April 18, 2024
By Hartleys Rooms
Our homes are exhausted with all the extra effort they’ve been required to make during the past year. Dining room tables have morphed into desks, temporary workstations have been squeezed into previously overlooked alcoves, and spare rooms have been commandeered for anything from yoga to general dumping areas.
This last year has been about adjustment for all of us, and in the main, we, and our homes have muddled by. There may, however, be a few changes you’d like to make to improve the functionality of your living space for the long-term, whilst freshening up its aesthetics to boot. Multi-purpose furniture can add value in both of these areas without the expense of a large remodelling project or extension.
If you’ve got a spare room that has become the household tip with no clear sense of purpose, don’t let it go to waste a second longer. Whether or not you work from home, a home-study will be a valuable asset, either as a hub for household admin or simply for adding extra value to your home if you plan to sell in the future. A bespoke fitted desk can be designed to fit in an underused corner with shelving or cupboards above to maximise space.
A futon will bring a soft aesthetic to the room; perfect for an occasional overnight guest or for enjoying a moment of peace and quiet in comfort. If space allows, you can also add a mobile room divider between the relaxation and work zones to denote the area’s change in function and to bring a further design feature to the room.
If you have a guest bedroom that has been lying dormant this last year, you’ll be looking forward to it being busy in future months! Realistically, however, this bedroom will still be underused, so it makes sense to transform it into a more flexible space. Ideal as a home-study for its likely quiet location, choose a bespoke desk and suitable storage for your work resources.
Replace the standard bed with a wall bed, either single or double, which can be easily stowed away when not in use, leaving floor space available to improve room usage as an office. Lastly, add a fitted wardrobe or two and your guest bedroom is ready to swap between accommodating guests and working from home in an instant.
If space is really at a premium, a cost-effective way to create separate zones for different functions is to divide existing open plan areas. Sectioning off areas with the careful placement of furniture or by installing room dividers are effective ways to create segregated space, allowing members of a household to live together without getting on top of one another, as well as enabling a sense of privacy.
Freestanding shelves can act as temporary partitions and also provide storage space for any home office essentials. Room dividing is also an ideal solution if you miss the companionship of being in a busy office.
Whichever room you’re asking to multitask, a little imagination will eke out your space that bit further. A chest of drawers can act as a bedside table, a divan can hold hidden storage, and a blanket box at the foot of the bed can double up as a shoe store or laundry bin. A window seat is a highly desirable feature for any room of the home and offers great potential for storage. To bring the décor up to speed, why not add a mural to create a feature wall. If it’s a room that is rarely visited, you could add a comfy chair and use it as a chill-out area. Make that mural a botanical or natural landscape design wall and you may find you stay a while!
Even the most humble and unpromising of small rooms has the potential to be transformed into a useful space, whether as an extra bedroom, dressing room, storage area or craft room. Using smart multi-functional furniture will mean you get even more bang for your buck, and if your box room is of an awkward shape or includes some quirky architectural features, fitted furniture will allow you to claw back redundant space and maximise every corner in a stylish and streamlined manner.
From an aesthetics angle, a feature wall is an ideal way to do up your box room. Whatever its designated purpose, an eye-catching mural will add an element of creativity and fun. If you’re turning your box room into an office, your statement wall will be the ideal Zoom backdrop. Or if you’ve always wanted a walk-in-wardrobe, your box room is an obvious choice; you can add an air of glamour in an instant with a luxury boudoir-appropriate mural. Likewise, turn your box room into a powder room or cloakroom, which will punch well above its weight in terms of household usefulness. A striking wallpaper is the perfect décor choice for this room.
At Hartleys our aim is to design bespoke furniture which will fully maximise all the living space available. Multipurpose furniture is perfect for the job, freeing up space where and when it’s most needed. Fitted furniture will allow you to squeeze every inch of use out of even the most unpromising room, and in a streamlined way. For further information, visit our website at www.hartleysbedrooms.co.uk and keep up to date with our news via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.