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I recently took a tour of one of the new loft housing projects Downtown and was impressed with the layout and spaciousness of the units I visited.

Some were fairly compact, though, and reminded me of the studio apartment I rented near the beach when I lived in Orange County, Calif. Of course, with less space, one needs to be more creative when choosing furniture to get the most use out of the space available.

In fact, most of my fellow beachcombers and I practically made it a sport seeking out what we called "morph" furniture - items that can be used or adapted for different purposes.

It wasn't exactly ergonomics, but a table that could be folded into a chair or an ironing board just made a lot of sense when space was at a premium. My thought is that as our city grows and we squeeze more people into smaller spaces, savvy retailers will find a local market for furniture with more than one function and a split personality. Inspired by my observation, I went on a scouting mission to assess the market for this type of multi-purpose furniture.

My first stop was TEMA Contemporary Furniture since they offer some European-borne furniture which is widely known for its multi-functionality.

TEMA had the usual fare of adjustable items such as dining room tables with extended table tops and sofa sleepers, daybeds and trundle beds, but one item caught my eye: the Jesper "Sit Stand" Desk. This isn't any ordinary desk. It features a motorized desktop that silently transitions from seated to standing positions with the press of a button. It moves from 25 inches to 48 inches in only a few seconds. What more could you ask for in modular office furniture? It's every loft-liver's dream!

With a little searching on the Internet, I also found the Biomorph Interactive Desk, from New York-based Ground Support Equipment Ltd., which features even more height-adjustment options including lift-and-lock, spring-loaded, crank-operated and electric-powered adjustment capabilities. Brand names include the "Multi", "Maxo", "Exo" and my favorite, the "Flexo." It's a must-have for any urban dweller who can't make up their mind whether they'd rather stand or sit at their desk. Imagine the fun you'll have watching your computer and monitor elevate right before your eyes?

As you can imagine, if you do want to sit at your desk, there is a plethora of chairs to choose from, with an endless array of options.

Take Herman Miller's Aeron Chair, for example. You can adjust the back, the front, the suspension, the arm rests, and more, all to your ergonomic delight. And they come in several sizes to accommodate the space you have available.

Of course, my favorite items I found where offered by a local carpenter and renaissance man, Mr. Mel Dayringer. I met him at an arts and crafts fair at the Manzano Mesa Multi-generational Center. He's a magician of sorts and most of his hand-made furniture transforms itself from one thing to another like a rabbit being pulled from his top hat. Mel delights in showing you how he can fold a kitchen stool into a chair. He also offers a desk set that accommodates either a right- or left-handed person. And the best furniture trick of all is his cleverly named, "ONIT" which morphs from a step stool to a chair to an ironing board. It's the perfect gift for your Downtown-dwelling friends.

As our housing units become more modest, the smart marketer will offer furniture with multiple purposes that epitomize a new standard in efficiency.

In this case, truly, "less is more."

Sacco is vice president of marketing at Kirtland Federal Credit Union, and an adjunct professor at University of New Mexico Anderson Schools of Management and at Webster University.