Decorating a Home Office/Spare Bedroom

The term spare room is kind of a misnomer. For most homeowners, any extra space is a luxury that is quickly gobbled up and turned into something: a playroom for the kids; a guest room; a home office.  There are ways to combine a home office and a guest room into one stylish space.  Home office/bedroom doesn’t mean shoving a desk in the corner of the guest room or squeezing a queen size bed into the office.  Create a room that is a true multifunctional room that is the best of both.

Rather than having a big bed in a small room use a convertible day bed/sofa.  While this won’t accommodate two guests, it will work for a single guest.  During the day or when the room is not being used as a guest room, the sofa provides a comfortable place to lounge and relax.

Place a stylish desk in the room. Choose one that can be cleared of work papers and laptop for a guest’s visit. Having a few file cabinets or a bookshelf with doors to hide work and home finance paperwork would optimize the storage in this space. Consider a storage ottoman as a coffee table because they are portable and easily moved around the space.

Use neutral colors to make this space guest-friendly.  A patterned area rug could add interest and coziness.  A few pieces of art on the walls would help warm up the space and keep it from feeling too sterile. Even personal family photos would be nice hung as a gallery wall.