Swiss Army Rooms

Over years, the expression ‘Swiss Army’ has been adapted as a prefix meaning something which can do more than one thing, after the famous multi-tool pocket knife now manufactured by the firm Victorinox and in much the way the brand Teflon has come to mean ‘that to which nothing sticks’.

These days the spaces in many of our home have had to become ‘Swiss Army Rooms’, especially since the Covid -19 pandemic of 2020, when most workers were exiled from their offices and forced to think about how to operate from their place of abode, while their children also had to do their classwork from home. Most of us made do at first, working off kitchen tables among the fruit bowls and uncleared breakfast things, but the world of interiors has caught up in the meantime and now, there is a galaxy of possibilities and innovative products, which we can regard as foldaway tools to add to our Swiss Army Rooms. 

Rooms that were once reserved for occasional guests or used as storage spaces, have become particularly multi-functional, accommodating offices, studies and bedrooms at the same time. Similarly, under-stairs storage spaces have come to accommodate working desks alongside the wellington boots, umbrellas and vacuum cleaners.

But even putting aside the pandemic, in 21^st century Ireland, everybody needs to maximise the living space they can afford as house prices advance alongside supply issues. The key to living in more flexible spaces is to create systems that allow for quick transitions between functions without compromising either purpose and the maximisation of every cubic foot.

The most obvious example of the modern ‘Swiss Army Room’ is of course the home office / guest room. Usually, this will be the smallest room in a three bed semi or the smaller of the bedrooms in an apartment and it is all about adaptable furnishings and multi-mood lighting. When you are working you really don’t want or need a bed in the room so perhaps a fold away sofa bed or a murphy bed — a space-saving bed that folds up into a wall or cabinet when not in use— might be a good starting point. The former will give you seating during the day while the latter is likely to take up less space, particularly in a  small room. Companies such as Wallbeds Ireland (wallbeds.ie) manufacture bespoke foldaway beds for which you can expect to pay from around €900. And ‘Emma’ two-seater sofa bed from EZ Living will cost you roughly €1,500 on the other hand (ezlivinginteriors.ie).

 

Floating desks and foldaway desks have become increasingly popular since hybrid working became a factor in our lives. Floating desks can perform other functions when not in use such as storage, display or even dining. Check out the Sfoglia writing desk for example, which is available from various online outlets from around €500. There is the Kian Zi Felix wall desk (€150) kian.ie or hideaway wall desks from Bisley.ie (€466). Match one of these with a folding chair from Ikea (€35), or a storage ottoman that doubles as a seat from Jysk (€45). Alternatively choose an office chair that can be easily stored away in a wardrobe when you have guests. Your computer monitor can be wall mounted meanwhile on an adjustable mounting arm which would cost circa €89.99 (currys.ie).

Make sure to Install USB outlets and charging stations that serve both work needs and guests.  Consider getting a smart speaker system that functions for work music as well as guest entertainment, and maybe even a computer monitor that can double as a television for your guests. Finally, choose a colour scheme that can serve both functions, for example neutral greys and stone colours and perhaps choose artworks that won’t look out of place in either your home office or guest bedroom.

It is not all about work.  Perhaps your bedroom also needs to function as an exercise space. Again you could consider installing a foldaway bed to give you more daytime floorspace, or if you don’t need that, a bed with under-bed storage for your gym equipment.

If your main living area needs to also function as your dining area, the application of multi-functional furniture is also an ergonomic way to add tools to your ‘Swiss Army’ space.  Habitium.com in Dun Laoghaire stocks an adjustable coffee/ dinner table (€322). Ukrainian maker Steelwooddpua offers what it calls the ‘Transformer Table’ with foldable timber legs underneath. These are currently available through Etsy.com. (€350). At the higher end of the market, you can get Italian-designed transforming tables from viadurini.co.uk. Foldable dining chairs meanwhile, are available from Ikea from about €25, or wooden folding chairs from H&M for €129 (2hm.com), online only. Benches with storage are a good option, such as the ottoman bench from Jysk (€89.99). Rather than a television which can dominate the room, you might consider a projector if you have a suitable wall, particularly if you are not a very regular television watcher.

If your kitchen also needs to function as a laundry, there are a number of options you can consider for maximum ergonomics and functionality. A kitchen island on wheels for example, could double as an ironing station. A number of appliance manufacturers such as Bosch and Whirlpool make compact size (24in) washers and dryers especially for apartments and kitchens that need to double as laundries. Some of these can be integrated into kitchen storage presses. You might also consider a ceiling-pulley drying rack, rather than those rather than those cluttery clothes horses.

Overall, it is important to prioritise furniture that can serve multiple purposes and invest in wall-mounting systems where possible in order to maximise floor space. Try to utilise any vertical storage space you can in order to reduce the use of your floorspace, using tall storage units for example. Furniture with wheels will give you more flexibility, as will room dividers that can be easily moved and stored. Furniture that also doubles as storage, whether they be ‘built-ins’ or bought units will also help you get the most from your ‘Swiss Army Rooms’.