Gideon Beck of Milano Smart Living is out to raise your consciousness about how to use small spaces.

His Firenze-based firm is dedicated to high-end, multi-functional furniture.

As in coffee tables that expand to seat 15 for dinner.  Or three-piece sofas that turn into very wide beds.

“You usually get a terrible sofa but a great bed, or a great sofa but a terrible bed,” he says.  “But this is a great bed and a great sofa – it fits everyone, it looks gorgeous and it’s really comfortable.”

The idea is to explore the concept of two or more for the price of one – with flair and functionality.

“The personal computer has come into the house, so the spare bedroom is now turned into a study or den,” he says.  “That’s where we come in.”

His firm designs extremely well-made furniture that’s easy to operate.  It’s all aimed at the niche of small, affluent apartment-dwellers in New York, Paris and London.

The sofa designs are contemporary and modern, but classical too.  They feature durable mattresses designed for everyday use, removable, washable covers and wood-sprung springs rather than metal.  They offer storage for pillows in many models; bedding fits inside when folded up into sofa function.

Its space-saving tables employ the latest ergonomics trends for domestic furniture. The mechanisms are patented and include air pressure valves that set the heights and wheels that blend with the design of table legs.  Mechanisms are virtually silent when in motion, and some models are available with electronic mechanisms.

“We had a client in here for three hours the other day, and re-arranged his whole way of thinking,” he says.  “There’s the Wow! Factor – it’s like a different world.”

The firm recently opened a showroom at the New York Design Center, 200 Lexington Avenue.  For more information, go to http://www.milanosmartliving.com/

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