barn living and repurposed crates

As a life-long serial renter, my mother has had lots of wonderful opportunities to perfect her ability to create comfortable, beautiful and inviting spaces on a budget. She's a master! We've been spending so much time at her barn  this summer.  The above view is what we saw when we opened the door for dinner last night. The evening sun illuminated the couch and all the new pillows she had recently made... it just calls you to settle in and put your feet up, doesn't it? The pillows were covered with vintage fabric from her stash. We moved the original couch out to the deck. That old metal glider is happier out there and this simple (and somewhat disguised) futon is feeling perfect for all the "hanging out" we do together. My mother had dreamed of a new couch, but the reality that we had this futon already, made it hard to justify not putting it to use. Bonus: it's a great overnight bed for guests and worthy of doctoring up. The ottoman/coffee table was improvised recently and might be a keeper. Two perfectly weathered crates (garage sale 2 weekends ago) topped with a little something for summer toes.

The idea came from the old sheepskin I've put on my own thrifted cushioned ottoman/coffee table this summer... but I think this particular iteration is an ingenious idea for small spaces. Slipping something soft over a couple of vintage crates  could translate to a lot of different living rooms.  When space is at a premium, furniture may need to play double duty. This solution is sturdy enough to serve as a bench, could be pulled apart for singular seating, or turned upright for an extra seat at the dining table. As a coffee table, use a tray for beverages or snacks. Do you have any furniture that plays double- duty?

editor's note:  I stopped over today and took the following shots to give a better perspective on both the crates and the square footage of the kitchen/living room.