A spare room can serve many different purposes aside from being a place for your guests to crash. Sometimes, homeowners struggle to find a practical use for their extra rooms and wind up with empty space.

However, there are several different ways you can repurpose your spare room for greater use. From hobby room to at-home studio to fitness zone, you can turn your drab guest bedroom into an area that meets all of your needs. Let’s look at 10 creative ways to repurpose your spare room.

1. Create a Functional Home Office

During the pandemic, the transition to remote work has inspired people to turn vacant rooms into functional home offices. According to the 2021 U.S. Houzz and Home Report, 14% of respondents remodeled or added an addition to their home for an office area.

Whether you telecommute or go into the office, creating an organized environment to work in — preferably with a door — is a practical way to work smarter with better focus.

2. Make a Playroom

If you have young children, turning your spare room into a kid’s playroom is a great way to make use of a blank canvas. Add comfy chairs and tables for homework and board games, as well as storage to house their toys.

You can even make it a playroom for the grownups. Depending on the room’s dimensions, consider adding a ping pong table or your prized pinball machine that’s been collecting dust in the garage.

3. Set Up a Music or Recording Studio

If you’re a musician or producer or have always dreamt of starting a podcast, turning your spare room into a recording studio is another way to maximize the area.

Use the room to rehearse your music, or you can put money towards sound-proofing the walls and adding the right equipment to kickstart your recording projects.

4. Add a Walk-In Closet

For some reason, bedroom closets are never enough space to house all of our clothes. To fix this, repurposing your spare room to serve as an additional closet may intrigue you.

You can install a closet organization system with plenty of drawers and shelving or add free-standing clothing racks that you can effortlessly move around the room. Adding a large mirror can also turn your closet into an old-fashioned dressing room.

5. Turn It Into a Multi-Purpose Guest Room

If you still need your spare room for when guests come to town, you could always turn it into a multi-functional space. That way, you can utilize the room even when no one is visiting.

Setting up a small desk in the corner can make the room usable for organizing your paperwork or paying your bills while also serving as an additional bedroom.

If your spare room is in the basement, you could consider a more extensive renovation to turn the area into a flex space with seating, beds, and tables for family and friends to spread out.

6. Build an At-Home Library

Book worms will delight when their spare room is transformed into an at-home library.

Line your walls with bookshelves, purchase a comfy loveseat or armchair for the corner, and add a floor lamp for those late nights when you can’t seem to put a good book down.

7. Convert It Into a Relaxing Yoga Studio

According to the International Yoga Federation, about 300 million people practice yoga around the world. The practice, originated in India, has truly become a global sensation for people looking to explore breathing, stretching and strength. Why not embrace this practice in your own home?

If you’re trying to figure out how to repurpose your spare room, you could always create a soothing sanctuary to relax your mind and body. Yoga mats, blankets, pillows, and a few candles for soft lighting are really all you’ll need.

8. Create a Home Gym

Not a yogi? Keep with the exercise idea and go with a different fitness experience instead. Turning your spare room into a home gym is another way to repurpose space in your home — and you can cancel your gym membership as an added perk. 

Fill the room with workout equipment, such as a treadmill or weights, and hang a large mirror on the wall. If the floor is hard, be sure to put down comfortable mats to avoid hurting yourself.

9. Transform It Into an Arts and Crafts Room

Crafters may want to turn their extra room into a fun arts and crafts area. Storage and shelving can house all of your paints, brushes, pencils, and other materials, while a large table can take front and center for your projects.

If you really want to make the room even more striking, add a pop of color to the walls or apply wallpaper with a unique design that sparks your creativity.

10. Design a Pet Room

Our pets deserve the very best, so transforming your spare room into a pet room may be another option.

You may not even realize how practical a pet room can be. Think about it: it can provide a space to store the oversized dog bed that’s crowding the corner of your dining room, or your cat’s climbing tower that’s engulfed your living room. You can also store all your pet’s toys so they aren’t strewn all over the house.

A Spare Room With Many Purposes

Your spare room doesn’t need to be wasted space or storage for things you haven’t gotten around to throwing away. There are so many opportunities to make the space more worthwhile and, better yet, yours as you like it.