20 Ideas to turn your spare room into the best room in your house.

Do you have that room in your house? You know – the spare bedroom or bonus room that never ever gets used? Do you try to pass it off as a spare bedroom but the 1990’s futon is so uncomfortable that your potential overnight guests would rather sleep at the local emergency shelter? Maybe you’ve just ignored the room, keeping the door shut so long that the vacuum marks are still visible on the immaculate carpet? You may have tried to open it up and use the room in the past, so you purchased some monolithic piece of exercise equipment that only Chuck Norris would endorse and it now sits in the center of the room like a watchful guardian, kept company only by the dust and out-of-season laundry that drapes it? Either way, there’s nothing worse than having a big, beautiful house with an extra room and running out of inspiration or practical know-how what to do with it. Too often, people think there are some unwritten rules they must follow that says what you can and can’t do with your spare room, but we invite you to blow the lid off convention and have fun with it. Only then will you really use and enjoy that room and after all, it’s your house!

Here are 20 ideas for converting a bonus room or spare bedroom into something super fun, funky, and enjoyable:

Tribute to your alma mater:

If you’re still a huge fan and booster of the college you attended, turn the room back into a campus tribute with banners, photos, a framed college jacket or blanket, athletic mementos, and even memorabilia from your time there.

Movie theater.

Put black out curtains or shutters over the windows and turn the room into your family fun movie and media room. Of course you’ll need a big screen TV or projector, and red velvet curtains, a popcorn maker, and authentic movie chairs and some big comfortable lounge chairs are a must.

Hobby room:

Are you into chess? Quilting? Scrapbooking? Rare 16^th century Spanish coins? (Or whatever?) Turn the bonus room into your own personal place where you can relax and focus on your passion.

Coffee shop:

Are you a java lover (like me) and spend way too much time and money at the local Starbucks? Turn your spare room into a mini replica of your favorite coffee shop and start hanging out at home!

Lounge:

If martinis, dim lights, and classy piano music is more your thing, convert your bonus room into a funky, chic cocktail lounge.

Home office:

Consider turning your spare room into a fully functional home office. You can opt to simply put a desk in there or go all the way, transforming it into a real office conference room with several work stations.

No kidding, I had a friend once who turned his bonus room into an almost-exact replica of the oval office, complete with round carpet with the seal, big wooden desk, and Presidential seal framed above it!

Fitness room:

You spend how much on the gym every month and rarely go? I bet if you had your own personal fitness center right at home you’d work out every day – and in the time it takes you just to drive to and from your local gym. Put in rubber-matt flooring panels over hardwood or concrete, a big mirror on the wall, and load up with a the basic weights and fitness equipment you most commonly use. Don’t forget to bolt into the ceiling for pull-up bars or places to hang TRX straps, cables, etc.

Pool room:

If the room is big enough, put a nice pool table in the center of the room and surround it with all the novelties you might find in a billiards parlor. By the way, you can usually find used pool tables for a good rate; transportation is the hard part.

Game room for kids:

Give your children their own kiddie version of Vegas with all of the arcade and video games, bouncing balls, bright walls, and bean bag chairs they can handle.

A huge dream closet!

The husbands out there are all rolling their eyes, but every woman loves shoes, purses, clothes, and even more she loves a big, spacious place to display all of it.

Homework room.

Or you can turn your room into a shrine for education and learning for your kids.

Library.

For those of us who love books and can’t think of anything better but sitting in a cozy library on a comfy chair by a crackling fire (even if it’s fake, clean-burning, or just candles), this may be the bonus room you were looking for.

Wine cellar/tasting room.

Put up some stone (or faux stone) on the walls, slap some wood beams (or faux beams) on the ceiling, and put up wooden racks and barrels and you have your owner personal wine cellar. Don’t forget to add a humidifier and a mini wine fridge so you can store cold bottles or snacks for your friends who come over for tastings.

Family history room.

Not enough people follow their genealogy and roots these days, so you can fill your spare room with old family photos, quotes from loved ones, favorite memories, keepsakes, and a big family tree on the wall.

Pub/bar.

If you already have the pool table, why not go all the way and put a bar in there complete with mini keg for beer pours, dartboard, jukebox, and mixed drinks, and then invite your friends over? (And charge them cover!)

Sports room.

If you’re an avid sports fan, set up your favorite place to watch all the games, host the fantasy football draft, and put up posters, game balls, autographs, and memorabilia from your sports heroes.

Spa, yoga, and meditation room.

I love the idea of a nice room in the house dedicated to just deep breathing, yoga, stretching, relaxation, and everything that goes with a healthier you.

Inspiration room.

Maybe this is the place for your dream board or vision board, except you cover the whole wall with it and dedicate the entire room into those things that give you inspiration and clarity.

Art studio.

Have you always dreamed of painting? You’ll be filled with inspiration – and have a place to hide the works in progress - with your own well lit art room.

Music room.

Or if music is more your bag, you can put up foam on the walls to soundproof the room and put all your favorite instruments in there for family jams. Take it a step further with a small sound booth (made out of the closet with a glass door) and set up a board and you’ll have the only recording studio on the block.