Whenever I travel, I always take my penknife with me. It’s a trusty warrior that I’ve used for everything from opening bottles, spreading jam on sandwiches, plucking my eyebrows and doing DIY.

And whenever I get out my trusty friend, I always wonder three things:

1. Who on earth thought to do this? Who on earth thought ‘I know what would be really handy – a tool that combines a serrated saw, a corkscrew and a toothpick all in one!”
2. What on earth is that for? There are a couple of tools on the penknife that I have NEVER used – like the miniature hook, and the small pointy thing.
3. Why hasn’t anyone else thought to do this? – given the enduring success of penknives, you would think that other people would have thought to combine a number of useful elements (like a toothbrush and a toaster for example. I often use them one after the other – why not design them so they can be used at once?!)

OK, perhaps I should hold off from running to the patent office to register my idea. But the good news is that someone far more sensible than me has come up with a far more practical idea – in this case, a piece of furniture.

In an age where space is at a premium, it’s of no surprise that someone – in this case, Milan-based Burak Kocak – felt that there was a demand not only for multipurpose penknives, but also for a multifunctional piece of furniture for the living room.

So what features does the ‘herb’ sofa include? Well, with a sofa, shelving unit, overhead light, power sockets and a side table that includes a plant holder, the more appropriate question is probably “what doesn’t it include?”

(And the most appropriate answer is probably:  a miniature hook and a small pointy thing).

Image source: burakkocak / copyright