Kids flying coop? Consider his and her offices
You’ve done it. You’ve raised your kids and they’re ready to be on their own. Maybe they’re leaving for college or maybe moving out for good (fingers crossed), and you’ll be left with an empty nest.
What should you do with all the extra, empty bedrooms?
One thing to keep in mind is, the more specialized the room becomes (like turning it into a photography darkroom), the harder it will be for a future buyer to visualize the space as a bedroom.
“If the homeowner plans to downsize to a smaller property within a short time, it would be prudent to design spaces that can easily convert back to a bedroom when it comes time to sell their home,” says Joseph Browns, president of InSync Home Design.
But if you’re not quite ready to downsize, here are some ideas for turning your empty nest into a fully utilized house.
His and her offices
Call it what you will — an office, a man cave, a mom cave — but creating separate dedicated rooms for both the king and queen of the castle can go a long way to keeping peace in the kingdom.
“Husbands and wives typically are thrilled when they can get his-and-hers home offices,” says Sarah Gaffney, design manager at Case Design & Remodeling in California.
“We see a lot of clients taking an extra bedroom and turning it into ‘mom’s chic retreat,’ a space where the wife can get away and relax.”
Wine room
Who wouldn’t want to visit your own personal wine room after a long day at work? Designing a dedicated room to store, display and enjoy a glass of wine on your own, or with friends, makes for a unique experience.
If your budget allows, install tile or hardwood flooring for easy cleanup of the inevitable spilled merlot. Consider hiring a plumber to explore the possibility of adding a sink or small dishwasher. And if you want cheese with your wine (who doesn’t?), install a mini-fridge for snacking convenience.
Greenhouse
If the bedroom includes many windows and receives a fair amount of natural light during the day, you might want to turn it into a garden room. Strategically place shelving so your favourite indoor plants can benefit from the sun — south-facing windows receive the most light. Add an outsized chair for a cosy reading spot. The garden room can also house any outdoor plants you need to shelter from harsh winter conditions.
“Some people find plants and gardening relaxing,” says Lisa Mason, owner of Inspirations for Your Home in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
Home gym
It might be cliché to automatically turn one of the extra rooms into a home gym, but it can be a practical move.
By storing some free weights, yoga mats and workout DVDs just down the hall, you won’t find any more excuses to avoid a quick workout.
“Many clients will convert a spare bedroom into exercise space, finally taking the treadmill and exercise bike out of the garage and locating them in a designated exercise room in the house,” Gaffney says.
Guest room
Yes, it’s probably a good idea for you to keep at least one room as a guest room. At the very least, try to include a pullout sofa or Murphy bed in your newly transformed craft/sewing room in order to accommodate any overnight visitors.
“This [guest] room should be decorated in the most welcoming of ways,” Mason says. “Have a queen-sized bed, which most couples, or even two small children, can sleep. Use beautiful bedding and window treatments or shades. Lighting on the walls in the way of sconces or table lamps for bedtime reading is helpful. Having a desk or vanity is also helpful as well as proper storage for clothes.”