This is a collaborative post
Many of us have what we like to call a spare room. In reality, it is usually more of a junk room than anything. Somewhere we put items we rarely use. In many cases, our spare room is really a glorified cupboard, which is a shame because that space can potentially be put to good use. One of the options is to turn it into a den or playroom for your children.
Strip the room out completely
The first step is to take everything out of the room. Strip it back completely. Doing this gives you space and makes it easy to do things like install the new skirting boards you ordered from skirtings r us. It will also create the space you need to be able to build some new storage.
Build a floor to ceiling wardrobe
You do not have to do this, but if you have enough space and budget, I am going to suggest that you do so. One of the things most family homes lack is usable storage. Sure, we have wardrobes and drawers, but often the way they are made makes it impossible to make full use of the cube. You can remedy that by building a floor to ceiling wardrobe. As you can see from this how-to video it is nowhere near as hard or expensive to do this as you would think.
Hopefully, when you cleared out the room you took the time to get rid of anything you did not need. But, even after doing that, the chances are that you will still have quite a bit of stuff that needs a home.
Install a fold away bed
If you build the type of wardrobe I am suggesting you will have the space you need to put most of it back into the room and stow the kid’s clothes. Plus, there is the opportunity to install a bed that folds up against the wall into the wardrobe. The doors are sliding ones. So, one side of the wardrobe can be slid open, so that the bed can be folded out. This means that when you have guests the kid’s den can quickly be turned into a fairly decent bedroom.
Create a workspace
One side of the room can be given over to a workbench. This can be used for crafts, play or study. It can be either a permanent fixture or something that folds out from the wall or folds up. If you do decide to install a permanent desk, use stackable storage boxes to create some extra space for your kid’s stuff.
Somewhere to read
Try your best to set up a reading corner. You will be surprised by how much more your kids will read when you do this. All you need to do is to install some narrow bookcases in a corner, buy a comfy chair and a floor lamp. The cosier you make it the more likely it is that you will find one of the kids curled up their reading.
Finishing touches
You just need to paint the walls and use wall stickers to add interest. These can be peeled off after a couple of years to give the room a new look.
Install laminate flooring, it goes down fast, is easy to clean and is not very expensive. If you want to, add a rug fitted with non-slip grips.
Of course, you can add some finishing touches of your own. But, the above suggestions should work for most families.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post