Bedshaped

With new houses getting smaller and space being at a premium one young designer has come up with the perfect solution – a bookcase that transforms into a bed.

The Bed-case was created by Karen Babel as part of her BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design degree at Nottingham Trent University.

The design has just been shown at the New Designers exhibition in London where it scooped first prize in its category, awarded by the Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association (KBSA).

The mattress forms the bulk area of the bookcase and stands upright in four tessellating sections. These surround five storage shelves which are suspended in mid-air by a wall mounted frame. The mattress sections can be placed onto the floor and slot together to form the bed - two sections for a single, or all four to make a double. A draw at the bottom which acts as a spacer between the floor and the skirting-board can be used to store linen and cushions.

“Space is so vital in people’s homes and I wanted to come up with a way of incorporating two pieces of furniture. The most unused space in anyone’s home is vertical space and I wanted to make the most of that. As well as being a great looking bookcase, it offers a comfortable night’s sleep as a bed,” said Ms. Babel.

 “This will be one of the most innovative objects at the New Designers exhibition. I doubt anyone has thought to do anything more simple, effective and spectacular with an ordinary household object before,”  enthused Steve Rutherford, Karen’s tutor and Senior Lecturer in Furniture and Product Design.