If you’ve upgraded your housing situation recently and moved into a home that allows you “room to grow”, you may find yourself with more rooms than you have furniture to fill. It’s a minimalist’s dream come true, but there’s no reason to waste that extra living space if it serve a purpose in your life. Here are some ideas of the most popular ways to use a spare room.
Guest Room
This may be a bit obvious–or maybe you already have a guest room. It never hurts to have more than one! Who knows when extended family may descend upon you in your new spacious abode. Using a daybed, trundle bed, bunk beds, or a murphy bed are all great space-saving ways to have an extra bedroom that leaves room for other stuff without having to pull out the air mattress.
Home Office
The best of both worlds would be combining the frequently-used home office idea with the occasional guest room, but a stand-alone home office can always be an effective use of space, especially if it allows you to spend more time with family and miss out on things like long commutes, eating lunch out everyday, or cubicle politics.
Home Gym
Even if it’s just a yoga mat and some kettlebells, having a dedicated space for working out at home can save money on a gym membership and save time in the long-run. Large equipment like a stationary bike or treadmill may be unsightly in your more common living areas, so having an extra room where they can be tucked out of sight but accessible is the best of both worlds. Light paint colors, wall mirrors, and a mounted television can all help create a work-out oasis from the comfort of home.
Kids’ Playroom
Personally, one of the best things we ever did for our kids’ playtime was to keep them all sleeping in the larger bedroom and turn the smaller extra bedroom into their own playroom. It was a space they were free to set-up adventures in that didn’t need to be dismantled and cleaned-up as often as the more visible living areas need to be. At night, I can just shut the door on their mess–I mean, creative space–and let the fun continue the next day. A bonus–it keeps their bedrooms free of toys, which makes a better space to relax and sleep for the night.
Art or Craft Studio
If you are a crafter or artist (or live with one), a dedicated room can be a lifesaver. It can be a safe place for expensive and delicate materials to be stored away from the rest of the family, and allow the creative in your family to leave a project safely out and unfinished until they are able to return to it again.
Homework Room
Anyone with students knows the hectic craziness that is the after-school rush of homework and dinner–and having papers and books strewn all over the table when it’s time to eat only adds to the confusion. A room dedicated to studying and reading can be a great place to send all the homework too, and a distraction-free area for your family’s scholars to spend their homework time.
Family Closet
This may be my favorite one on the list–if you hate spending lots of time putting clean clothes away in several different rooms, a family closet could be a lifesaver! When you keep everyone’s clothes in one room, it’s easier to put away, to keep an eye on what’s needed for their wardrobes, and it leaves valuable closet and floor space free in bedrooms that may be feeling cramped.
Whether you decide to choose one of these ideas for that spare room, or leave it empty for a while, it’s nice to know that you’ve got room to grow in your new place. If you have the opposite problem, and things are crowding out your living areas, Self Assured Storage is here to help! Our storage experts are ready to meet with you and show you how a simple self-storage unit can free up valuable space and time in your life–so give us a call today!
