Making the Most of a Spare Room or Flex Space

Some people call it a spare room. Others, the bonus or flex room. Whatever you call it, having extra space available in your home that can be adaptable to a number of different purposes presents an opportunity to increase its functionality and value.

Flexible living space allows you to adapt your home to changing needs—such as a growing (or shrinking) family, new hobbies, or working from home.

Uses for Flex Rooms

When deciding how to best use flex space, consider current and upcoming family needs and the space itself. For example, if isolated from the main living area, the area would be well-suited for an study, work-from-home-office, home theater, or playroom. A guest room or nursery, on the other hand, would be convenient to place near a bathroom.

As you brainstorm the ways in which you might allocate flex space in your home, consider a few of these ideas from some of our Denver metro area and northern Colorado homeowners.

Guest Room or Extra Bedroom

As children grow older, private bedrooms may become more desirable. Or, you may have friends and relatives who often visit for a weekend here and there. Using flex space to create an additional bedroom addresses both concerns. To maintain that flexibility, consider furnishing the room with a daybed, futon, and another lightweight, multi-use furniture rather than a traditional bedroom suite.

Home Office or Study

The need for home offices has soared in recent years with the increase in remote working. For most people, a home office or study may need only a desk or desk-height table, an ergonomic office chair, and one or more bookshelves (built-ins are especially nice). Walls and lighting should be arranged with videoconferencing in mind. If the room doesn’t have an entry door, install a set of French doors to create some privacy, and consider ways in which sound-proofing could be added to the room with such enhancements as supplemental wall and ceiling insulation, and drapery panels or blinds for the windows.<

Home Theatre or Media Room

In addition to working from home, many people find it more convenient and comfortable to enjoy entertainment from the comfort of their couches. Creating a home theater or media room with super-comfortable, oversized recliner chairs and the best sound system your budget allows may be one investment you won’t regret making. Consider including acoustic wall and ceiling treatments, swapping your TV for a projection system, and/or adding a big screen or specially prepared wall to get that authentic big-screen theater feel. Perfect for movie nights, video gaming, and music listening—don’t be surprised if this space rapidly becomes the most-used room in your home.

Playroom

Children love having their own space to spread out and have fun without worrying about making a mess. Rather than constantly picking up their toys, books, games, drawing supplies and the like from around the house, implement flex space to create a playroom. Furnish with small tables, floor cushions, beanbag chairs, and bookshelves with baskets for storage.

Hobby Room

Adults also love having their own spaces to spread out and have fun without worrying about making a mess! How about using that flex area to create an area for sewing, crafting, or other hobbies? Make sure that the area is well-lit, and include built-in storage to keep everything organized. Keep an air mattress handy, and the room can double as a guest room during the holidays.

Count on Our Expert Help

When you’re ready to build a home with flexible living spaces, you can rely on Sheffield Homes for the expertise and experience needed to design a home that will work for you now and in the future. Homebuyers throughout the Denver metro area and northern Colorado trust us with their home investment dollars. Get in touch with us today to learn more.