Holy space: Smart and secret designs

It takes a pretty ingenious design to get me as fired up as I am.

I'm all excited because I just came across a San Diego, California, based design firm that makes smart and attractive furnishings geared to maximize every inch of your living space. While the company, appropriately called SPACE san diego, isn't the first to create multipurpose products they are, however, a one-stop shop for items that can address your kitchen, living room, bedroom, flooring, and even cocktail needs (check out their cool Wood Wine Racks). What I'm most jazzed about though are their Concealed Doors.

Ever since I was a child, I've wanted one of those haunted house-style bookshelves that, with a push of a button or lifting of a book, opens to reveal a passageway into another room. Well, SPACE makes'em, and I want one installed in my apartment, immediately.

The 80-inch or 90-inch outswing doors are available in eight styles, and can be customized to your design specifications. Install the door as an entryway into a bedroom or bath, or use one or two as clever closet concealers. SPACE'S Simple Display design works well for shelving knick knacks, and their Granada door is good for housing your stereo and music collection. No matter what style or what items you decide to store on the recessed shelves, you'll have more storage space and an awesome secret passageway that I thought only existed in freaky Clue-like mansions.

Moving on to another smart design, SPACE created the Pouff Letto Ottoman Bed. Acting as an ottoman and bed—as the name suggests—it can also be used as a couch and bench. Just remove the slipcovering and flip open the ottoman top, and you've got extra seating and a sleeping solution. The company even offers table accessories that can easily transform the ottoman/bed into a table. Now that's smart.

While your on SPACE's website, check out some of my other favorite space-saving creations: Flipper Screen, Folding Islands, and Tablebed.