With rising living costs and opportunities concentrated in big cities, where apartments are getting smaller and smaller, young people are rethinking design in a whole new way.
They’re hacking spaces, remixing how objects are used, and redefining what a home even looks like.
Today’s interiors are open, fluid, and multifunctional: you work, sleep, eat, and hang out often all in the same room.
Scrolling on TikTok and chatting with friends, I’ve spotted three smart objects Gen Z are using to adapt their homes with low effort and high impact.
Room dividers
The new cool and rental-friendly way to split your space.
Room dividers let you carve out different zones visually: no construction, no permanent changes, no crazy costs.
They separate, but also hide… and at the same time, they decorate.
The concept is super simple but kind of genius: you can temporarily divide one room into two functions, separating your bed from your workspace, or your living area from your kitchen.
Or you can just hide the stuff you don’t want on display, like annoying drying rack full of laundry when friends come over.
Flip the perspective, and they can even create space: a corner is just a corner… until you add a divider and suddenly it becomes a walk-in closet, a laundry zone, or even a mini home gym.
Futons
Again, it’s all about maximizing space.
A traditional bed is fixed, bulky, and takes up way too many precious square meters.
A futon on the other hand comes and goes; it’s open, it’s closed; appears, disappears.. It doesn’t occupy space, it just borrows it.
It can be a sofa or a mattress, freeing the room from having a single fixed identity. It doesn’t just furnish a space, it sets its rhythm.
What’s your living room during the day becomes your bedroom at night.
If you live in a studio flat, a futon isn’t just a choice, it’s a strategy. Less permanent clutter, more flexible living.
Folding chairs
Folding chairs and stools only exist when you need them. Guests arrive, they appear. Guests leave, they disappear.
Honestly, such a smart object.
And in true next-gen style, even this practical hack has turned into an aesthetic move.
While older generations would hide them behind doors or in storage, now the youngers are choosing designer versions and hanging them on the wall.
It’s cooler than a painting, more expressive than a poster. Think of something like the Plia chair by Castelli, hung up, ready to be pulled down for a party or a quick smoke on the balcony.
Opening a chair is a simple gesture, but it instantly expands your social space.
It’s lightweight, flexible, and perfectly in sync with a lifestyle that’s all about fluid solutions.
Young people have turned pragmatic minimalism into a style statement.
Gen Z, driven by necessity, are redefining the core challenges of everyday living: dividing, transforming, integrating.
Honestly? Brilliant!
Monica Picchi
Creative and curious, with a degree in Design and a career in Fashion Digital Production, I'm now sharing my passion for Design across social media.
Though my future path remains wonderfully uncertain, I’m constantly seeking beauty in all its forms. My love for vintage and mid-century design makes me want to explore flea markets worldwide and transform spaces into beautiful homes.
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