Hanging out
	A growing part of the urban area consists of shopping facilities which totally changes the shape of the public space. The amount of semi-public space is growing at rapid speed. These areas are simply there for the people to consume in and are only accessible during opening hours. This growth creates an even bigger separation between shopping and for example living. The increase of the strict function separation was the starting point for my design, and I asked myself the question: Is it possible to bring shopping and living back together, like in old times when shop owners still lived behind there shops? Besides the increase of influence of shopping areas on the public space, there are two other trends that influenced my design. Living rooms become more and more like showrooms while shops tend to recreate the cosiness of living room.  In China I saw for example that the salesmen still live in their small shops. The sleeping area was behind a curtain while the rest of the small space acts as a social gathering place. This image really made me think about possible combinations. My design positions itself between shopping and living. After extensive research on the combination of shopping and living, on various scale levels, from urban to interior design, I eventually came up with two products. These furniture pieces connect the two functions in symbolical way. The coat hanger, presentation material in shops, forms the basis for a table and a chair, which can be placed in a living room, a shop interior or even a semi-public space. The table is ready for use while the chair is more a conceptual idea.