IKEA's Top Multipurpose Products To Fit A Variety Of Needs

Whether you're living in a small apartment, attempting to live a more minimalist lifestyle, or simply trying to reduce clutter, multipurpose items are an easy way to take full advantage of your space. Rather than devoting a whole side of your countertop to a toaster oven, air fryer, and grill, for example, you can pick up an all-in-one appliance that does all the same tasks with a much smaller footprint. The same goes for furniture items that double as storage or decor that serves a functional purpose — the fewer items you have to hold on to, the more room you have. These simple switches are one of the easiest ways to make the most of your small spaces.

While finding these multipurpose items can be a bit of a struggle, there's one retailer that has quite the selection: IKEA. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise, either — IKEA's entire mission statement revolves around improving the daily lives of its customers. Combine this with its overall minimalist aesthetic and focus on functionality and usefulness, and you'll naturally find plenty of items that can do double duty.

For those who want to declutter a crowded kitchen with space-saving multifunctional appliances, revamp their living rooms to include intentional hidden storage, or eliminate as many single-use items as possible to free up more space, IKEA is worth checking out.

Music playing throughout your home is one of the easiest ways to set a mood, but if you don't have room for a bulky speaker, this SYMFONISK Picture Frame w/ Sonos Wi-Fi Speaker can do double duty as a piece of decor and a source of sound. It's designed to look like a piece of modern, geometric art, and can be either propped up like a standing frame or mounted on the wall, but it delivers impressive sound quality, whether you're enjoying podcasts or listening to a new album.

Small appliances like microwaves and air fryers are the heroes of weeknight dinners and quick lunches, but having one appliance for every task can quickly overwhelm even the most well-organized kitchens. This GÅTEBO Microwave Oven, however, acts like three appliances with the small footprint of one. It's able to air fry, grill, reheat, and defrost, all with the press of a button. Essentially, it's able to take care of all of your heating needs, whether you have a hankering for crispy chicken nuggets or need to quickly melt some butter for your newest culinary endeavor.

Storage ottomans are one of the best hidden storage solutions for anywhere in your home. Rather than simply functioning as extra seating or a place to prop up your feet, they take advantage of their large footprint and provide a space to stash extra blankets, kids' lesser-used toys, or seasonal decor. The OSKARSHAMN Ottoman with Storage is the perfect example of this, and thanks to its simplistic, modern design, it's sure to pair well with your existing furniture whether or not you have the matching chair to complete the set.

Another furniture item that doubles as extra storage, the BRIMNES Bed Frame with Storage is perfect for those living in studio apartments, people who don't have a ton of closet space, or shoppers who don't want to have to buy additional organizers and bins to take advantage of free space under the bed. This simple platform bed is fairly basic — you'll have to shop around for other options if you want a decorative headboard — but the four large drawers at the base provide a massive amount of easily accessible storage.

If you're living in a small space, it's unlikely that you have room for a dining table. That doesn't mean you have to eat all of your meals on the couch, however. This NORDEN Gateleg Table is a true space-saver. With two drop leaves that will allow you to shrink the table down to a small shelf along the wall, create a small spot to eat for two people, or extend it fully to host four, it's perfect for those who are short on room. It even includes six drawers, ideal for storing flatware or extra kitchen tools.

Even small items like lamps don't have to be single-purpose. This SYMFONISK Sonos Speaker Lamp combines the functionality of a speaker with a stylish way to illuminate your space. With a modern glass shade and a sturdy speaker in place of a traditional base, visitors passing by will have no idea that your trendy lamp can do double duty as a way to play music or listen to podcasts — until you turn it on, of course. Multiple speakers can even be synched together, allowing you to create a virtually undetectable surround sound system.

Really pressed for space in your small apartment? Want to make the most of a guest bedroom? The UTÅKER Stackable Bed might be for you. At first glance, this twin pine bed might not look like much, but once you get more creative with its arrangement, the possibilities are endless. Stack both pieces on top of each other for a compact twin bed or daybed, separate them to create two sleeping spots, arrange them side-by-side for a double bed, or place them in a corner end-to-end to create a cozy sectional seating area.

Did you know that you can make a cramped living room feel more spacious with a simple furniture swap? All you have to do is trade your regular side tables out for something that includes functional storage, like this ÄNGESBYN Storage Table. With a round, basket-like base and a smooth tabletop, this simple little side table is perfect for storing away extra blankets, pillows, or toys. The large gap along the rim provides enough room to pull out small items without fuss, but the entire tabletop also lifts to give you access to any bigger things you've stored.

If you frequently have guests stay the night or want your guest bedroom to function as an office or reading space when it's not in use by visitors, a sleeper sofa can provide you with a ton of flexibility, as these convenient pieces of furniture flex from a seating area into a bed in a few seconds. The LYCKSELE LÖVÅS Sleeper Sofa is a particularly compact option that's great for small spaces, sitting at just over 4 1/2 feet wide and 3 1/4 feet deep when folded into a couch.

Sleeper sofas are already a great multipurpose investment, but this FRIHETEN / KLAGSHAMN Sleeper Sectional doesn't just stop there — it also includes a chaise that lifts to reveal hidden storage. If you want your living room to work for you, this is the way to do it. When guests are over, this sectional will fold out to reveal a cozy double bed, and when it's time to pack things up, you can conveniently store all of your extra bedding and pillows in the chaise.

IKEA has a massive stock of items, so in order to find items that were both useful to readers and likely to deliver once they were actually in use, we had to set some rules. First, we wanted to clearly define what being "multipurpose" truly meant. Rather than focusing on basic items that could be repurposed for multiple different uses — a small table that could be used as both a small desk and a side table, for example — we narrowed down the selections to picks that had the potential to eliminate a secondary item that would also take up space. This included small kitchen appliances that can perform the same functions as several individual appliances, items that would double both as a sound system and as a piece of decor, and furniture items that also included storage, eliminating the need for additional bins, organizers, or cabinets.

While many of these picks sounded great on paper, we also wanted to ensure that they would hold up with actual use. While we couldn't pass up a few new items that didn't have any ratings to go off of, all of the other selected products have earned at least four stars on IKEA's website. Shopping at a retailer with such a large selection has its pros and cons, but with these considerations, we did our best to showcase items that were both practical for everyday use and high-quality.