Less is More: Matroshka Compact Living
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 11.24.08

TreeHugger has shown a few (often expensive Italian) compact living systems that integrate many functions into a very small space. Mid Sweden University students Sarah Remnerth, Anna Fossanne, Magnus Gustavsson and Anna Thorseaus focused on "space, storage and sociality." it seems to be built without a lot of fancy hardware and could probably be built economically.

It is based on the idea of the classic Russian dolls:
Martroshka means grandmother in Russian and is used in popular language to describe the wooden dolls that are placed inside each other. A reflected by the hidden space within the dolls, the Matroshka has the potential to revolutionize storage and maximize the quality of living, especially for those in confined dwellings.

In its most packed format it takes up less space than 4 m2 (40 square feet) yet has room for a bookshelf, double bed, sofa, dinner table, four stools and seating for 12, workspace, wardrobe, cleaning products box and folder storage.

More at Matroshka, via shedworking
More compact furniture systems at TreeHugger:
Less is the New More: Making the Most of Small Spaces
Transformer Furniture: 7 Objects That Aren't What They Seem
Kenchikukagu: Apartment Folds Out of a Box (Well, 3 Boxes)
Transformers: Private Dining by James Plant
See all items tagged as Transformer Furniture
See all items tagged as Less is more
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