The luxury of a spare room is something few of us enjoy. But many Baltimore area homes have three or more bedrooms, offering homeowners the chance to create a multipurpose room. Making the best of the space can be a challenge. Be careful to use it without having this room become a major source of clutter.

Using the spare room as a junked up closet, or only the four days out of the year your in-laws come to visit, is a waste. With a spare room that has more than one use, you are making the most of it instead of ignoring this valuable area.

You could covert the room into a spare bedroom/office/changing room that can be used on a daily basis. Furnishings may be several pieces that do not match and don’t fit anywhere else in the house.

Give the furniture a makeover by refinishing or repainting everything in one color or complimentary colors to add cohesion that will bring you joy. Painting the room a color that is calming, like a pale teal, gray or blue, will bring it all together. Put a desk in there and the room becomes an office as well. Add a happy painting or two, and a mirror if you use it as a changing room, and you are set.

Make the room into a spare room/crafting room by adding some shelving in the closet or cabinets for storage. A work table can be used instead of a desk to add working space for crafting.

A sleep sofa instead of a bed, turns your spare room into a sitting room. This can be especially useful if you have a very small bedroom or living room. If you don’t have a lot of guests, the bed is used infrequently. A sofa bed, day bed or futon is a user-friendly option.

However you make use of this space, be careful not to turn it into a place where you toss things when company comes for dinner and then you don’t put it back where it belongs. The pile will keep growing over time and become a serious source of clutter.

Remember that this job does not have to happen in one day. Do things little by little, but set a schedule and stick to it. You will have your multipurpose room before you know it.

Thanks to Cindy Bernstein and Aim 4 Order for sharing this blog.