After living in your house for a few years or shortly after moving into a new one, you might have noticed a room which is going spare. Cherish it! These spaces shouldn’t be left for the spiders to enjoy; they need to be used. Whether it’s as large as the living room, or the smallest room in the house, you can still reap the benefits and turn it into a fantastic use of space. Here are eight fresh ways you can transform that empty void into a blissful retreat.
1. Pet Haven
It doesn’t just have to be you who are using the space; animals can enjoy it too! Finding a place to keep the pets out the way, where they can feel relaxed, and content proves challenging to do, especially if you have a busy household. The spare room could do just the thing. If you have a cat or dog, make sure you only let them in after eating dinner or after a long walk. You want this to be a place for them to relax in, not somewhere to cause havoc! For tips on how to care for your pet in the best possible way, check out blogs such as Petplan. Place their favourite toys, soft bed and other supplies in a naturally bright space (preferably from window light) with curtains to draw together at nighttime.
2. Practice Room
Use your spare room as a place to practice and hone your decorating skills. You could already be a pro or an amateur decorator, whichever the case there’s still room for improvement! Whether it’s wallpapering, painting, plastering or carpeting, take advantage of that space. Before you do the real thing, you might be interested to see what a certain shade of paint looks like or how it contrasts with other colours. Just remember the essential rules of interior design when doing this and learn from your mistakes.
3. Personal Library
Yes, it does sound like something out of a fairytale, but it’s very real. Not that hard to do and incredibly fun is designing your own library. Fill those dark corners with bright lamps, cosy armchairs and your collection of books. If there’s a window, use the natural lighting to flood the spare room with a positive aura. For the writers amongst us, this is a brilliant place to concentrate and be free from distractions. A relaxed brain means better ideas! Finally, you’ve found a place where you can read undisturbed and let yourself slip into another world.
4. Study/ Work Zone
The freelancers among us can struggle to find a quiet, secluded place to conduct all our work from home. A spare room could be the ideal place to do this! Transform the unused space into your very own home office. Find a stylish, affordable desk with a comfortable office chair to do all your written and typed work. In regards to storage solutions, use filing cabinets, shelving and bookcases to stay organised and store away any stationery, paperwork and so on. If you’re stuck for ideas on how to arrange furniture around the space, get inspiration from Youtube channels like The Mommy Archives.
5. Recreation room
Dreaming of a place where you can chill and enjoy all your favourite things? Turn that empty room into a recreation den. Fill the space with a TV, music, gaming devices, books, magazines, and if it’s big enough, contemporary or modern sofas. Adding your own special touches will give you a personal haven to unwind in. Or, if you want a place to escape technology, make the room tech-free by enjoying a peaceful space to meditate and reflect on life. Enjoy comfy seating, fluffy cushions, aromatic incense, spectacular artwork and bask in the glory of it all.
6. Attic/ basement retreat
A basement or attic shouldn’t be wasted for boring storage purposes; it can be so much more than that! For starters, it could be a creative hub for you and your friends to chill in - watching a movie, hosting a party, or just a space to gossip. The attic could also be used as an entertainment or hobby room. Let your creative juices flow by filling the space with your hobby-related items; from painting to playing musical instruments, knitting to even working out in a personal gym area, do whatever you want. Those rainy days will soon become a blessing as you retreat into your favourite room of the house.
7. Children’s playroom
Providing a safe place for the kids to play in, is important for parents to avoid stress and worry. Create a wonderful space which your kids will love and cherish. Aside from their bedroom, this will become their favourite place in the house and a den to retreat to after school. When it comes to decorating, get them involved! It’s fun, creative and helps the little ones with their learning. Also, it doesn't need to break the budget as the colour scheme and decor can be kind of wacky. Use an assortment of paints and different wallpaper textures to make it visually appealing to the children. Keep in mind safety precautions when you decorate; take away anything dangerous which is within arm's reach such as power cords, outlets and blind cords. Use soft, light furniture with padded textures too.
8. Plant Paradise
Respect nature outdoors and indoors with your very own planting room. This idea is great, specifically for a spare room which is on the ground floor of the house. Store all your planting supplies like seeds, watering cans and pot plants right here. Just remember to care for your pot plants regularly if you want them to stay fresh with vibrant colours. You could even install a large sink to wash and prepare flowers from the garden. Become your very own florist and enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature! If you’re a natural gardener or simply want to try something new, let the spare room blossom into your very own greenhouse.
