Multifunctional furniture makes small spaces a little more livable. Need a place to sit, set your coffee, or house your collection of paperbacks? This modular Platone Unit is a bench, bookcase, and coffee table together as one.

This unique plywood-and-slate combination makes a great choice for small bathrooms that require a corner bathroom vanity.

The wooden box is as functional as it is finely crafted, with room for clothes up top. Each niche holds treasures from travels, family keepsakes, books, and more.

The units don't even require foundations—simple ground screws from Krinner are enough to support them.

Lushna's dwellings are available in Europe and the U.S., though for customers in the latter, prices can vary based on shipping costs and taxes. The baseline price of Villa Massive, seen here, is approximately $9,375. The canvas-lined Villa Air's is $4,453. To see Lushna's full range of products, visit their website here!

Bring In the Trash With an eye for the industrial, Winterhalder built the garbage area in the kitchen around two standard-issue plastic trash cans common in German cities. One is orange; the other, green. These in turn inspired her to start adding color accents around the house.

“Materials were a major consideration in this house,” says Massie, who created a curtain wall with steel supports adorned with sandwiched layers of birch plywood and amber acrylic. “When light enters that wall, the layers of acrylic allow it to come through and glow—it’s really quite beautiful,” says Massie, who added the same acrylic for the thin window at the end. “That plays off the yellows in the Gambone ceramics and the Eames storage unit,” notes Wooten.

The Element House by MOS Architects stands on pylons, creating the illusion of it hovering over the desert floor. Nine thermal chimneys, one of which can be seen right, channel hot air out from the interior living areas.

Bishop is an avid record collector—Rolling Stones albums are a sought-after favorite—and he keeps his vinyl in the shelving unit ”1.1,” a reproduction of Arbel’s first completed work. The kids can often be found playing video games at the desk in the great room.

With a small budget, an open mind, and perhaps a little help from your friends, there’s nothing stopping you from building your own tiny home.

A small airspace separates the building's aluminum skin from the wall underneath. The aluminum acts like a heat sink during the day: it absorbs heat but remains thermally separated (by the narrow gap) from the Element House walls.

Sunlight permeates the interior thanks to skylights within the thermal chimneys. A single common area, comprising a kitchen, dining, and living area, links all the three bedrooms.

What else is the porch good for? Tricycle races, of course.

The Element House stands on pylons, creating the illusion of it hovering over the desert floor. Nine thermal chimneys, one of which can be seen right, channel hot air out from the interior living areas.

The Element House is powered by solar panels, seen right.

Konishi and Gaffney's bedroom is fairly austere, though a pair of dormers let in lovely natural light.

Lushna offers a range of prefab options, including a sauna module, bathroom module, and many different sleeping units. Seen here is the Villa Air, which features 110 square-feet of space for a king-sized bed, mosquito nets, waterproof organic cotton canvas covering, lighting, and AC/DC plugs. The floor is spruce and the A-frame is larch.

The “mid-ground” between the three structures serves as a community hub. Dick takes advantage of the site’s shared bicycle storage and its proximity to a popular bike lane.

A contractor with years of industry knowledge will know how to solve common problems that may arise during construction, and will also have well-established connections to subcontractors and suppliers.

L' étagère en bois by Swiss designer Lucien Gumy is a solid wood shelving unit that requires zero screws or nails—each of the boards and uprights interlock perfectly. The overall size can be varied by using differing lengths of elements.

Need a place to sit, set your coffee, or house your collection of paperbacks? Jeff Miller's modular Platone Unit for Cerruti Baleri is a bench, bookcase, and coffee table all in one.

The Linework system of shelves by New York-based studio Visibility elevates and frames objects that one chooses to fill spaces with.

75 years Established in 1949, Kartell has produced numerous products that went on to become classics, showcased in museums and homes around the world. The Componibili modules, designed to meet various functional needs and slot into any home setting, remain one of Kartell's most successful products. Photo courtesy of Kartell.

Eames Storage Unit by Charles and Ray Eames for the Herman Miller Furniture Co., circa 1949. Gift of Mr. Sid Avery and Mr. James Corcoran. Photo by Museum Associates/LACMA.

Each unit is 370-square-foot studio and was built off site in a warehouse near Sacramento.

The Waveform's generous 13 inch depth will support the larger hardbacks, while its 22 inch length lends itself to a mix-and-match modularity that will make a neat visual statement. Read more about the Waveform here.

Built for the Army in WWII, these tube-like corrugated steel shelters were inspired by a quixotic journey through the Midwest. Fuller and a friend, road tripping in search of unknown letters by Edgar Allen Poe, were struck by the site of metal grain silos lining the road. Inspired, Fuller began working with the manufacturer, Butler Manufacturing, and soon, $1,250 Dymaxion Deployment Units were being built and shipped starting in April of 1941, complete with appliances and furniture by Montgomery Ward. One was displayed in MoMA’s front yard, and the army ordered more than 100 for deployment around the globe. Fuller imagined them as cheap family dwelling and potential post-war vacations homes, but the wartime steel shortage halted further production.

Porcelain floor tile from Daltile is a durable, easy-to-clean substitute for wood. The family does laundry in an efficient Summit SPWD1800 washer-dryer combination unit. Miller saved money in the kitchen by using a reclaimed sink and faucet and drawer pulls from Ikea.

La Aduana is an eight-unit apartment building in León, Mexico, made from 36 shipping containers.

Designer and digital fabricator Shawn Benson shares his 595-square-foot second-floor space with his wife, Jessica, and their daughter, Roux. The 15-foot-high ceilings allow plenty of room for a full-size ocean paddleboard.

The couple's collection of books, pottery, and carvings are displayed on built-in shelves in the office and hallways.

The exposed wooden stairwell creates a warm contrast with the concrete and metal used elsewhere.

The residents of NHR have clearly mastered open shelving. Creating a great balance in their home this shelving system helps to colorfully curate the air avoiding formless clutter.

These blocky units lock together with the help of five holes per side––allowing them to take the shape of a miniature library, a bench, or an asymmetrical shelving unit. Read more about this clutter buster here.

25 years Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, an internationally acclaimed home furnishing company, is currently celebrating 25 years of business. Their diamond patterned bar unit combines luxury and simplicity, much like many of their other products. Photo courtesy of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.