All
indoor space is prime real estate. It’s
what you do with it that really counts.
Utilizing the underutilized maximizes your square footage and can create
more function where there was once blank space.
A home office is on the wish list of many future home buyers. Yet a room set aside for work and technology is not always an option. When you still need a designated place for that work space, think smaller. Some linen and hallway closets are not living up to their full potential, but instead hold more storage-related items, coats that never see a cold day, or sheets and towels that do not get used. By cleaning out those shelves and adding document cases for paperwork storage, bins for office supplies, and a home base for a laptop, you just added a functional space, minus the need for more square feet.
The
layout and design of some homes leaves little areas that seemingly serve little
purpose. Wider areas of hallways, cutouts
in a room, landings, and some bay windows can all make you wonder just what to
put there. Consider incorporating what
is referred to as a reading nook: a stand-alone chair with a floor lamp or
small table and lamp. Set apart from a
main living room seating arrangement, a reading nook can be cozy and inviting
and can add additional colors and dimension to a room. With room for a small bookcase, you also add
new surfaces for storing books and magazine files and displaying a collection
or decorative pieces.
In
small living spaces, offering a multi-functional guest space can let an area do
double duty when needed. A chair and a
half can double as a comfy pullout bed in a tighter space for a single
overnight guest. Additionally, using a
room as half home office and half guest room can be accomplished easily with
the right furniture and arrangement.
Look
around and see what space is lacking function in your home. A little rearranging or adding a few small
furniture pieces can create a whole new room or new purpose where there once
was none.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star January 29th.
