Does your new home include ample bonus space? While you’re probably thrilled to have the extra room, it’s not always easy to decide how you’ll use it. We’ve compiled a list of several of the most popular uses for bonus spaces. Perhaps one of them will fit your needs.
Yoga Room
Practicing yoga is an excellent way to stay in shape and improve your health. Best of all, it doesn’t require bulky equipment and can be practiced anywhere there’s enough space for your yoga mat. A sitting room attached to your master bedroom, a spare bedroom or a first-floor study located far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the house are ideal spots for a yoga room. If the room doesn’t have a large closet, store your mat, blocks and other props in a tall chest. Choose paint colors that help you feel calm and relaxed, such as soft blues, greens and grays.
Outfit your yoga room with:
- A chest of drawers or trunk to store your yoga map, towels, bolster, blocks, belts, pillows and other accessories
- A comfortable rug
- Artwork and scented candles to help set the mood
Home Gym
Have you ever skipped a workout because you didn’t feel like driving to the gym? There are no excuses when you have a fully outfitted gym in your home. Adding a home gym to your master bedroom sitting room or an empty bedroom on the second floor may be ideal if you like working out first thing in the morning. If you like to crank up the music while you exercise, or you own a large selection of exercise machines, the finished basement may be a better choice for your home gym. When you create a home gym on the lower level of your gym, you’ll also have plenty of room for expansion.
Complete your home gym by adding:
- An stationary bike for warm ups and cool downs
- Free weights, kettlebells, or resistance bands
- A pull up bar
- Exercise mat
- Exercise machine (if space allows), such as a treadmill, elliptical trainer or rowing machine
Library
Turning your extra space to a home library solves your book storage problem and adds a little character to your home. Add built-in, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, mahogany covered walls and leather overstuffed furniture for a home library that would be perfectly at home in an English manor, or choose more modern furnishing if you prefer a contemporary room.
Fill your library with:
- Free-standing or built-in shelves
- Rolling library ladder
- A few comfortable chairs or a couch
- End tables large enough to hold a book and a cup of tea or coffee
- Picture lights for the top of bookcases and lamps for reading
Sitting Room
When you use your extra room as a sitting room, you’ll always have a comfortable place to relax. The location of your sitting room depends on its purpose. Do you want a space where you can socialize with friends, or would you like to create a private sanctuary?
A first-floor study or other bonus space offers convenient access when you expect to do a lot of entertaining in your sitting room. When you don’t plan on sharing the room with others, it makes sense to place it on the second floor. If you’re lucky, your master bedroom suite already contains room for a sitting area. If you don’t have a designated sitting room, turn a vacant bedroom into your own personal oasis.
Furnish your sitting room with:
- Cozy upholstered pieces placed in conversation groupings (Add a sectional couch or two couches that face each other if you have ample room. If not, look for smaller pieces, such as a love seat and a low-profile chair or two.)
- Coffee and end tables
- Shelving or display cases for collectibles, knick knacks, family photos, souvenirs, etc.
- Art you love
- A chandelier that not only provides a little light, but increases the ambience of the room
Home Office
You could catch up with work or pay the bills from the kitchen table, but luckily, your new home offers enough extra space to create a comfortable, functional home office. Although the rest of your home may have a definite style, your home office should reflect your personal taste. Choose furniture and paint colors that you find appealing. The more comfortable the room, the more often you’ll use it.
Improve your office with these great features:
- A desk or table (with or without storage, depending on your preference)
- An ergonomically designed desk chair
- Task lighting for your desk
- Two guest chairs
- Shelving (either built-in or free-standing)
- A credenza or cabinet to store files, printer paper and other office necessities
Guest Bedroom
Why relegate guests to an uncomfortable couch when you can create a dedicated guest room or suite with your extra room? An extra room is the ideal place to create a guest bedroom. Furnish the space with a comfortable mattress, a selection of down and foam pillow, and a small desk and chair. If you have enough room, consider creating a snack bar area with nutritious and not-so-nutritious selections and a coffee/tea maker. If your guests are early risers, they can enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in their rooms and won’t have to search your kitchen to find beverage supplies.
Further increase your guests’ comfort with these items:
- Sturdy bed with a new plush mattress
- Colorful quilt or down comforter
- Selection of down and foam pillows
- Small desk and chair for reading, writing or snacking
- Nightstand
- Folder with information on things to do in the area and your WiFi code
- Television
- Dimmable overhead lighting and lamps
- Bathroom Items: towels, washcloths, bathrobe, slippers and toiletriesA snack bar area complete with a coffee pot or Keurig, coffee and tea supplies, small refrigerator, basket of snacks, and cups, saucers, plates and silverware.
Need a little inspiration for outfitting your guest room? Take a look at the photo gallery of guest bedrooms on Houzz.com.
Home Theater
Watching your favorite movie or the big game is much more enjoyable when you have a home theater. It’s simple to create your very own theater by adding a large screen television and a row of recliners to the room. If you’re looking for a more authentic movie experience, consider adding risers to the room and creating several levels of seating.
These items are essential for a home theater:
- TV (the bigger the better) or a projector and screen
- Seating (recliners, large couches or vintage theater seats)
- Popcorn machine
- Sound system
- Lighting that sets the mood (recessed lights, LED lights added to baseboards, dimmable wall sconces)
Art Studio
You may have been forced to create your artwork in your basement or garage if space was tight in your previous home. Although basements offer ample space, they don’t always provide the natural light you need for your art studio. Rooms on the main levels of your home offer abundant light and space to store all of your art supplies.
Get creative by adding a few of these things to your art room:
- Large table for working on crafts or art projects
- Chairs that offers ergonomic support
- Easels
- Cabinets or shelves to store suppliesTask lighting and overhead lights that illuminate the room without creating glare
Storage Room
If you’re tired of walking up and down the basement steps when you need cleaning supplies or holiday decorations, why not convert an extra room into the ultimate storage closet?
Create the ultimate stylish storage room with:
- Furniture-quality shelves and cabinets, including extra-large storage for items like skis or surfboards
- Small work table or bench with chair
- Bins or low cabinets for shoe and boot storage
- Lockers or cubbies to store coats and backpacks
Have you given up on finding a home with extra room? Country Classics offers Central New Jersey home buyers the option to add a morning room, first-floor bedroom, or even a princess suite to their home. Get in touch with us if you would like to tour a model home.
Digital Trends: Projectors vs. TVs
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/projectors-vs-tvs/
Yoga Journal: 5 Ways to DIY Your Yoga Sanctuary
https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/5-ways-diy-yoga-sanctuary
Houzz: Best Guest Bedrooms
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