Research carried out by Made.com has revealed that urban living spaces are shrinking, and as a result, the bed is being used for more than just sleeping in, with one in four eating at least one meal in bed a week.
To bring this issue to life, the retailer transformed the window of its Soho showroom to replicate the average size of a one-bed apartment, and invited two customers to stay the night, for the brand’s first live window display.
The survey of 2000 people revealed that, due to decreased living space, the bedroom is now the heart of the home. The average one-bedroom home in the UK is 4 sqm less than the recommended minimum, which equates to the size of a large sofa, a desk and chair.
The research shows that the bed has overtaken the sofa as the most used piece of furniture in British homes. A quarter of us (25%) eat at least one meal a week in bed, with that number rising to 55% of 18-24-year-olds. A quarter (25%) also regularly work from bed – interestingly only a fifth of men, compared to nearly a third of women.
Jo McCafferty, award-winning architect, and director at Levitt Bernstein, says: "Space is at such a premium, especially in cities like London, and so sharing homes is becoming increasingly prevalent. This means that every millimetre in the home needs to work hard and be flexible and functional. Through well designed, efficient and inventive homes with generous shared space, communities are better able to knit together too – creating happier places to live."