holes not lining up etc. etc. Anyway, I wonder if you could weigh in on this……is it still safe to order from IKEA U.S.? I’m a 74 yr old lady who will be assembling everything myself, with the help of a teenage grandson. Neither of us would be able to deal with things not going together as they should! Thanks for any advice you can give.
Murphy beds strike me as a great guest bed idea but not so good as your regular bed. The last thing I want to do at bed time is any sort of physical exertion which would be necessary to get furniture out of the way and then pull down the bed.
This Video is amazing, turns out if you put your mind (and money) to it, you can make so god damn much out of a tiny space! Thanks for showing me all the diffrent options i have to finally be able to host DnD Rounds at my place xD
I find those daybeds very uncomfortable to sleep on, because the mattresses have to be very thin, otherwise they would be too high if stacked. Also, you do not get a proper, 7 zone slatted frame.
12:17 Hi Daniel, can you do a tutorial video that’s a complete 101 beginners guide to all things drilling holes and installing casters? E.g. drilling into different materials, what size drill bits, finding the right caster (screw size, load capacity etc.). Thank you!
funny I was thinking recently about the toekick space in my kitchen being useful for additional storage I rarely use like things that go in the oven, but it would be a whole thing to make one and meh, it's just not that worth it for now. My kitchen looks super nice currently and I wouldn't want to ruin the clean aesthetics and lines, it's not a super necessity (yet or as of now) so I'm curious to see what solution you come up with. And for MURPHY beds, I've been keeping an eye out for an aesthetic simple version to utilize the "wasted space" of the bedroom as another useful room when necessary so to use the bed 90% of the time and then put it up 10% of the time.
I want a combo sewing table [countertop height] and dining table that can move up and down. And maybe add leaves to it. Yes this is like a sit-to-stand desk but a sewing countertop level table needs to be very large to accommodate cutting fabric. Ive thought about having one custom made but so much $$$.
I have the transformer table… I love it, but since covid it’s perpetually been open at half size One thing I don’t like about it is that you have to store the planks seperately I also have the exact day bed from Ikea, my son uses it in his room… BUT it’s a pain in the butt to close after expanding it. So anyone who’s thinking about getting one and expanding/closing it daily will have to consider that
There is one more reason why there are no drawers (or in fact, if built properly no wood contact with the floor) instead of the toe-kick. It’s to prevent or minimize water damage. That doesn’t mean that you can’t install drawers but you have to water into consideration.
Had that exact gateleg table. Loved it and hated it. If I had a tiny place again I'd get it. We never stacked our chairs though. I'd get folding chairs.
Hi Daniel, love the video! I’d love to see your suggestions for a traditional UK box room. It’s fine at the moment for my 5 year old but I’m conscious that in a few years it’s going to be incredibly cramped so I’d like to do something now that will still be practical for when he’s older. I was thinking of a Murphy bed solution or alternately a loft bed. Any other ingenious ideas?
I have a toe-kick drawer in my new kitchen, under my oven. My friends have dubbed it my "murder drawer", as it's where I've taken to storing my commonly used tools (box cutter, screwdriver, hammer, etc) 😆
I wonder if in your bedroom, you could hang a gauzy curtain from the underside of your desk. That way it would look less utilitarian, perhaps, when you raise it all the way to roll out your bed to its full size?
Did he actually say the word "affordable"? Nothing on this list falls into that category. A futon is affordable. And much like the Murphy bed, many of these items are not easily available or only sold in certain countries.
I'm surprised that you have daybed as number one. Sofa beds are better than daybeds. If it's for guest use and in a home office room it's definitely better than daybeds. Daybeds appear to be just another bed.
Interesting, I lived in a probably 1920’s building with a huge murphy bed door and nook but they’d removed the parts to add the bed 😅 eventually I got the giant door off and turned the resulting nook into a small platform bed. But if it had actually been a murphy bed that would have been pretty nice
I own the grey Jattebo couch, don’t buy it. I loved the modularity but the grey covers quickly look awful. I’ve tried ironing, tension straps, anti-wrinkle spray, etc…. Everything sags after a few days and it looks shabby. The couch is also impossible to move without two people as lifting any section causes it to fall apart.
Please consider making subtitles background transparent, currently the black background blocks the video content to a considerable extent, especially if one is watching the clip on mobile phone..
Where is rent $1,000 for two bedrooms? Not anywhere near me. $1,200 for a one bedroom hovel is more like it. $1,600 to 2,600 for a one, two, or three bedroom that is decent. That’s covering Winnipeg to Thunder Bay! (Not including utilities) Looked a new build that was designed as a house in Winnipeg. Someone split it into three rental units. No reasonable way to get into the basement unit and you would constantly be fighting for parking in the one car driveway. (And, yes, it was marketed as parking available.) Also, no plug for a stove.
0:15 Gateleg Table
2:05 Folding/Stacking Seating
4:47 Coffee to Dining Tables
7:00 Storage Sofas
8:20 Storage Beds
9:40 Toe Kick Drawers
11:40 Honorable Mentions (Collapsable Shelf Brackets, Heavy Duty Caster Wheels, Pull Down Shelves)
12:40 Murphy Beds
15:10 Extendable Tables
16:50 Daybeds
Thank you!!!
Thanks
🙏
Just what I was looking for
I hate daybeds. You can't use them as a sofa because they are too deep and your knees don't bend at the edge. You have to put hige pillows on them to make them the width of a sofa, but even then your feet won't reach the floor. They are ok to use in a guest room that you also use as an office like he does.
I loved to hang out in mine. Sorry it didn't work out for you.
I’m looking at this exact day bed as a guest bed and additional seating and I’ve come across this problem too. I’m short and the Ikea day beds make me feel like a small child! The amount of pillows and cushions it would require would add visual clutter too and are not sturdy enough to really feel like a sofa back. I was very keen on the day bed idea but now that I’ve tried it out in the showroom, I’m more inclined to look for another solution.
I would add (being point 11?): high closets/wardrobes. Get them as high as possible, like 250 or 260cm. You get a lot of extra storage that way.
these are great ideas. Full disclosure: i subscribed to this channel & liked the vids simply because he smartly/kindly shows his feet without shoes 18:13. How do those no-show socks even stay on? 😅
Tip 5, Toe kick drawers, super idea, were fitted to our almost all drawer kitchen in 1981 which is still timeless and in excellent order .
Wonderful tips, thank you so much. One caveat; Tolix chairs are the most uncomfortable chairs, and I actively avoid restaurants that have them. Their narrow, grabby painful side rails and non-existent lumbar support put these off my list of options, despite their cool look. I know several other people who also avoid this chair for the same reasons.
I hate everything about those chairs, including their looks.
@@secretadmirer5006 Agreed. They are quite uncomfortable and ugly to boot.
Day and Folding beds have few disadvantages: If You really want to use the extra space it provides, you really needs extend the bed into space, that's usually made for walking/standing (usable space) If you put one in bed-livingroom in corner, you're not gonna benefit, becuse you can't really use the extra space for anything. The second problem is putting two matrasses in top creates very big visual distraction, even in the video, you can see the bed is almost as high as pc table and even worse with higher mattrasses. For that reason, I hope IKEA can design some low profile day bed, similar to Fyrestal, but more comfortable.
my opinion of disadvantage of day beds is that the mattress becomes bended where you mostly sit while using the day bed as a couch, so it could be uncomfortable to sleep on an uneven mattress. same thing with pullout couches, what is designed for sitting upright is less compatible with sleeping horizontally. that's why I'll choose a combo of murphy bed and compatible couch
Also they are so uncomfortable when used as a sofa. I'd rather just have a bed and lay down when relaxing or watching TV
...mattresses* 😊
@@rickyloftin2968
...lie* down 😊😊
@@LeMacMac
You can choose a bed that stacks rather than bends the mattress 😊
Hello Daniel. Can you make a video about working with spaces/appartments with low natural light? Most of the small-appartment videos featured on Yt are very well-off on natural light, but some of us don’t have these ideal circumstances.
I second this comment! Would really benefit from some lighting solutions for small spaces. Tyvm!
You have no idea how refreshing it is to hear an architect's perspective.
It seems a benefit of Murphy beds is that it is easier clean the floor to prevent dust bunny build up, making it easier to breathe at night.
I think your solution where the chests-of-drawers supported the mattress should have gone higher on your list. I love it.
I’m moving next month & I will be building that in my bedroom. Thanks for that fantastic idea & instructions.
I would love to see what you come up with for toe kick drawers. I have been looking at this and watching a few videos.
Used a trundle in a small bedroom for my daughter to be able to have friends stay… worked very well
Daniel, you're a remarkable human being. Not only are you a brilliant designer and home organizing specialist but you provide convincing solutions for people on a tight budget, as you wax poetic over everything IKEA. Your dedication to them never wavers.
The toe kick idea is genius 😊
Daniel i think the folding furniture are the worst idea for small home... let me explain... yes, you can fold the furniture anytime you want, but how many will actually do that?... and also whenever you want to expand the table, you will need that much of free space to expand it... so everytime you fold and unfold your furniture, you will still need that amount of elbow room... for few times, it might sound good idea, but after few days of back and froth, you will just leave the furniture unfolded as it is... so foldable product are just too much of work which will end up occupying the same space which a fixed furniture will do... plus you cannot keep anything on the desk as it has to fold
I actually opted for a small coffee table instead of a folding table, precisely because I knew I wouldn't use it that often. Now I can enjoy all the space in my tiny living room
Oh I actually use folding furniture all the time 😅 idk my family is half Asian though so we use the floor space a lot for all sorts of things and I’m ND so I just like being on the floor in general. I have folding stools everywhere 😂 my husband jokes that out of our 10 year marriage heated blanket and folding furniture is the best gifts he’s given me because I look like old man with my folding stools or little folding tables everywhere. The folding IRONING BOARD 😮 game changer! I feel like I’m in the dang bat cave and my Dad always comes over and pulls my mom like “darling, we need one of these” every time I show off my cool folding furniture 🤣 were gadget fiends lol. The collapsing buckets, laundry basket, and washing basin 😏 girl game changer.
I actually got a foldable table for my kids and they love! They pull it up and down and get their chairs out for playtime. There 2 of them and watching them “set it up” is the cutest thing
I like the idea of the folding table. I’ll keep it collapses majority of the time, but when guest come over expand it. Vs having a big separate table or a small table that is not usable for guest possibly
Valid comment
We’re moving into our first home in December, a two bed flat in London and could use all the tips you have to give!!
Go thru his old videos. You’ll find tons of small space ideas. Good luck. Enjoy London.
We have a Transformer Table with bench. Amazing piece of furniture. We can seat huge dinner groups and then shrink it down to a 4 person table.
We also use it as an extra work space for visitors.
Love your channel. I'm also a firm believer in function over fashion ... especially in the kitchen. I'm in the process of designing my new apartment, and your videos have been an inspiration ... and a great help.
Hmmm, very interested to see your take on those toekick drawers. My diy version was to snap the pannels off, add those grey plastic ikea trays under and store canned goods on their side. My real pantry cabinet has space for 1-2 of each type of can but with this it's like I gained a whole new second pantry. It's not very user friendly to snap the pannels off and on but I do it once a month maybe so I'm willing to deal with the inconvenience. That said.... and upgrade would be nice. ^_^ Looking forward to your video.
I’m grateful for this video 😊. Could you please make a video how to organise a baby/kid room. Which furniture is worth to buy. I’m mum of the 4th months baby girl who share with me and my partner room. I’m keen on how to design interior for this room. Thanks xxxx
Great vid and lots of food for thought.
Being a chef/cook, I resolve many of these problems by closing off my kitchen as much as possible, while still handy to the service door and trash can. Cooking is just like any other work, WHO needs to chit chat while cooking?
I have a "working kitchen", a lot like a wood shop. Functionality and hygiene is number one. I don't care what it looks like as long as I can get the job done.
When I am in the kitchen, I have to concentrate on what I am doing and think ahead. If I am waiting for water to boil or a cake to bake, I busy myself with the next dish or just clean up after myself.
Traditionally kitchens were the hub of social gathering, but not for me. There is a living room and dining room for that. If I had children to mind, then this would be different.
I like glass table tops and do a lot of various work on my dining table, even paint is not a problem. For cleaning use 1/2 distilled water, and 1/2 rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Along with micro cloths. It takes me no longer than 4 minutes to wipe down 2 tables and 2 or 3 mirrors or windows.
Chest beds are a variation of the Murphy bed. They fold out of, and into, a chest that looks like a normal console chest of drawers. They don't have to be bolted to the wall and are renter friendly.
I had never heard of these and just looked at a bunch online. A great option!
I had never heard of them before either, so I checked them out. And I think they could be great for a guest bed. But for me, a bed where I would have to put on the sheets every day due to the mattress being folded, would be too much work.
my grandfather used to have them. they are a great solution!
@@piahyer8023 I have a sofa bed as a guest bed (one of those with the hinged mechanism that transforms into a "real" bed), you can leave the sheets on and remove pillows and comforter only. You can even leave the comforter on, but it will squish the mattress a bit.
Thanks for this Daniel. I didn't learn anything new today, but it was brilliant to be able to save all the ideas we're considering in one place for quick reference. It's also a good reminder to me not to go wandering down paths to less suitable, but attractive pieces that are tempting me! 😂
I love your ideas! Am eager to see how the toe-kick drawer will work out! Please do post that once you have "experimented".
I agree- whilst these items are great space savers, they are also not always practical or comfortable for daily use- and can require effort to build/ collapse or move around the room. I have the “ironing board” dining table and it weighs 80kg! I actively avoid using it and usually just eat casually on the sofa instead. The storage sofa (Ikea) is “ok” for a few years but quickly sags and isnt exactly the most comfortable everyday family couch. Had an ottoman bed and nearly lost a finger (it wasn’t hydraulic and had to be manually held up)- never again they are crazy dangerous.
Yes, daybeds are kings. Mine is part of a small living room arrangement on a diy platform. Since my room height is generous, but not enough for a loft, I constructed a simple platform with two rows of cinder blocks decked with osb board. On top are rugs (and some adhesive vinyl paper in one part not covered by a rug). In the space under the platform I am storing construction and emergency items. The platform is about 2 x 4 meters (about 6,5 x 13 feet) and in addition to my daybed it houses two chairs, two sidetables, a small desk and a stool.
Hey Daniel, could you please share your solution for towel drying? Not after washing them in a washing machine, but, e.g. after taking a shower and using a towel. I don't have enough space to put a big drying 'board' to let it dry naturally, so my towels hang from doors and chairs. I wonder if you have a better way
His hair is always perfect
I forgot gateleg tables existed and had plans in my head for a murphy table of sorts which honestly would have been way less functional as it can only expand out in one direction instead of two, thank you so much!
Some of these items had dropped off my radar … thank you for bringing them back to the forefront! I enjoy your videos and can’t wait to see more! 😊❤
Excellent ideas, of course. I bought a height-adjustable table which does the trick of rotating the top and folding it out. I was able to have 30 people in my small apartment for a brunch not too long ago.
Brilliant video! This one would score millions of views, it's just so useful!
I am fascinated with that special table that has storage and can be adjusted to a coffee or work table instantly. Love that. 🔥😍
I like that ten person table a lot!!! For what it's worth, eating in the living room without tables is really not a bad idea and I bet that most people do it all the time. It makes a huge difference which dishes you use!!!! Pasta serving bowls are the absolute best choices to use!!! Their generous size (11"+ diameter) makes them super luxurious and you don't feel compromised or cramped at all when the food itself is served in such a roomy dish. You can pile the food in the pasta serving bowl any way you wish, and nothings going to spill or fall out because of the tall sides, the tall sides just make you feel safe while eating on the couch. The pasta serving bowls (serverware specifically, not "pasta bowls" meant for individual portions of pasta) are often found in the "coup" style, many are familiar with this. For soup and salad, of course, deep serving bowls are the ideal for eating on the couch! Whereas you can eat a dinner sized salad in the pasta serving bowl, a deeper serving bowl is still better for salads since the surface area of the sides of the bowl is more convenient for spearing salad items onto a fork, than would be the flatter bottom of the pasta serving bowl. Plus, as salad fixings often sink to the bottom of the bowl, a deeper bowl would make it easier to remix everything together than would be a flatter pasta serving bowl. But, to each his own!!! I am just saying that pasta serving bowls and deep serving bowls are the absolute most wonderful items to have to allow everyone to very comfortably and luxuriously eat in the living room!!! All you need is a place to put your drink and you are golden, that's what serving bowls do, as eating dishes, for small apartments!!! I just wanted to add this since this has been my own experience, and my guests love the luxury large bowls.
If you can’t put your toes beneath the counter you’re standing in front of, you will either bend forward at the hips & waist when you’re working, or you will extend your forearms forward from your shoulders. Spend even a short period of time in either of these postures on a regular basis and you WILL begin to feel it in your lower back (first posture), or upper back and shoulders (second posture.) How you then position your head to accommodate your new poor upper body posture determines the severity of the headaches you will begin to experience. Toe kicks are there for reasons of occupational health. Fill them in if you want but unless all you do in your kitchen is brew a coffee once in a while you are going to pay the price in back pain, neck & shoulder pain & headaches. (Source: me. I’m not an Occupational Therapist but ergonomics is my day job. I help people track down the sources of their aches & pains all day long & work with OT’s whose clients are in pain. There are better places to stash your trays.)
Look at your channel grow!! When I first discovered it, you had around 100k subs. Amazing job Daniel.
I do always enjoy your videos. One little FYI though, just to share info, in regards to coffee table into dining table options, Amazon has SEVERAL styles of the hinge open variety for under $600 that do actually open up to both sides to form a square table, and some even have built in stools that come with them.
Your Malm drawer bed solution inspired my bed. The only difference is that on one side I have Malm, on the other I have 2x4 kallax, and at the feet I have 2 2x2 kallaxes that I can easily move if I need the storage
According to RUclips, this is video number 100! Well done with all the great videos.
One great thing about Murphy beds is that they can be combined with so many other pieces of furniture: desks, sofas, dining tables, bookcases, etc. In my studio ADU, I put a Murphy bed/sofa combo (similar to the one in your video, but smaller) because it was the only way to fit both a sofa and a bed in the space. As far as storage in the toe kicks, be careful. My designer says she used to install that for her clients, but she now highly recommends not getting it because they scratch the floors as they slide in and out. She said every one of her clients who got toe kick storage complained about scratched floors.
Even with wheels?
Many of these products/suggestions you have talked about before - was hoping there were new products you have discovered or layout/organisation suggestions you have from having a young child.
Why do people put rugs under dining tables. I do not understand why anyone would want a dropped food magnet under their table gross
To not make noise downstairs when people drag the chairs
Let me tell you something worse: wood flooring in the kitchen. Yes, they do this in newer homes and it’s hella stupid. Lived in an apartment like this and put a rug to make sure the floor doesn’t get bad from any drops or food that falls down. I would always recommend a washable rug or at least one that is not that cheap so you can change it once in a while. And as the person before commented, it helps with sound cancelling but also defines the eating area better
Decently kept up wooden floors shouldnt have any issue
Totally agree 😂
Great work Daniel! I'm excited to see how the toe kick cabinets turn out. I was looking at doing the same, but I'd have to replace the Ikea cabinet feet with some other support.
Well researched video! Great job sharing both the pros and cons of each item as well as the approximate price point. 😊
Also small bit of feedback, ending feels quite abrupt, almost like you accidentally uploaded a video with the ending cut off
Love your videos. Interesting and information real people can use.
I don't really like the bed with drawers underneath as most of their designers do not account for the existence of a nightstand next to the bed. If you have a nightstand next to the bed this makes one of the drawers on each side unusable (unless you plan to move the nightstand every time you want to open the drawer).
you either need to store rarely used items in there or you could search for bed where drawers are design to double as nightstands (usually drawer next to headboard is smaller and can be used as night stand when open, but can be easily closed with all the clutter if needed).
The real issue is when you have tiny bedroom (as many Europeans do) and you can't open any drawer because bed is almost from wall to wall ;)
@@MaraMara89
Lol, yeah, doesn't work in that situation, unfortunately 😕
Wall mounted night stand
I used a square box shelf mounted to the wall as a nightstand and it worked great with my drawer bed. But then I moved to a place with plaster walls and have been too lazy / intimidated to put them up again, so I’ve just not accessed that drawer for a year.
I actually bought one last week that leaves about 18-20 inches near the head before placing the drawers. I know they are not common but they are starting to show up. Found it on both Amazon and Wayfair and it was quite affordable. Super happy with it!
The coffee to dining table is pretty much the only way to make coffee tables less of a waste (especially the shin-heigh ones)!
I'm not disagreeing, but for a coffee table I use a very small "floor study table" (no idea what it's really called, but that's what I call it) with folding legs, that I can easily make disappear under my loveseat, and it's a pretty good solution. I don't know how much table top area you would require, but it's a good solution also.
@@MultiCappieThat's an excellent idea!
And I hope it helps someone.
But to clarify, with waste of space, I meant useless (in an exaggerated way), as the height places the table further away from me and makes it less useful as a table. E.G. the extra distance and body movements necessary, elevates the risk of spillage (especially when there are children involved).
Not to mention that one time you walk into someone's glass top with your shin! :p
@@RannonSiAh, I get you now.
Yeah, fair points. I guess I don't know how the idea of a coffee table ever established itself. I think I have one because everyone else has one, but for some reason I keep using it rather than side tables.
Watch your shins!
I lived in a very small apartment before and as these are all excellent and creative ideas... after some time using these pieces of furniture are very tiring to unfold, assemble and disassemble. :( I prefer having less or smaller furniture than doing all this work when I have little space to work with. As always - great video. ;)
As always, your advice is great! I love the way you give pros and cons then offer alternative suggestions. Super useful! I wish I'd had your RUclips advice and these buying options when I was living in a studio apartment. We had the Internet but my searches always came up nil. Apartment Therapy online magazine was about the only thing available covering this topic but the prices for creative designs were astronomical.
15:37 This department is famous!
I am an admirer of mid-century style day beds, someday I will get one
Good day, Architect Daniel. I've been following your channel for the past months. Your designs are really great, impressive, and detailed.
I'm from the Philippines and I'm planning to have a lofted house built next year. Your principles on minimalism and practicality, maximized multifunction spaces, multifunction space saving furniture, easy maintenance and cleaning, etc are also my considerations.
Since budget is a main concern, I'd be reusing, recycling, upcycling furniture and items from my previous 4 bedroom house that I had to give up years ago because I got bankrupt.
Is it ok if I tell you about my plans for the lofted tiny house?
Thanks in advance and more power.
Now on your third video and really liking your lists and ideas for inspiration. Definitely now a new sub. Thx!
Daniel's new daybed has a weak spot: the mattresses. They are thin and light, probably just light foam. That can be comfortable, but they wear out quickly. A viable solution for light children or if you just need one mattress.
Daniel can't use standard mattresses because they would be to thick and also heavy.
Extendable tables are not new at all, and in rural Indiana we call them harvest tables. I inherited one that my grandmother bought at auction in the ‘60s. It looks like a demilune table, with a top that folds open into a square table, or you can extend it and add leaves to seat 8-10. It’s a very clever piece of furniture.
Hi Daniel. Was the developer sequence Bosa? Any word on the Ikea movable wall, originally planned with Ori?
Hey Daniel, love your channel. I keep seeing photos and videos of your old London kitchen. Can I please ask you about the marble tiles? Where did you buy them from? Did you have any issues using them as a splash back behind the hob? Etc.
Hi Titchener , ur contents are awesome and unique . And I wanted to mention the clarity of ur videos and lighting are just amazing 🤩. What camera do u use and ur filming method , can u pls say ❤
Thanks for pointing out that a lot of Ikeas good designs are in fact someone other's invention!
Thanks for your videos Daniel! I have identified some IKEA dressers I like (Songesand, Koppang and Hemnes) and other IKEA items that I’m thinking of buying to furnish an ADU here in CA. However, most every item I look at has reviews that IKEA’s product quality has gone downhill in the last couple of years and often times there are complaints about pre-drilled holes not lining up etc. etc.
Anyway, I wonder if you could weigh in on this……is it still safe to order from IKEA U.S.? I’m a 74 yr old lady who will be assembling everything myself, with the help of a teenage grandson. Neither of us would be able to deal with things not going together as they should! Thanks for any advice you can give.
I just want to know where you're getting a 2 bedroom apartment for $1100 a month. Sincerely, a resident of Canada
There's also lift-top coffee tables that flip open to a 4-6 seater dining table.
Murphy beds strike me as a great guest bed idea but not so good as your regular bed. The last thing I want to do at bed time is any sort of physical exertion which would be necessary to get furniture out of the way and then pull down the bed.
This Video is amazing, turns out if you put your mind (and money) to it, you can make so god damn much out of a tiny space! Thanks for showing me all the diffrent options i have to finally be able to host DnD Rounds at my place xD
Great video! Will definitely be making use of these tips when I get an apartment
I find those daybeds very uncomfortable to sleep on, because the mattresses have to be very thin, otherwise they would be too high if stacked.
Also, you do not get a proper, 7 zone slatted frame.
12:17 Hi Daniel, can you do a tutorial video that’s a complete 101 beginners guide to all things drilling holes and installing casters? E.g. drilling into different materials, what size drill bits, finding the right caster (screw size, load capacity etc.). Thank you!
Love the daybed👍 Great video!
Your videos are so good. Thank you.
funny I was thinking recently about the toekick space in my kitchen being useful for additional storage I rarely use like things that go in the oven, but it would be a whole thing to make one and meh, it's just not that worth it for now. My kitchen looks super nice currently and I wouldn't want to ruin the clean aesthetics and lines, it's not a super necessity (yet or as of now) so I'm curious to see what solution you come up with. And for MURPHY beds, I've been keeping an eye out for an aesthetic simple version to utilize the "wasted space" of the bedroom as another useful room when necessary so to use the bed 90% of the time and then put it up 10% of the time.
I want a combo sewing table [countertop height] and dining table that can move up and down. And maybe add leaves to it. Yes this is like a sit-to-stand desk but a sewing countertop level table needs to be very large to accommodate cutting fabric. Ive thought about having one custom made but so much $$$.
I have the transformer table… I love it, but since covid it’s perpetually been open at half size
One thing I don’t like about it is that you have to store the planks seperately
I also have the exact day bed from Ikea, my son uses it in his room… BUT it’s a pain in the butt to close after expanding it. So anyone who’s thinking about getting one and expanding/closing it daily will have to consider that
There is one more reason why there are no drawers (or in fact, if built properly no wood contact with the floor) instead of the toe-kick. It’s to prevent or minimize water damage. That doesn’t mean that you can’t install drawers but you have to water into consideration.
Had that exact gateleg table. Loved it and hated it. If I had a tiny place again I'd get it. We never stacked our chairs though. I'd get folding chairs.
Hi Daniel, love the video! I’d love to see your suggestions for a traditional UK box room.
It’s fine at the moment for my 5 year old but I’m conscious that in a few years it’s going to be incredibly cramped so I’d like to do something now that will still be practical for when he’s older. I was thinking of a Murphy bed solution or alternately a loft bed. Any other ingenious ideas?
The toe-kick drawers are something I've been considering for my kitchen revamp. Another useful and interesting video, Daniel.
I have a toe-kick drawer in my new kitchen, under my oven. My friends have dubbed it my "murder drawer", as it's where I've taken to storing my commonly used tools (box cutter, screwdriver, hammer, etc) 😆
I wonder if in your bedroom, you could hang a gauzy curtain from the underside of your desk. That way it would look less utilitarian, perhaps, when you raise it all the way to roll out your bed to its full size?
Did he actually say the word "affordable"? Nothing on this list falls into that category. A futon is affordable. And much like the Murphy bed, many of these items are not easily available or only sold in certain countries.
We have an antique gateleg table. Very nice. But, legs don't lock. Always concerned when moving table that table might collapse. Never happened...yet.
Like from India bro ❤️
I purchased my Lovesac Sactional with storage in all the seats and it has legs.
Like from Sweden bro ❤
I'm surprised that you have daybed as number one. Sofa beds are better than daybeds. If it's for guest use and in a home office room it's definitely better than daybeds. Daybeds appear to be just another bed.
Do you have any recommendations for nice extendable tables
Interesting, I lived in a probably 1920’s building with a huge murphy bed door and nook but they’d removed the parts to add the bed 😅 eventually I got the giant door off and turned the resulting nook into a small platform bed. But if it had actually been a murphy bed that would have been pretty nice
I own the grey Jattebo couch, don’t buy it. I loved the modularity but the grey covers quickly look awful. I’ve tried ironing, tension straps, anti-wrinkle spray, etc…. Everything sags after a few days and it looks shabby. The couch is also impossible to move without two people as lifting any section causes it to fall apart.
I got the green cover and it looks amazing.
Please consider making subtitles background transparent, currently the black background blocks the video content to a considerable extent, especially if one is watching the clip on mobile phone..
I have a dining table that has a leaf and drop ends so it can go from seating four to as many as 10
I need to get a architect design from you soon for my rv
Like from UK bro ❤
Like from U.S. bro
Don’t like the idea of toe kick drawers. They encourage dirt and pests
Where is rent $1,000 for two bedrooms? Not anywhere near me. $1,200 for a one bedroom hovel is more like it. $1,600 to 2,600 for a one, two, or three bedroom that is decent. That’s covering Winnipeg to Thunder Bay! (Not including utilities)
Looked a new build that was designed as a house in Winnipeg. Someone split it into three rental units. No reasonable way to get into the basement unit and you would constantly be fighting for parking in the one car driveway. (And, yes, it was marketed as parking available.) Also, no plug for a stove.
What make/model are you white desk speakers?
Brilliant!
Like from Tokyo bro
Am not sure I understand the difference between a daybed and a trundle bed?
Top tip: If you never make friends, you will never need a living or dining area.