If you’re lucky enough to have a spare room, it can easily become an overspill area for things that don’t have a home elsewhere. You might set up a home office in one corner and a home gym in another. But all too often it’s a room that lacks identity and, as such, can get out of control. Take time to think about and determine a clear purpose for this room.
WHEN CHILDREN LEAVE HOME
Many spare rooms are created when a son or daughter flies the nest. Although it’s a sad time, this is your chance to repurpose the room as a place for your own interests, whether it’s a quiet space to practice yoga, or to enjoy hobbies such as sewing and crafts. Don’t feel guilty – your child is going on a life-changing adventure and you deserve one, too. Have a chat with your child and explain what you’d like to use their room for so they don’t resent you for changing their room behind their backs. I’d also get them to declutter as much as possible before they head off, and set aside some space for them to leave a few items behind if necessary. If you’re worried that they want to leave too much, set a time limit for how long you’ll store their stuff, and make it clear that if it’s not all gone by the deadline, it will be disposed of.
DECLUTTERING TIPS
1. Before you start decluttering
and revamping your spare room, allow yourself some time to dream about how you’d like your life to be, especially if your children have left home. Now’s your chance to have fun visualizing exactly what you need to make that goal a reality, so plan the space accordingly and style it to suit the new you.
2. Empty everything out of the room if necessary, strip it back and think about whether you want to redecorate it to better suit its new purpose.
Existing pieces can be given a new function. Wardrobes and chests are ideal for storing hobby and craft items – even clothes rails can be used for hanging craft bits and pieces such as reels of ribbons.
3. Consider investing in some multipurpose storage. In your new, decluttered room could you find space to store items from elsewhere in the house, such as photo albums?
4. If you have a permanent bed in the room, think about what you can store underneath it.
5. To make life easier when you have guests, find a place to store bedlinen within the room, perhaps inside an ottoman or a wooden chest. Place matching bedding sets in one of the pillowcases. This will make changing the bed quicker as you won’t have to hunt for all the pieces.
6. If you’re storing things for your offspring and don’t have space in the house, self-storage facilities such can be useful.