8 enticing uses for your spare room

Larissa Gardner
6 min read

Spare rooms have a habit of becoming a disorganised dumping ground for household clutter and collecting dust, which can bring you down mentally and physically. The best way to avoid this is to give empty spaces in your home a new purpose that brings you enjoyment.

Whether you want to indulge a passion or transform the space into something more practical, one of these eight ideas is bound to inspire you to make better use of your spare room.

A glam dressing room

Take the hassle out of deciding what to wear in the morning with a glamorous dressing room addition. Transform your spare room into any fashionista’s dream with built-in shoe racks, a hat stand, clothes racks, drawers, a makeup station and a floor length mirror or two.

Put your prized jewellery, hats, bags, shoes and sunnies on display and within easy reach on a dressing table or shelving unit. Don’t forget to add a stool, bench seat or chair to make it easy to pop your shoes on. With an uber-organised and glam dressing room you’ll actually look forward to getting ready every day.

92 Hill Road, Balwyn North, VIC

Bathroom value-add

If you have the budget and need for one, you might consider turning a spare room into an ensuite, powder room or extra bathroom.

Some property experts even say adding a second bathroom can add up to $100k of value to the value of a home. With an average bathroom addition costing $30k to $35k it’s unlikely you’ll overcapitalise and you’ll most likely make a tidy profit when it comes time to sell. 

If your spare room is adjacent to a bedroom, it can be the perfect opportunity to create a second master bedroom with a connected ensuite bathroom. An architectural trend gaining momentum, more and more couples are opting for dual master suites to get a better night’s rest. It’s also a nice to have feature for guests when caring for elderly relatives and for multi-generational living.

7 Heaton Avenue, Elwood, VIC

Work it out

A spare room gives you a chance to set up a home gym to suit your specifications and fitness needs. You’ll have no more excuses to avoid going to the gym, as it will be conveniently located being mere metres from your couch.

Plus, you’ll save money not having to travel to and from the gym and not having to pay monthly membership fees regardless whether you go or not.

Add essentials like a medicine ball, yoga mat, a barbell set, bench press, punching bag, skipping rope and a spin bike. You can often get great deals by buying second-hand equipment online.

Built-in Bluetooth ceiling speakers are a nice touch so you can blast your favourite motivational work out mix as loud as you please. Alternatively add a TV so you can binge watch Netflix in your trackies the healthy way!

3 Brittanic Crescent, Sovereign Islands, QLD

Perhaps a chilled out zen zone might be more your scene where you can light incense, practice yoga and meditation away from all the distractions in your household. Paint walls in a soothing shade, add energising houseplants and soft lighting to create the ultimate calming atmosphere.

Make some extra $

Take advantage of the booming sharing economy by listing your spare room on a short-term accommodation website. If you live in a picturesque location (beach adjacent or in the mountains) or close to the CBD make sure you promote that and other neighbourhood highlights in your listing.

Make guests feel at home with crisp bedding, plush pillows, fluffy towels, cosy blankets and maybe even a welcome hamper with snacks or toiletries (hello 5-star ratings!).

Meeting new people in your home can be lots of fun. Best of all you can remove the listing when you want the house to yourself or put it up again when you need some extra cash. However, be sure to weigh up the pros and cons and check with your landlord before committing to being a host. It can be a big time commitment checking people in and out, vetting guests, and arranging cleaning and maintenance.

Home cinema

Movie buffs will see great value in setting up their own home cinema in a disused room. Begin by installing blackout blinds or heavy curtains on windows and painting the walls in a dark shade.

Complete the cinema feel with a couple of gold class style recliners, a big screen, projector, sound system, mini fridge and maybe even a popcorn machine. Beanbags can also be a good idea for hosting larger movie nights.

24 Ponsonby Parade, Seaforth, NSW

Entertainment hub

If your home’s living space is lacking a certain je ne sais quoi when it comes to showing your guests a good time, makeover your spare room to be an entertainment hub. If space permits add a pool table, pinball machine, table tennis table or a blackjack table.

3 Myrnong Crescent, Toorak, VIC

No party is complete without a couple of drinks, add in a bar cart or wet bar so that your guests can help themselves to cocktails and beer on tap. Don’t forget bar stools, a couch and TV so you can enjoy sporting events while socialising with friends.

15 Arinya Road, Ashgrove, QLD

Embrace your passions

Is there something you loved doing at uni that you just haven’t found the space and time for? Or are you looking to take up a new hobby? Your spare room could be the perfect opportunity to create a space for some ‘me time’ and indulge in the creative activities you enjoy most.

But what hobby will you choose? Sewing, jewellery making, vlogging (video blogging), photography, upholstering, flower arranging, writing, knitting, painting, gaming, scrapbooking, woodwork, making music, home brewing beer or maybe horticulture? The options are almost endless! Whatever it may be don’t forget to add lots of storage to pack everything neatly away.

Embrace your fave hobby by turning your spare room into-

  • A dark room.
  • An arts and craft space.
  • A lush indoor greenhouse.
  • A workshop.
  • A photography studio.
  • A mini recording studio.
  • A wine or whiskey tasting room.
51 Morell Street, Mornington, VIC

Keep mud where it belongs

If your spare room has an outdoor entry you may consider turning it into a functional mudroom. If the kids have a habit of wearing muddy or sandy shoes inside or losing their coats, make it easy to stay tidy and organised with personalised hooks and baskets to store all their wet weather and beach gear.

Add a bench, storage boxes, a coat rack and stain resistant flooring to keep your mudroom looking good and clutter-free. A cork pinboard or chalkboard by the door is a handy addition for displaying the kid’s chores, artwork and weekly schedules.

15 Arinya Road, Ashgrove, QLD

We hope these eight ideas inspire you to transform your spare room into something more useful, creative or indulgent.

For more home decor advice check out these five must-have accessories when selling and how to nail Hamptons decor.

Happy decorating!

The Homely Team

Larissa Gardner
Larissa Gardner is the Marketing Manager at arguably Australia’s best looking real estate website homely.com.au. With a superb devotion to product innovation, user-centred design and innovative marketing platforms for real estate agents, homely.com.au helps millions of Australians find their next home.

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