Maisonnette: a space-saving multifunction furniture set

As we've discussed many times previously here on Gizmag, having enough space to live well in big cities is a costly endeavor. Residents are increasingly being squeezed into smaller apartments in order to make room for everyone who wants to live in these urban hot spots. This makes multifunctional furniture more of a necessity than ever before, and a variety of designers are eager to make it their niche.

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Simone Simonelli is another designer to add to the burgeoning list of designers tackling this problem of living space. The Italian designer's solution is Maisonnette, a set of three pieces of furniture that between them are capable of being used for at least six different purposes.

One of the pieces is a clothes stand/mini wardrobe, one is a trolley/storage unit, and one is a small table that becomes a tray when flipped over. All three of the pieces are constructed from iron rods and alder wood, which should make them sturdy but light enough to move easily.

Maisonnette is a rather appropriate name for the set as it means "little house" in French. A maisonnette is an apartment over two or more floors in a larger property, and people living in one would likely find space to be at a premium.

Simonelli's Maisonnette looks to be practical and portable but also contemporary and minimalist ... which is a heady mix. Unfortunately it currently doesn't seem to be available to buy, instead forming part of the Uncovered exhibition during Milan Design Week 2012.

Source: Simone Simonelli via Lancia Trend Visions