It's approaching that time of year when family members descend and Christmas parties result in overnight stayers, so when we saw this design from Ole Jensen we loved it.

"We are Family" is a new multifunctional and friendly piece of furniture, which consists of a pile of mattresses, pillows and blankets that can quickly be spread out on the floor to provide sleeping space for up to six people.

The sofa is the product of a collaboration between engineer Claus Mølgaard and designer Ole Jensen who were aiming to create a piece of furniture with a new and spontaneous functionality, and with manufacturing and material selection based on real environmental analysis. The sofa is made from un-refined bamboo and cotton - and nothing else.

The development was therefore done in collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark, Anji Bamboo Technical Centre in China and the world's largest manufacturer of cotton mattresses, Innovation Randers A/S. 

These are prototypes – but we hope this Princess and the Pea style stacker goes into production soon. Until then, you can see it at the Danish Design Centre in Copenhagen, where it's being exhibited as part of the "It’s a Small World" show until January the 31st, 2010.

Photos: Jeppe Gudmundsen-Holmgreen