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The Transformer Table

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Our new table transforms itself, and our view of furniture

Here is our new table

It has 3 modes. Friends mode: Seating up to 6 for dinner or board games.


Couple mode: Great for the two of us. Or for doing some writing while looking out at the view.


99% mode: Most of the time we don't need a table, so it folds away. Storage in the side drawers.


Best of all it allows the space to be multipurpose. Ordinarily a traffic area (between the kitchen, other rooms and the balcony) it can also be a spacious area for the two of us, a table for 6, or an expanded lounge area if we push the lounge furniture back.

How it transforms homes

Traditionally each room has one purpose. TV room for TV; bedroom for bed; study for studying; the dining room for the dining table.

When furniture is cleverly designed, spaces can be multifunctional and we don't need so many rooms.

It's one of the key concepts behind tiny homes. One of the architects from The Tiny House Company showed me this heat map - indicating how long people spend in the various parts of our house.


With so much space rarely or never used it makes sense to have a smaller home with places that can have dual functions.

The dining room is a classic example. It's used for maybe half an hour a day, if at all. Yet it still takes up so much space.

How it transforms lives

We work long hours for money and our biggest expense is the place we live - whether it's renting or paying off a home loan.

Homes are expensive often because they are huge. Australia's average home size of 230 m2 is the largest in the world. It's 88 m2 per person (compared to 27 m2 in 1950).

That space costs money and that money costs us so many hours of our life. Previously, I calculated even just our bookcase takes up $1,600 worth of space. Imagine how much a whole room costs. Even a room that just holds junk.

Less pressure, more happiness

With smaller more functional homes, cost needn't be such a burden. The mortgage (or rent) wouldn't force us to work a job we loathe or work much longer hours than we'd like. We could have more freedom in our choice of work and our style of life.

PS. I say "new table" but of course we bought it from someone in our suburb who no longer needed it, for about a third of the price of a new one. Win-win.
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Comments

  1. Aussie James20 February 2019 at 21:07

    HI. I"d love a more detailed look at this table, plans even ?. I"ve just ordered my trailer for my DIY Tiny House here on the Sunshine Coast, QLD, Aussie. loving the journey, loving the community...james

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aussie James20 February 2019 at 21:18

    thanks, I found the table at Ikea

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    Replies
    1. david23 February 2019 at 09:03

      Hi James. Thanks for visiting. Yes the table is originally from IKEA. We purchased it second-hand as we like supporting other people who are downsizing - and we also get good bargains :) . Glad you found the table at IKEA where you can have a good look at it. The only thing is that it isn't very light. That's OK for us in our apartment (apart from moving it up the stairs ;) but it may be an issue in a tiny house on wheels. If you're looking at making something similar you may want to choose a lighter material.
      PS. Do you have a blog for your tiny house? I wouldn't mind seeing it as it comes together.

      Delete

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