Top tips for utilising your spare room

July 29, 2017

Sarah Palatucci

Recently I was asked for my input on an article for mydeal.com.au and you can read the full article here:

https://www.mydeal.com.au/blog/post/spare-room-upgrade-ideas

Building on from my point about maximising space with multi-purpose furniture, here is some more advise for utilising your space room efficiently.

Space is always at a premium in homes, so it is important to ensure any available space is being used to it's maximum potential.

A spare room can become anything you need it to be so the first thing I would suggest is to sit down and think about what you are missing in your home - do you need a spare bed for guests, a home office space, a workout room, a meditation space, lots of storage etc.

The next step is to look over your list and see how you can incorporate your needs into the space. A room can easily transform to meet your needs if you put some thought into how you furnish the space.

If you use multipurpose furniture such as a day bed that transforms into a bed and a bookcase with a fold-out desk you have already created a dual-purpose room.

For budget-friendly flexible furniture items take a look at IKEA. They have a lot of small space solutions and when chosen carefully you can replicate a more expensive style at a fraction of the cost.

IKEA Hemnes daybed shown above in closed position and opened up into double-bed position. Can be used when closed as a single bed or a casual sitting area, perfect for a spare room. There is also built-in storage drawers that could be used for storing bed linen for guests.

Adding in extra storage is another way to maximise the space - if there is already a wardrobe space add some storage shelves and drawers to make the most of every inch of space available. You can also add floating shelves in the room to add a space for displaying books, photos and other items that pile up around the home. Keep the space looking clean and organised using storage boxes to contain smaller items.

If you are renting and can't put in permanent storage solutions, you can still add additional storage using non-permanent solutions - hanging organisers and cube storage bookcases with pull out boxes to keep the contents neat in the wardrobe, tall bookcases with boxes on top for additional storage and using multi-functional furniture pieces as described earlier.

If there is no built-in wardrobe and you need a hanging space you could purchase a couple of tall bookcases and an extendable tension rod to fit between and you have a wardrobe space with plenty of storage. There is a great range of bookcases at mydeal.com.au and you can pick up a tension rod at a hardware store like Bunnings for under $20. Below is a mock-up of how this could look.