MAXIMIZE SPACE WITH MULTI-PURPOSE FURNITURE ITEMS

Here are some great products that pull double duty in your home. These items are useful for staging because they perform so many functions and take up less space than if you were to have a separate product for each use. But they’re not just for staging either!

• Ottomans You can use ottomans for so many things: storage, a foot rest, a side/coffee table, and extra seating. They come in all sizes, shapes, colors, and materials. The larger ones work great as coffee tables. Here are two examples.
  
  Kinfine Square Tufted Storage Ottoman
  Coaster Storage Ottoman Coffee Table


• Armoires An armoire is an extremely versatile piece. It works in just about any room and for a wide range of purposes. Use it in the bedroom to store clothing. Store your TV in one so that you can close the doors and hide it away when it’s not being used. Make a home office in an armoire so that at the end of the day, you can close the doors and forget about work.
  
  Status Series 400 Armoire
  Sauder Shoal Creek Armoire


• Daybeds A daybed works in a spare bedroom, a den, a family room, or even an apartment or loft. It can serve as extra seating or a bed for overnight guests. Many of them also have storage options underneath, either in the form or drawers or open cube spaces that can hold baskets or bins. Some, like the first example below, have an extra mattress stored underneath the bed.
  
  Black Metal Daybed
  West Elm Window Daybed
  JC Penney Sydney Trundle


• Bookshelves If you have a tall, narrow bookcase you can also use it as a bench by turning it on its side. All you need is a cushion and/or throw pillows. In addition, you can use the shelf spaces for storage. It works great in an entryway to store shoes, or you can add baskets and store hats, scarves, and other items. Use this idea in any room where you want extra seating and/or storage.
  
  Window Seat Bookshelf


• Sectional Sofas When you are staging a home, it often helps to remove extra furniture from rooms that feel crowded or where placement blocks traffic flow. With a sectional, you can break up the pieces in multiple ways. That way, you can put some pieces in other rooms or into storage.
  
  Pottery Barn Ultimate Sectional


• Flip Up Coffee Tables These tables come in so many styles, sizes, materials, shapes, and colors. They work great in homes that don’t have space for a separate dining room. These tables provide storage options for items like remotes and magazines, keeping them organized and out of sight.
  You can use them in place of a dining table for quick meals or as a desk for bill paying and homework.
  
  Turner Lift Top Coffee Table


• Modular Storage Cubes These are usually part of a system that offers various cube styles, including some that are open, some with doors that open either sideways or up (like a garage door), and others with drawers. For the open cubes, you can store items directly in them or add decorative baskets to hold smaller items. Some cubes have a back to them, while others are open. This example below shows a sample that uses various cube options. You can add or reorganize as your needs change.
  
  Foremost Modular Storage System 
  
  Here’s another modular system from Pottery Barn.
  Pottery Barn Modular Bath Storage


• Nesting Tables or TV Trays. Both are great for staging, as well as everyday use. They can serve as end tables, night stands, or be placed anywhere you need a small table, such as an entryway. Nesting tables are good for small spaces because they give you extra surfaces but don’t take up extra space.
  Here are a few nesting tables.
  
  Granger Reclaimed Wood Nesting Tables
  4D Concepts 3-Piece Nesting Tables
  Winsome Wood Xola Nesting Table
  
  Tray Tables also come in a range of sizes and styles.
  Bay Shore Collection 5-Piece Espresso Tray Tables
  Pier 1 Ishtar TV Tray Set

A final idea is to repurpose older cabinets. If you happen to be replacing kitchen cabinets, you can reuse the ones you remove in a number of ways. For example, install them in the garage or laundry room to offer better organization. It's very inexpensive to update them with new paint and hardware.

When staging a home, you want to make sure you show buyers how to utilize the spaces in your home. Some of these you'll have, while others you can find inexpensively at thrift stores or garage sales. You can even use the money you make from selling items you don't need once you declutter your own home. These products can help you do just that. In addition, they will work just as well for you when you move into your new home. 

Finally, if you are staging a rental, these are perfect ways to show potential renters how to maximize the often limited space in apartments.