Less is the New More: Making the Most of Small Spaces
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 10.14.08
As people migrate to smaller spaces, good design helps a lot. This is something they figured out in Europe long ago, that if you don't have a lot of horizontal room you can go vertical. Tumidei in Italy makes some of the nicest stuff, like this unit with lots of storage under.
This unit just raises the floor high enough for beds to slide under.
This one looks a bit clinical, but has two single beds plus a pull-out double bed in between. When you read in the New York Times that professional couples with children are moving into small one-bedroom apartments in Manhattan and sleeping in closets, perhaps this stuff could be useful.
None of this stuff is cheap, nor, as far as I can tell is it available in North America, but there are ideas here that demonstrate how people can share a space and still get a little privacy, a good place to work and a lot of storage in a very small envelope. More to see at Tumedei via: Unclutterer
More neat loft ideas in TreeHugger:
Students Loft Box Home
Everything In Its Place with the Interlocking Puzzle Loft
Loft in Space by Hogarth Architects
Less is the New More: Building Loft and Alcove Beds
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this stuff is awesome! I have two daughters, 10 & 14, who have to share a room. The room is small, and they are kinda crammed in there - i'm going to show this stuff to my husband and girls, we may not be able to buy it in central Texas, but no reason we can't try to build it our selves!
These designs are definitely creative in their 3-D thinking, but I would personally replace the wheeled chairs with a normal chair, because I just know I would tumble off the platform one day. And my kids would probably tumble off on purpose. :)
These are some interesting designs. Dorm's in colleges have some similar ideas with the lofted beds, etc.
Compact design is absolutely the future and the skills in this area have been learnt and forgotten many times over the decades. Mediaeval English cities for example were very crowded places and space usage was necessarily creatively approached and amazing solutions provided - just see the London Natural History Museum for examples.
It looks like a lot of these are made for kids with the twin sized beds and all but I'm a grown adult and I love these rooms! I would love to have a bedroom with this look and feel (and organization and storage). Now we just have to market them in the US.
these are gorgeous. america is behind on the efficiency and the decor that has been exemplified by Europe...
love the design.... very modern and nice looking.
now the real issue is that people need the space to store CRAP underneath their beds. The most economical way to solve your clutter space (an this one is available now and for free), GET RID OF YOUR CRAP. go into your closet and whatever you haven't touched for more than a year you donate, recycle or sell. DONE. That would be not only the most economical, but also the greenest way to solve your clutter.
I've seen a few of these designs before, but I still think that IKEA is really a driving force in maximizing minimal space.
Oh yes. Dorm-room technology. How innovative.
For someone in Texas like myself, IKEA came to mind when I saw this but I love the first one with the walk in closet under the bed. Not sure about the chair up there with wheels but a very cool design for a young kid.
i really like the first one its stunning
Where can you buy this stuff? I would love to purchase one of these beds