Double Duty

I love double-duty items. I guess it comes from living in Manhattan apartments where everything needed dual or triple function in order to fit in the limited space. So I just about flipped when I was the photo above. What an awesome way to add a table to a small area, and conversely, to store away a table when you need more room for guests. You just gotta be sure no one sticks gum under the table!

Here's the info from Lifehackers...

Don't have a lot of space for a kitchen table but would love the option of a sit-down meal from time to time? This clever picture table design is a beautiful solution—and one you could certainly do yourself.

From the folks at Ivy Design, the picture table folds down when you need it, and when you don't, it folds unobtrusively up to the wall, doubling as a picture frame. They don't offer any specific schematics (they're selling their design), but it seems like something you could figure out for your own space easily enough. The folks at DIY blog Make even highlight a similar design from a DIY furniture book from the 70's.

Either way, it's a clever idea, and could be very handy in a cramped space.