General

Micro-Unit Boom: Furniture That Unlocks Profitability

With 200 and 400 square feet in width, the micro-unit or house is the next phase of the tiny house’s evolution. It fits all living essentials—bed, bath, and kitchen—in a space that’s as big or slightly bigger than a typical dining area or bedroom. And yet, it somehow works.

Micro units have decided to trend at an opportune time.

With the median square footage in major cities across the U.S. valued at USD 233 (as of April 2025), micro-unit apartments and homes have become an affordable housing option, especially for Americans who don’t plan on having kids.

That said, furnishing such a compact space can be quite a headscratcher for landlords and investors. If it were several decades ago, it would’ve been next to impossible. But thanks to 21st-century innovations, furniture designs have incorporated compactness and versatility.

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Micro Unit Furniture

Consider the following types of furniture for your money-making micro unit.

Sofa Bed

Unless mounted like a mezzanine, a standard bed will eat up too much space in an already tiny house. Besides the bed’s dimensions, clearance for getting up and going to sleep must also be factored in. A rule of thumb is that a bed shouldn’t take up more than a third of the bedroom space, clearance and all.

Space-saving

This is where space-saving sofa beds shine. They can shift between sofa and bed mode in just a few minutes. Choose from an assortment of sofa bed designs, between fold-out and pull-out mechanisms and from single, two, three, and 3.5-seater capacities. You can buy one online and get your money back if you aren’t satisfied.

Versatility

At the heart of the sofa bed’s efficient design is versatility. Having one in the living room allows that room to double as a bedroom, unifying two parts of the home.

Sofa beds with larger seats equate to larger beds that accommodate a partner (or an individual who tends to twist and turn in their sleep a lot).

Storage

Some models come with hidden storage under the seat or in the armrests. While often used to store bed covers and pillows when not in use, it can also hold other items. Such a feature helps reduce the need for freestanding storage in the micro-unit.

Foldable Desks and Tables

A lot of foldable furniture is to be expected in a micro home. A desk or table that isn’t doing what it’s built to do (at least for the meantime) denies space for other crucial functions.

So, to avoid cramped spaces, here are a few designs that could work:

Wall-mounted foldable desk

The work desk is lowered, raised, and stable, with a robust support system. Many models feature backboard storage space for books, office supplies, and even a full-sized monitor (wall-mounted).

Drop-leaf-type dining table

When folded up, this furniture looks like an office pedestal. When fully deployed, its leaves combine to form the table surface. It also has storage for utensils and other small items.

Hybrid cabinet and foldable table

The kitchen cabinet and the dining table hug the wall. The table can be lowered to reveal storage shelves for an assortment of kitchen items and ingredients. The outside shelves remain open for easy access.

The downside is that accessing the storage can be a hassle, as the user has to pull down or deploy the surface first. Given that people tend to utilize both storage and surface features simultaneously, it’s a small price to pay for a larger space.

Vertical Shelving

When there isn’t room to expand left or right, the most sensible approach is to look up. Vertical space tends to be overlooked in planning, whether for interior design or to add more furnishings. However, with micro units, it should be a major consideration.

Vertical storage solutions are like their typical counterparts, but are generally taller than they are wider. While each level only has room for a large item or several small ones, the furniture makes up for it by providing more levels. The vertical design can only go high, but its ability to spare room for another vertical rack compensates for this.

A micro-unit that maximizes vertical space appeals to people who maintain a collection, such as books or shoes.

As a property manager, you’d want to ensure the micro-unit is always in mint condition. This entails asking tenants to limit clutter. Vertical storage can help reduce this, maintaining a clean home for the current tenant and the next.

Slide-Under-Sofa Table

A coffee table is a nice touch for the common area.

Micro units benefit from coffee tables that feature hidden storage underneath the surface, which can be elevated to serve as a workstation (in some models). Others serve as footrests built to support a user’s weight.

That said, not everyone is a fan of the coffee table. Even with all the features mentioned, a potential tenant will likely prefer a contiguous space in front of the sofa.

Fortunately, the furniture industry has developed a creative solution: tables whose undercarriages fit under the couch or sofa.

C-shaped tables

These C-shaped tables don’t have much storage compared to coffee tables.

However, their design lets them ‘share’ floor space with the couch by drawing the table closer to the seat. They’re great for people who don’t need a fully-fledged workstation but are better for enjoying a meal in front of the TV.