Compact Creativity: Multi-Functional Furniture Projects for Sma…

Multi-functional furniture or not, the average living space in a modern RV is roughly 300 ft², not exactly an auditorium to kick your feet up in. Fortunately, even with limited space to work with, an RVer can find ways to make the space manageable.

It starts with furniture. No sense in tossing an L-sofa in there if you have to shimmy sideways everywhere you go. But who says you can’t have your cake and eat it, too? Multi-functional furniture doesn’t mean furniture that can hold dinner plates, turn on the TV, and serve you breakfast. That would be nice, but we’re talking about something practical.

Practical in terms of innovation. If you’re looking to maximize space while maintaining a more or less luxurious experience, this is the article for you.

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300 ft² sounds pretty tiny, and some of you will have more or less. However, everyone can benefit from creating a more spacious environment, even if it’s just you and the dog. One of the most common challenges you’ll have to deal with is not necessarily the living space but how the RV is arranged.

Regardless of the available living space, RVs are generally all about length rather than width, which facilitates specific design decisions. Think of it in terms of Tetris, which has a narrow corridor where everything has to fit neatly and practically. While that makes plenty of sense, bringing in new furniture doesn’t leave much room for error.

That said, it’s all about the design principles. This means you need to start thinking “vertical and minimal.” I don’t mean LEGO’s minimal, but smallness doesn’t have to constitute constraint. As RVers, everyone should understand what a Murphy bed is, and that is indeed a good option, though some RVers hate them.

But the Murphy bed is a fine example of what I’m going for here. Vertical space usage, multi-functional furniture (as in convertible), and minimalism are the focus points while retaining quality, comfort, and functionality in your personal living spaces.

When using the term “DIY furniture,” that doesn’t mean you have to build your own furniture, though that’s certainly an option if you’re capable. It does mean doing things other than what you get from the buyer’s lot. It has everything to do with your own design decisions and focus, not necessarily manipulating the RV’s existing interior to suit your needs.

However, some of the ideas here may require some ingenuity on your part, especially if your particular RV is not designed in a certain way, such as not having a bunkhouse and bringing in bunk beds. If it doesn’t work, it simply doesn’t work. So, for large design decisions, be sure to do your homework in terms of measurements and necessary tools/gear before making the leap.

Simple, elegant, and effective, the convertible sofa bed saves a ton of room, but not if it simply replaces the couch in the living area. This is primarily a bed replacement, so your decision must be made carefully. After all, the couch has to match the crown of your bed’s dimensions to be safely replaced and bolted down.

For newbie RVers, replacing furniture in an RV is not as simple as purchasing a residential couch-bed. You’ll need to focus on retailers like RecPro, Amazon (specifically furniture that’s RV-annotated), Camping World, Dave & LJ’s, or RV Inspiration.

Remove and Install

Removing a bed in an RV requires removing the bolts, and it’s better to match a new sofa bed with the already-prepped area where the top of the bed rests.

Measure everything carefully and write it down.

Prep the space by removing the bed and all associated components.

Clean the area thoroughly and keep all of the hardware (bolts, nuts, etc.).

Ensure your new couch will fit when you’re ready to bring it in.

Consider the weight of the sofa bed/futon, etc., versus the weight of the bed.

Since some beds are in slides, consider the weight and dimensions of the sofa bed before removing a standard bed and replacing it.

Position the sofa bed in the proper location and install it.

Add any additional finishing touches.

Obviously, there is more to it than that, mainly in terms of labor. However, RVers are known for shifting beds, replacing old beds with residential beds, and replacing beds with smaller alternatives, such as sofa beds. Whenever you tackle a project of this size, be sure to check out the most popular RV forums. There are plenty of them, and there’s a ton of advice to discover.

This is a good example link of an RVer removing a bed and the storage space beneath it and discussing it on the irv2.com forum.

This one is a simple one. Multi-functional furniture doesn’t have to be some high-tech contraption that delivers your beer from the fridge or your coffee from the kitchen counter. That would be nice, but sometimes, the simpler things in life are the best.

Storage ottomans come in all sizes, colors, and materials, and even a few shapes, depending on the aesthetic you’re going for. And, as the name implies, they store things. Simply lift off the lid or the folding mechanism it employs, and wa-la—instant storage capacity. Storage ottomans are fantastic additions to RVs for more than just storage as well.

Dual-Functionality: The first and most obvious feature is the ability to hold your feet up and contain your collection of Funko Pops (Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me).

Space-Saving: If you don’t have to eat up living space with small items to store, you’re saving space.

Comfort: It’s an ottoman. Kick your feet back. Relax. Enjoy the show. Read this article.

Easy to Move: Unless you find the world’s biggest ottoman and stuff it with free weights, they’re easy to move around and rearrange for guests, parties, dinners, etc.

Organized Living: Organization is one of the most undervalued toolsets in an RVers bag. Organize. You’ll definitely enjoy life on the road more.

Stylish: As mentioned above, ottomans are anything but singular and boring. They come in all kinds of shapes, colors, sizes, and materials. Go with whatever matches your sense of style, whether you are into 90’s goth or House & Garden Magazine.

Storage ottomans are the most cost-effective, practical, and stylish solutions to living space you’re likely to find. Embrace the foot-resting storage love of the ottoman and thank me later.

The idea of “office space” is often misunderstood when it comes to RVs. A few RV manufacturers offer floorplans that include them, but most people end up converting spaces suitable for remote work. Multi-functional furniture is one such way to properly convert a space to your liking, and it doesn’t have to be all about work.

RVers on a more permanent road trip may need a proper space for homeschooled children, a space for remote office work, or an extra table for bills and paperwork organization. Regardless of what it is, you’re limited by living space unless you decide to mount a desk that folds up and out of the way when you’re not using it.

Choose Your Location Wisely: You don’t want to spend all that time mounting a desk that will block ingress and egress points within the RV.

Shop for a Desk: You don’t have to stick with RV-specific retailers on this one, so long as you know what hardware you can use on your interior RV walls.

Mark and Measure: Combining desk shopping with marking/measuring the intended space will help simplify the process and ensure you don’t place your new drop-down desk in a bad spot.

Install Your Brackets or Mounting Hardware: Again, make sure you know what you’re drilling into, and make sure your screws and wall anchors are mounted securely.

Attach Your Desk: Presto. You’re all set. Now, you can drop or kick up your desk whenever you need to get some work done or when one of the kids is walking by. I’m just kidding about that last one. Maybe.

The guy in the above video went really small with his, and you can see how there is still some room to shimmy by whenever the desk is extended. Again, be careful where you mount it, be sure to mark and measure, and be sure it’s anchored and secured properly.

This is pretty much the same concept as the desk. I merely mention it because I like to hear myself talk or watch myself type or…whatever. Like desks, folding tables come in a variety of sizes, depending on your needs. Also, like desks, they’re one of the simpler multi-functional furniture modifications you can make in your RV.

Maybe you want to get rid of the permanent kitchen table to make some extra sleeping room at night, or maybe you just need more counter space (a lot of RVs are really short on counter space, something you don’t know you need until you do).

For what it’s worth, you can also install folding tables on the exterior, depending on the table and the RV’s siding material. This is a fantastic option with teardrops when you’re often just drilling through aluminum-protected plywood.

You can definitely install bunk beds in your RV. The process may be very complicated or very easy, depending on what you’re looking at and your personal skill level. If you have a baby on the way or need a sleeping solution for guests, you can do it without purchasing a new RV with a bunkhouse.

There is more than one way to skin a cat (sorry, cat lovers), and you can either go with a bunk bed version of the folding table or go all out, like the guy in the above video, and indulge in your carpentry skills.

Choose Your Location Wisely: I can’t emphasize this enough.

Measure and Plan: Consider any and all obstacles that installing a bunk bed may create. Multi-functional furniture does not always equate to sensible placement.

Consider Weight Factors: not just the weight the bunks can hold but also the weight they create.

Remove Existing Furniture: This kind of goes without saying, but you can design your bunk bed installation with storage in mind.

Purchase or Construct Your Bunk Beds: Sure, you can purchase them, but this is a “DIY” site, so…

Secure the Bunks: Whether it’s brackets, free-standing, or screws and wall anchors, make sure the bunk beds are secure and safe.

Safety Features: Feel free to add bed rails and things of that nature in case one of the kiddos or guests is a wiggle worm and dreams about being Superman in their sleep.

Any time you install multi-functional furniture that requires wall mounting or is rather sizeable, be extra cautious about any electrical wiring or plumbing behind the installation area. You want to drill holes in walls, not pipes or wires.

Don’t run off to the online retailers and physical stores just yet. There are a few more things worth considering first. DIY multi-functional furniture installation and selection may sound exciting, but if you do it wrong or it sticks out like a sore thumb, you’ll regret the expenditure of labor and cash.

This is entirely up to you—your level of skills in carpentry and general installation, along with your willingness to put in the work and hours. Some of these things will require extensive time and create obstacles within the RV until everything is wrapped up nice and tidy.

If you prefer to purchase pre-made and install, the only things you have to worry about are aesthetics, installation, and cost. But that does take some of that “homemade, job well done” out of the equation, doesn’t it? If you have the skill set to build tables, chairs, comfy ottomans, bunk beds, and more with your own two hands, you can save some money and vastly improve your personal connection with your home on wheels.

The word “modular” is a growing trend in RV spaces, with some RVs now offering full modular characteristics and capabilities both within and without. You may not have one of those, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring the “modular” to your RV.

There are modular sofas, recliners, storage ottomans, fold-down desks, convertible dinette sets, shelves, and bunk beds out there that are as multi-functional as furniture can get. Some serve dual purposes, while others go well beyond that. One thing is for certain: you will not have a problem finding furniture that fits your organizational, aesthetic, and functional needs.

Consider adding wheels to some options as well—depending on what they are, of course. Wheels offer mobility as an option. Existing furniture, customized and modified to your preferences, is something worth considering, too.

If you’re an Alabama Crimson Tide fan, paint your walls crimson and go with gray ottomans. If you’re anything else, don’t bother. I’m kidding, but I digress. The point is to make sure your multi-functional furniture choices mesh well with the current decor.

Even something as small and innocuous as a storage ottoman will stand out jarringly if its aesthetics do not match. If your mind is more practical than creative, seek an external opinion. It never hurts to engage in some new ideas for your RV’s interior decor.

Well, there you have it. By the way, it doesn’t begin and end with bunks, ottomans, folding tables, and desks, either. There is a whole world of opportunity and a variety of multi-functional furniture product possibilities and DIY projects out there. Mix, match, and do your thing.

Ultimately, you’re personalizing your RV, which will always pay dividends when it comes to the feeling and vibe of home sweet home. Just be sure to do it right the first time, plan accordingly, choose wisely, and take your time putting it all together.