ICFF: 24-Hour Furniture by Molteni & C

Furniture designers typically create pieces that are specific to a certain task like sitting, sleeping, or storing. But designer Patricia Urquiola took up the challenge to create a single piece of furniture that functions in place of many separate ones. A solution you could literally sleep, work, and relax on. The Night&Day seating system for Molteni & C attempts to push the boundaries of versatility and offers a new take on applying modular design thinking to furniture.

The foundation of the system is a thin platform that is curved up to form a back rest. The curved section is actually flexible and can be adjusted from a vertical seating position to a reclining one. The platform comes in a wide and tall version which when cushions are added form a sofa or a chaise lounge. But there is one other feature. The cushions are sized to function as a single sized bed. Multiple platforms can also be rearranged to function differently together and adapt to various sized spaces. The system can be ordered with a host of accessories like storage bins, tables, and some clever pouches with integrated reading lights that hold magazines, books, and newspapers.

Patricia described Night&Day to us as something between a bed and sofa. She said people have traditional ways of thinking about furniture but the way we use rooms today is very different. Transformation was a core idea she had when designing Night&Day and she hopes it will allow users to better satisfy their own individual needs.