Some homeowners have exactly the kind of space they want in their house—but most of us aren’t quite so lucky. We face limitations with our available square footage, and simply have to make the most of what we’ve got. In some cases, this means using a single space for a plurality of purposes—allowing one room to play two different roles or serve two different functions.
Here’s one way to do that: Make one room a combination home office and entertainment center. Work by day and party by night, all while making prudent use of your precious space.
The question is, how can you effectively make a single room conducive both to work and to relaxation? Read on for a few expert tips.
Tips for Making Your Space Multi-Functional
Give it a clear focal point. You’ve got to start your design process somewhere, and we recommend starting it with something that can serve as the room’s centerpiece, its anchor, its home base. A nice entertainment center, placed against a long wall, can serve this purpose well, leaving the other corners of the room open for office furniture, seating, storage, and the like.
Create plenty of closed-off storage space. It’s important that the room have plenty of places to stow your stuff, but also that you can maintain a clean, clutter-free look, reducing distractions during your work time. Add plenty of cabinets along the walls of your multi-purpose room, but make sure you can keep those cabinets closed and unobtrusive.
Don’t forget seating. The trick is going to be arranging for comfortable furniture for when you’re watching TV, but also having room for a good office chair. Remember that if you don’t have plenty of comfy seating, you’re simply not going to use the room for its intended purpose, so this is not an area where you’ll want to scrimp.
Make the office area distraction-free. Ideally, you’ll have a desk area that is up against a wall or a window, where you can keep the other distractions of the room out of sight and out of mind.
Be thoughtful about your color and style choices. You want something that will be warm and inviting, but also clean and classy—a room where you can focus and get some stuff done, but also a space that feels inviting and accommodating during the leisure hour.
Using a single room for multiple purposes is not without its challenges, but thinking through each aspect of the design can help you ensure you’re striking the right balance. With that in mind, you can make a killer home office that doubles as a fun place to hang out after hours!
