New York apartments have furniture that falls from the ceiling to order
This just might be the answer to cramped living conditions, giving people the space to entertain and train by tidying their things – and even their beds – well above their heads.
The futuristic design layout allows storage units, bed frames, workspaces and side ‘wardrobes’ to rise and fall from the ceiling on command, and has already been installed in several New York City apartments.
By tidying up furniture during the day, occupants can free up valuable space for activities such as yoga, games, and entertaining friends.
Bumblebee Spaces, the San Francisco design company that created the system, believes it could be the answer to small apartments in crowded cities where free space is at a premium.
However, it doesn’t come cheap – installing a bed and two storage units costs $ 18,750 (£ 13,630), while a bed and six storage units cost $ 29,000 (21,000 £).
A double bed and storage units are pictured descending from the ceiling in this promotional photo of Residence 405, in The Smile, an apartment complex in New York’s East Harlem neighborhood.
Side “wardrobes” – storage units that descend from the ceiling – have compartments of different sizes, intended to hold clothes and accessories.
âYou don’t pay for two or three rooms that you don’t use all the time, but you get the room when you want it,â said Sankarshan Murthy, CEO and founder of Bumblebee.
“Bumblebee’s vision has always been to create a space that is beautifully efficient, so that it becomes affordable.”
Bumblebee can arrange living spaces with a range of fold-down beds, storage units and workstations. He has already installed the technology in five apartments at The Smile, an apartment complex in New York’s East Harlem neighborhood.
A 470 square foot studio called Residence 405, which is shown in promotional images and a video, is one of them.
Residence 405 costs $ 2,662 (£ 1,933) per month to rent, despite being in one of New York’s cheapest areas for real estate.
The Smile (photo) is so called because of its slightly curved shape. It was designed by BIG- Bjarke Ingels Group and was completed in 2020
âWhen you walk into the studio’s main living room, you may ask yourself, ‘Where’s the bed? â, Says The Smile on its website.
âWell, all you have to do is search! The bed retracts from the ceiling by pressing an app or a voice command.
âThe Smile has used the latest technology for the home with the Bumblebee bed and storage system to maximize your space. ”
By tidying up bedroom furniture during the day, occupants can free up space during the day for activities such as yoga and entertaining friends. Pictured is an occupant in the promo video in a space occupied by the bed at night – or whenever the occupant chooses to deploy it
The exact moment the bedroom furniture comes down is dictated by the occupant via voice command or via an accompanying app.
In addition, the occupant can pre-program the settings of the application so that the furniture goes down automatically at a certain time.
The sensors will automatically stop the descent of any furniture if it detects movement from someone walking under it, which would otherwise lead to a serious accident.
It also knows when someone is in bed – and therefore when not to climb to the ceiling – meaning occupants “can rest easily” and are not swallowed up into the ceiling like in a James Bond movie.
In the photo, the bed begins its descent into the living space. Sensors automatically stop the descent of any furniture if it detects movement from someone walking under it – which could otherwise lead to a serious accident
In the promo video, an occupant of Residence 405 is heard saying, “Hey Siri, lower the bed,” and the bed slowly descends from the ceiling. It is seen occupying a space between a coffee table and a set of drawers along the wall under a TV.
Unlike storage units, the bed is designed to sit firmly on the floor, meaning occupants are not lightly suspended in the air while they sleep.
Another interesting feature is a camera in the massive rectangular modular structure on the ceiling, which stores the units on the ceiling when not in use.
The camera takes photos of the storage units, which are displayed on the app, so occupants know which unit to activate to get a particular item – like an umbrella for a rainy day.
The camera takes photos of the storage units, which are displayed on the app, so occupants know which unit to activate to get a particular item – like an umbrella for a rainy day
The 470 square foot studio, called Residence 405, is located in The Smile, an apartment complex in New York’s East Harlem neighborhood.
MailOnline reached out to The Smile to ask if anyone is currently renting any of the apartments equipped with the Bumblebee system, including Residence 405, which has floor-to-ceiling windows and lots of natural light.
This particular studio also has a ‘spacious kitchen’ with modern conveniences including stylish Italian cupboards, a dishwasher and a stainless steel refrigerator.
âUpon entering the 405, you’ll first be struck by the sense of scale this studio has,â The Smile says on its website.
“While many New York City studios are cramped and stuffy, this spectacular space is light and airy, thanks to nine-foot-high ceilings and massive windows that allow natural light to flood the home.”
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