Suitable for outdoors or in, French Designer Benoit Lienart’s Sweetch 18 epitimizes the concept of multifunctional design and furniture’s relationship to its space: raise the center of the table and it becomes an armchair, lower the back and it transforms into a table. I sat in it at the recent Paris design fair, Maison et Objet, and it’s actually more comfortable than it looks.

And here’s the functional in multifunctional: The wide arm rests are large enough to comfortably place your coffee cup or glass of wine. Set two of the chairs on a small terrace or balcony, then transform them into a long low table for Japanese style dining. Add a few outdoor cushions and serve up some sushi al fresco.

Reminiscent of Gerrit Rietveld’s 1928 classic Red and Blue chair, the melamine and steel chair/table was selected for its innovative new design by the prestigious L’Observeur du Design 2011.

Really got space issues? Move the Sweetch indoors as it is happy inside or out. Handmade in France, the standard model is available in several combinations of materials and a large choice of colors, including violet, anthracite, taupe, blue marine, chocolate, turquoise, pistachio, and white–while the deluxe model is available in 50 colors.

Leinart is the mastermind behind Cerekapery, a Paris-based “innovation lab” whose philosophy stems from the belief that the creative process must work hand in hand with design, purpose,and innovation.

Available from Outdoorz Gallery.