We have a spare bedroom, but the people who built this house, decided to make the room function as an office and they didn't feel the need to have a closet put into the spare room. What?! Who doesn't put a closet in a room, in a house that is already lacking in closet space?
But, I digress...sort've...
Here's my dilemma:
We have this spare room on the first floor of our house. I want to convert it to a storage/craft room/computer room, but Randy is concerned that if we do that, we would lose the spare bedroom functionality.
Of course, that is a concern of mine too, but the reality is, we have visitors (our parents) in our home about 3-4x a year (or approximately 6-8 days out of 365). The other 357 days, the spare bedroom/craft room looks like this...
I cannot keep this room organized for several reasons!1.) The girls use this room for their art projects and crafts. They don't clean up their messes very well. That's fine, I'm okay with that. I want them to be able to have fun with their projects and not worry about creating a mess.
2.) The second reason is because this room has become a "catch all" room and it's hard to organize/clean an area that is designated as the catch all room.
We talked about a getting a Murphy Bed, but they are over $1K for a decent one. Air mattress is out of the question because our folks can't sleep on the floor. Giving up our room to our parents when they visit is not even worth arguing over with Randy... So, you see? I'm stuck with a queen sized bed in a small closet-less bedroom.
If I had my way, this is what my storage/craft room would look like minus the sink & washer/dryer:
I also like this set up, but it's more scrapbook/craft oriented, but I like the built-in countertops:
I love this storage area and we have something very similar from IKEA, but I don't envision our stuff being as neatly arranged and organized as this:
And of course, I love this storage set up... but not for pantry food items:
So, a quick question... what are your thoughts?
- Ditch the spare and go for storage?
- Or, compromise and do both (better and more efficiently)?
Can you store the bed in the garage and just bring it out the few times per year that you need it? Or, can either of your girls convert to a full or queen bed and it becomes the spare? Little kids love to sleep on the floor,couch, etc.?
ReplyDeleteGood idea about using one of the girls' rooms as the guest for those few times a year. I drool over the idea of an organization room, and those pictures are fabulous. Would a pull-out sofa or futon fit in with the craft/storage arrangements? But, really, I think the idea of the girls bunking together or on the floor those few times a year you have company and having the storage room could be great.
ReplyDeleteYou could always do a DIY base to the bed and make it organized storage under then some sort of wall system or converted armour (did I spell that right?) or both to maximize the space. We also live with no linen closets and sadly not even a closet under the stairs as we are missing the second floor too. And our 3rd bedroom is the catch all craft guest room too. I got no answers just understanding for your situation.
ReplyDeleteYou have to do what works best for your family the majority of the time . . . and your majority is your day-to-day living. I, too, faced the same dilemma with our playroom, maintaining the daybed in there for the 1-3 times per year we have guests. I'm so glad I moved it into Kendall's room and have her the big girl bed and the girls more room to make a mess, I mean play. How about a sofa bed for the living room? You wanted new furniture anyway! Also, have you checked out the Container Store lately. They have some amazing configurations for craft rooms and ways to create fake closets. Let me know when you're ready and I'll come help.
ReplyDeleteI love the IKEA solution - and in fact have it in my craft room which you might have seen on my blog. If the girls don't mind I would go for the idea with guests sleep in one of the girls room and you all have a lovely craft room all year around.
ReplyDelete