It’s no secret that homes are getting smaller. House-builders are trying to cram as much property onto a site as they can get away with. Greedy landlords are also dividing houses into as many individual units as the market will bear. There is also a dire shortage of affordable family homes with 2 or more bedrooms.
One of a range of smaller size sofas at John Lewis & Partners
All of these factors have resulted in a growing phenomenon of smaller furniture. Small size double beds, ‘snuggler’ 2-seater sofas and items of furniture that transform from one thing into another are becoming more popular; although ‘popular’ is probably the wrong word – more of a necessity really?
According to John Lewis* sales of small double beds, (120 cm (4ft) wide – 15 cm less than traditional doubles) have risen by 53% in a year, while sales of mini-sofas are up 12%.
Another factor that has influenced the growth of smaller furniture is that it is almost impossible to get a lot of bigger furniture items into your home – especially if you have stairs to contend with.
Why designers of homes neglect to allow for this is a mystery – and it isn’t exactly a new problem either. Part of the trend towards self-assembly furniture isn’t just that it’s more affordable – it’s also because you can actually get the stuff in your house!
So what does the future hold – more of the same, no doubt? Even smaller houses and smaller furniture to suit. Add the fact that people are also getting bigger (not just in height either) and the future looks very cramped indeed!
*The John Lewis Retail Report – How we shop, live & look 2016
