Last year we wrote about two chairs that become step ladders: the Chairway by Dutch designer Sjors van der Leest, and a Chinese design that is made in two parts.  At Milan Design Week 2014, studioventotto unveiled another kitchen chair and step ladder in one.  The Milan based design team calls their multifunctional furniture ‘suppergiù’, and it is the simplest of the three chair step ladders.

The wooden seat is made in two halves; the front half is removed and placed between the front legs to put it in ladder mode.  It is a similar method to the Chairway, but rather than have a whole second detachable seat to go between the front legs, the suppergiù only uses half the front seat as the bottom step.  Small studs screwed into the sides of the front legs provide support for the bottom step, which rests on the straight wooden rods that connect the front and back legs together.

The back-rest functions as a short handrail and is also designed to support the main structure when it is in use as a ladder.  The wooden parts are straight, which saves money on materials and man-hours and the slight curvature for the back rest comes from laser cut metal.  It is a simple design that can be produced relatively cheaply and is made with stability in mind.

Many people use kitchen chairs to reach high cupboards and other out of reach places without having to get out a step ladder, so this innovation helps improve safety in the home by providing a structurally sound step ladder in the form of a kitchen chair.  It is easy to transform, does not take up any more space in the home and reduces the risks associated with using kitchen chairs to access height.  It is not a new idea, but it is a stylish execution of a useful piece of functional furniture.