6 Actually Exciting Ideas for Your Spare Room — and How to Get Started (No Guest Rooms Here!)

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Named rooms are back! Whether it’s the decline (finally) of the open concept, the need to step away from our screens, or the recognition that it’s actually okay to carve out a space for ourselves (or all three), rooms with a reason are on the rise. Of the millions of unoccupied bedrooms across the country, only 8% of people are using them to support their hobbies, according toYouGov, and there’s a world of opportunity behind those closed doors.

What can you do with this languishing space besides throw an exercise bike in the corner to hang clothes on? What can’t you do?!

Informed by advice from design experts and my own experience, here are six ideas for how to make your spare room work for you (and what to name it!), and what you need to get started.

Not much seems more decadent than an entire room dedicated to the luxury of reading books, escaping to other worlds, one page at a time, with nothing to interrupt. Sasha Bikoff, author of the forthcoming High Vibe Design — a book I’d want to feature if I had a reading room — pictures “a dark moody reading room with damask old-world wallpaper and velvets,” but maybe your version is light-drenched and airy. The only requirement is an abundance of good books.

Must haves: Look for a comfy chair and ottoman or loungey sofa you can sink into for hours, and a cozy throw and pillow or two. Add a side table to hold a library lamp for that just-so ambiance, and the essentials are covered. It’ll be the perfect place to cozy up with a cup of tea (or whatever you like to sip while reading).  

Speaking as someone who once impulse-bought a hall table that secretly held a roulette wheel and craps table, a purchase that led to many … rambunctious evenings with friends, I enthusiastically endorse the card room. And it’s not just me. Mahjong rooms, along with all types of analog games and activities, are having a moment.

Must haves: It all starts with a proper table, felt-topped and/or round, at the right height for cards. Add as many comfortable upright chairs as you’ll have players. A pendant centered over the table plus softer ambient light around the room keep the vibe from going conference-room. Finally, include storage for chips and tiles, and for the win, a bar cart, so nobody has to break the flow for a refill.

Spaces built around the joy of sitting and simply … listening are popping up around the globe, and these immersive — and seriously aesthetic — spaces serve enough inspiration that you may find yourself browsing vinyl at every chance. (Lounging at Medellín’s Mad Radio had me dreaming about working a listening room into my own house!)

Must haves: “You get yourself a really nice record player, a few of your favorite records, a really comfy rug, and you’re laying on the rug listening,” says interior architect Rebecca Fairman. (If you prefer to have seating, add a plush chair or loveseat.) “And then you build it up bit by bit as you find the right pieces that feel good.” I’d prioritize some serious speakers, wall panels or other soft surfaces for acoustics, and for fun, look for a cool bar lamp. The records themselves can be the art, but why not some vintage show posters or framed concert tees while you’re at it? 

Maybe plants have overtaken your home, like they have mine. Or maybe you want to soak up the benefits of all things green, and it’s time to give your fellow inhabitants a room of their own. Nobody says you have to have a straight-up greenhouse, but you can still frame the room as a place where the plants live and you visit them, rather than a situation where they happen to be sitting around as decorations. 

Must haves: Lots of natural light, plus any fancy speciality lighting your plants may be asking for. A humidifier, work surface for potting or pruning, somewhere comfortable to sit and admire your greenery, and hey, if the room shares a wall with a bath and you can stand a bit of construction mess, why not build in a watering station? Speaking of water, don’t overlook drainage — waterproof tray zones wouldn’t go amiss. Some shelving or plant stands will help elevate this from a room with plants to an immersive experience. 

This is not your great-aunt’s crafts room, or the dining table where you have to decide every night between leaving “a mess,” or shoving your stuff in a corner. A dedicated hobbyist needs a dedicated space for their pursuit, even if that pursuit is fashion. Bikoff had a room in her own pre-married, pre-kids days devoted to couture, with open shelves and cubbies: “You walked into the room and you kind of felt like you were in this little boutique,” she says. 

Must haves: A real, dedicated work surface and good light (natural plus task) are key. You’ll need storage that matches your medium — especially “in-progress” storage so open projects have a place to live. And of course a chair that makes sense for the work. Bonus: cleaning and organization products and an inspiration display like a pinboard or rail.

Channel the institution that is Deyrolle in Paris (even if your curation may not include their famous taxidermy) and create a space for your collection, whatever it may be, to shine. 

Must haves: If budget or DIY skills allow, create custom displays to take an assortment of pieces from hodgepodge to artful installation. Consider lighting for the really special items, and look for ways to protect from dust and serve as part of the aesthetic: Think vintage glass display cases from estate sales, or simple glass cloches over the most delicate pieces. Next-level would be cataloguing logic; even a loose system (by era, color, theme) makes it feel intentional.