KIMBERLEY SELDON
RIGHT AT HOME
On the weekend I baked a perfect risotto and whitened my teeth in a 40-minute period. My teenage son spent half the day on the phone, simultaneously playing his guitar and responding to various “conversations” on MSN.

Ten years ago, this kind of behaviour was unheard-of, but it’s all too common these days.

Perhaps it’s the inevitable progression of a society obsessed with multi-tasking but today, even furniture is required to perform multiple functions.

Although this is not a totally new idea, smart retailers have moved well beyond the sofa bed with furniture that flips up, tucks in or turns itself inside out.

One of those retailers is Casalife Furniture and Accessories (http://www.casalife.com, 416-922-2785).

Owner Rob Whitfield is keenly aware that space is a luxury most city dwellers don’t have. For that reason he carries furniture that works hard to maximize storage space and function.

One example is the Taylor bar table, which solves two dilemmas many condo owners face — tight quarters in the entrance and insufficient space for independent dining and living rooms. This smart little console table sits flush against the wall in the foyer, providing an ideal spot to gather mail and keys with ample surface for a table lamp.

The bar table is designed to accommodate a pair of bar stools which tuck beneath it. The two stools can provide additional seating when required but can also be used as dining stools when the table converts (via an attached drop leaf) to a dining table. The Taylor bar table retails for $578 and Taylor leather stools sell for $238 each.

Thanks to increasingly thick city traffic, skyrocketing parking costs and the pressing need for business owners to trim fat from expense budgets, many Canadians are opting to work from home. Finding space for the home office is a challenge in tight quarters. Retailers are racing to meet the needs by providing consumers with portable office options — armoires that open to reveal desk area and storage for example.

The Hudson Compact Office Table takes up very little floor space when compacted — 60-cm (24-inches) wide by 47-cm (18.5-inches) deep by 78.7-cm (31-inches) high. However, the two centre panels swing open to reveal filing cabinet, drawers and a writing desk surface. If you don’t have a dedicated office at home, it’s a good idea to choose an option that allows you to “pack away” the office at day’s end. The office table retails for $508.

For years, the television has been condemned to live behind the closed doors of entertainment centres. Plasma and LCD screens, with their sleek, slim profile and chic appearance, have changed how we view the television and we’re seeing the re-emergence of the low-lying media console.

The Condo Coffee Table — approximately 48.2 cm (19-inches) high — doubles as either an entertainment centre or coffee table. Placed against the wall its surface accommodates a large TV, while the shelves and drawers beneath house electronics and CD or DVD players. The same piece of furniture can also be used in front of the sofa as a coffee table. Replace the shelves with a compact ottoman that tucks beneath the surface of the table, providing an additional seat.

The Condo Coffee Table retails for $500 and the companion ottoman for $185.

In small spaces every inch counts — hence the proliferation of furniture with slim arms. Slipper chairs, which have no arms, are popular with condo and loft buyers since they provide a comfortable seat without eating up floor space.

The Mango Chair is a slipper chair with a built-in storage drawer in its base. Just imagine, you’ll never have to search for the TV guide or remote controls again. The Mango chair retails for $700.