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Speaking from vast amounts of experience: Every single piece of furniture should be multi-functional, and ideally offer hidden storage as well.
e.g.: a very stiffly upholstered bench -- with an open space in the center and drawers on either side, front and back, plus additional storage under the hinged lid. This single piece of furniture can serve as: 1)seating, 2)a low-profile console or coffee table; 3)a storage cabinet 4) a low-profile desk (perfect for a laptop surfing -- just throw a cushion on the floor). Also, you MUST think FUNCTION first, THEN consider aesthetics. A lot - MOST - of mod furniture -- which I love, BTW -- is open, with clean geometrical lines, and has no storage whatsoever -- unless it is very limited open (not hidden) storage. The result? That clear acrylic coffee table that looked so sleek and cool and clean in the catalog is a magnet for clutter in a cramped space, and that wall of stackable brushed aluminum open cube shelving that spoke to you from the window of Ikea or Container Store -- the one you thought so practical for getting clutter up and off the floor --is an unattractive eyesore once filled with magazines/books, cleaning products, vitamins, cds, pet toys, bills, etc. -- no matter how organized. (BTW, buy the doors that attach to the cubes and that problem is solved. Also, individual cubes can serve as extra seating OR occasional/side/accent tables,OR you can put three together on the floor side by side in a vertical line (NOTE: for # 4 function above, you'll want the center cube open on ONE side), to serve ALL the 1,2,3,4 functions given above in the first example.

I love organizing!!! writeon@mindspring.com