Small space? Here's the solution! (Condo Units and House Tips)

In these peso-pinching times, it isn’t enough just to get the right furniture piece for your condo. You have to consider four things before you buy it: one, it pulls double duty as something else other than what it was originally made for; two, it’s either small enough or practical enough to earn precious space in your small condo unit; three, it’s well-made so it’ll last you a long time; and four, it’s a beautiful piece of furniture.

Here are six pieces you’d be smart to invest in. (Check out Our Home for these.)

By Rachelle Fernandez Medina

Ottoman.
A large square or round ottoman (at least 40cm across) is another versatile piece, and it saves a lot of space. It can be used as a center table in your living room, as it can give a softer look to your seating area, rather than using a glass or wooden coffee table. An ottoman is also a safer option if you have small kids. When you have a lot of guests over, just remove the stuff on top of the ottoman and let them sit there. (A plus: you can even use your ottoman as a comfy footrest!)

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Baul or chest.
Those hefty bauls from your lola are literally treasure chests—because you can hide your clutter while you use the chest as a coffee table. If, however, your lola doesn’t pass her baul on to you, modern store-bought chests perform the same function as their antique counterparts. There are other ways to use bauls: stack them in twos or threes (if they’re small enough) and turn them into a side table, or prop one up on a low wooden base and turn it into a quirky console table.

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A large mirror.
It’s a decorative accessory, a space-enlarging trick, and an accent wall you can bring with you upon moving out. Put it in the smallest (or darkest) wall in a room and watch it visually double your space. If you have a modern home, choose a mirror with a thick but simple, black frame; or if you want something flamboyant, get one with a carved, gold-painted or brightly-colored frame.

Dining / desk / console table.
Yes, there is actually a table that has three different uses! A small dining table (around 1.0m L x 0.60 W) can actually be used as a console table in your foyer once you move to a bigger place. Alternatively, this dining table is also the right height for a desk. After dinner, you can replace the dishes with your laptop!

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Nesting tables.
A traditional set of nesting tables is an ingenious, space-saving trick—plus, you get three tables for the price of one! Nestle them all together next to a sofa as an interesting side table, or separate the tables and use them in various rooms in the house.

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Sofa bed.
For obvious reasons, a sofa bed is the furniture piece of choice for condo- and small-space-dwellers. In fact, it is the first piece you should buy once you move in. In your studio unit, your sofa bed can be where your barkada hangs out during the day, and where you crash at night. When you get a bigger place, you can move your sofa bed to another room for overnight guests.