How to Turn your Spare Bedroom into a Multitasking Space
Make your guest room multifunctional and you can enjoy it between visits from friends and family
A spare room for visitors to stay in is a real asset in any home, but unless you have a regular stream of friends and family seeking a bed for the night, it’s a good idea to give that space another identity. By creating an alter ego for it as an office, craft room or teenage hang-out, the guest bedroom becomes a place that can be enjoyed all year round and makes sensible use of this precious extra room in your home.
Design a super-flexible space
If your ambitions for your spare room are big, but the actual space is limited, go for a built-in solution. A system of brilliantly designed shelving, with an integral desk and pull-down bed concealed behind doors during the day, makes this spare room fantastically flexible and versatile.
If your ambitions for your spare room are big, but the actual space is limited, go for a built-in solution. A system of brilliantly designed shelving, with an integral desk and pull-down bed concealed behind doors during the day, makes this spare room fantastically flexible and versatile.
Fashion a walk-in wardrobe
If you’d love a walk-in wardrobe but don’t have room in the master bedroom, why not make use of the spare room? Hang a simple rail from the ceiling and fit slim shelves for shoes to turn the space into a dressing room. If you prefer to keep your clothes in your own room, you can still make use of the guest room to store out-of-season clothing and footwear.
See ingenious ideas for incorporating storage into a bedroom
If you’d love a walk-in wardrobe but don’t have room in the master bedroom, why not make use of the spare room? Hang a simple rail from the ceiling and fit slim shelves for shoes to turn the space into a dressing room. If you prefer to keep your clothes in your own room, you can still make use of the guest room to store out-of-season clothing and footwear.
See ingenious ideas for incorporating storage into a bedroom
Weave in a home office
A guest room is the ideal place to have a home office, as it’s rarely disturbed and away from the hubbub of daily life – and you can leave it behind a closed door at the weekend. Try to choose a desk that doesn’t look too office-y. This design tones nicely with the décor while still offering drawers and shelving. And when guests stay over, it’s easily transformed into a dressing table.
A guest room is the ideal place to have a home office, as it’s rarely disturbed and away from the hubbub of daily life – and you can leave it behind a closed door at the weekend. Try to choose a desk that doesn’t look too office-y. This design tones nicely with the décor while still offering drawers and shelving. And when guests stay over, it’s easily transformed into a dressing table.
Provide a place to read
With a few key pieces of furniture, your spare room could be transformed into the ideal escape space. Add an armchair, a lamp, cushions and throws and it becomes a quiet retreat to head to with a book, away from the bustle of family life.
Discover how to blitz clutter from your guest room in one day
With a few key pieces of furniture, your spare room could be transformed into the ideal escape space. Add an armchair, a lamp, cushions and throws and it becomes a quiet retreat to head to with a book, away from the bustle of family life.
Discover how to blitz clutter from your guest room in one day
Install a drying rack
Spare rooms often do time as a place to dry our laundry, but rather than an airer plonked in the centre of the room, install a pull-out rack. It will look far more discreet, and can double as clothes storage and a towel rail when guests come to stay.
Spare rooms often do time as a place to dry our laundry, but rather than an airer plonked in the centre of the room, install a pull-out rack. It will look far more discreet, and can double as clothes storage and a towel rail when guests come to stay.
Include an observatory
An upstairs spare room may be just the place to position your telescope for star gazing. The views are better from here than from a ground-floor room and you can sneak off by yourself, without disturbing anyone else, whenever the sky at night beckons.
An upstairs spare room may be just the place to position your telescope for star gazing. The views are better from here than from a ground-floor room and you can sneak off by yourself, without disturbing anyone else, whenever the sky at night beckons.
Squeeze in shoes
A lovely shoe collection deserves dedicated space – both to show it off and for easy access. Make use of a dead area in a guest room to give your shoes the space they deserve. The key is to find a beautiful unit to keep them in, and it will transform any collection into an attractive display. This one is built into the wall, but any glass-fronted cabinet would do the trick.
A lovely shoe collection deserves dedicated space – both to show it off and for easy access. Make use of a dead area in a guest room to give your shoes the space they deserve. The key is to find a beautiful unit to keep them in, and it will transform any collection into an attractive display. This one is built into the wall, but any glass-fronted cabinet would do the trick.
Display bulky bedding
Treat your spare room as a location for stylish overflow storage. Rather than stuffing spare blankets and bedding beneath your bed or up in the loft, source a gorgeous storage unit, like this armoire, and keep bulky items beautifully on show in the guest room.
TELL US…
Have you turned your guest room into a multitasking space? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Treat your spare room as a location for stylish overflow storage. Rather than stuffing spare blankets and bedding beneath your bed or up in the loft, source a gorgeous storage unit, like this armoire, and keep bulky items beautifully on show in the guest room.
TELL US…
Have you turned your guest room into a multitasking space? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Simple single beds heaped with cushions work brilliantly as day beds, offering plenty of chill-out space ideal for teenage hang-outs or relaxed gatherings. Why not include a TV and games console, too, and create a place where teens will be happy to stay in for the evening?