Creating the Best Multifunctional Spaces

Multifunctional spaces are becoming more popular for a number of reasons. With more people working from home, many are trying to make their home an efficient office space while allowing it to remain a relaxing space for after work. Still others are trying to make more of their limited available space.

What Is a Multifunctional Space?

Most rooms tend to have one purpose, which often works well. But for homes with limited space, it may be necessary to use some rooms for more than one purpose, thus making them multifunction spaces. Some people also choose to make multifunction spaces simply because they prefer more versatile rooms in their homes. Many homeowners today are trying to get the maximum use of whatever space they have. Some common choices for multipurpose rooms are a home office/guestroom, a laundry room/pantry, and a living room/playroom. However, these are just a few common choices; a multipurpose room can be any space you desire and can be updated as needed.

Determine Your Needs

If you have decided you would like to create some multiuse spaces, the best way to start is to decide what your needs are. You should consider not only the type of space you want but who will be using it. For instance, if you decide you want your guest room to also work as a media room that children will be using, this will likely affect the decorating choices. You will want your furniture, flooring, and other décor to be sturdy and easily cleaned yet still appealing. If you have elderly individuals in your household, this could also affect your design choices.

Make Optimal Use of Your Space

Once you decide what type of multifunction space you want, there are some things you can do to make the most of your space. Here are some suggestions for maximizing your existing space that can be applied to ensure you are getting the most out of your room.

Use Vertical Space

The walls in a room are often unused space that you can take advantage of when creating a multiuse room. You can use your walls as storage space, thus freeing up floor space for other purposes. You might use hanging shelves or baskets for storage, which can also add appeal to the room if they are decorative.

Plan Your Space

If you want your new space to work well, it is important to carefully plan what goes in it. This is especially true if you have limited floor space. It is easy to end up with a room that is cluttered and difficult to move around in if you are not careful. Try to ensure that the furniture and objects you place in the room are functional. For example, you will want a desk, chair, and bed for a guest room/home office, but you can limit your other choices. You can also free up space by using a sofa bed and a desk with some shelves.

Choose Neutral Colors

Choosing neutral colors or light colors, such as pastels, shades of white, or light grey, can make your room appear more spacious. Another way to make a room appear larger is to use consistent colors. However, some people prefer to have neutral-colored walls and floors with pops of color in the form of décor. This can also help to ensure your room is ready to change function without contrasting colors that are difficult to remove and update.

Use Plenty of Light

A well-lit room will look larger. One great way to help is to have more than one source of light to evenly distribute the brightness. Try to ensure the light does not only originate from one portion of the room. It can help to have several different types of lighting, including overhead lighting and task lighting, as well as lamps and uncovered windows. Also, try to keep the corners of the room lit as well. Wall lights are useful for this purpose.

Dividing Your Multipurpose Room

Depending on what type of multiuse room you want, it may make sense to divide the room into different areas. There are several ways that you can do this without much effort, so let’s take a look at a few of the more popular ones.

Use Room Dividers

Room dividers are an easy way to separate your room, and you have many different options. Your divider can be very basic or quite decorative. It should be easy to find one that fits the room’s décor. You can also choose one that creates privacy, such as for an office, or one that is see-through for something like a play area. If you want something very economical, you could even just hang some curtains to divide the room.

Divide the Room with Furniture

The furniture in the different spaces in your room can be arranged to create boundaries. For example, for a playroom/living room arrangement, the couch in the living room could face away from the playroom.

You could also choose to place a floor-to-ceiling shelving unit, which would separate the room sections while also providing convenient storage options. However, it would be important to ensure safety against possible collapses. Fortunately, this can be easily accomplished by attaching the shelving unit to a wall stud to keep it in place.

Place Area Rugs

Area rugs can also be used to divide a room without making permanent changes. A large area rug in each separate area of the room, along with appropriately placed furniture, can help create clear divisions that can be further emphasized if the rugs have different textures and thicknesses. These rugs can also add to the look and comfort of the space.