3 ways to revitalise your spare room

From the Resene decorating blog

Here are three ways to revitalise the space, whether you want to create a luxurious guest room or productive home office space.

To view more of this project see "Gussy up the guest room"

You might be lucky enough to have a spare room, but are left scratching your head with what to do with it. Having the extra space can prove incredibly helpful if visitors stay, your family expands in future years or you need to catch up on work in the evening.

Here are three ways to revitalise the space, whether you want to create a luxurious guest room or productive home office space. With the right colour selections and furniture selections, you'll be wishing you gave your spare room a makeover sooner!

Create an indulgent guest room

Hosting guests is great fun – provided you can offer them a welcome place to sleep.

Cranking out the fold-out sofa bed in a cramped living room might be okay when the kids are having sleepovers, but it doesn't afford adult guests much privacy.

Instead, why not create an indulgent guest space in your spare room? Paint the walls a warm, creamy shade like Resene Double Pavlova. Using a stencil print, you can create abstract wall designs that create a sense of luxury, and opt for white or cream bed linen.

To create contrast, add navy accents – think square pillows and a comfortable seat or small sofa by the window.

Alternatively, move away from warm hues and instead embrace cool white walls, pale wooden floorboards and fresh blue touches for a spa-like feel.

No matter the colours you choose, make sure the bed is comfortable and there is a stack of towels on hand so your guests enjoy their stay. A decorative headboard will make any bed look that much more inviting, too.

Design a fabulous playroom

When you're after interior decorating ideas for playrooms, it's easy to think about embracing colours like magenta, bright purple and electric yellow.

If you're not sure how long the space will be a playroom for, you could try something a little different. Instead of all bold colours you could opt for a neutral shade on the walls, but paint one wall with Resene FX Blackboard Paint.

You could also hang a bucket on the wall and fill it with chalk. Kids can draw all kinds of exciting doodles and bring colour to the space. If you go down this route, wooden floorboards or a tiled section by the blackboard wall are a good option, as any chalk dust will be easy to clean up.

Make sure there are plenty of storage solutions in the space. Long seats that open up like a chest to reveal a stash of toys will encourage imaginative play, but also help kids keep track of their toys and tidy up the space as required.

A large table is a must for any playroom, too. Consider cutting a hole in the centre and placing a metal bucket in the centre. Kids can push all their paper scraps into the the bin, making for an easy clean-up after art and craft activities.

Rethink working from home

If you had a home office that you actually wanted to work in, you might find yourself much more motivated to sit down and wade through emails, call clients or get on top of any other activities that are bogging you down.

Consider turning your spare room into a home office if you ever find yourself spreading documents over the kitchen table, thinking up work-related ideas while watching your favourite television program or taking your laptop to bed.

By creating a dedicated workspace, you'll create a barrier between work and play – this means your living spaces and bedroom are places to relax, rather than think about work.

Soothing shades like off-white and grey-blue are ideal for the walls of a study, while white floorboards using Resene Colorwood Whitewash add a fresh, contemporary feel. Overhead shelving by your desk space is a must, while an industrial-style open metal shelf adds a chic yet practical vibe. Simply stack it with baskets of different sizes to keep your work documents, stationery and other items in easy-to-access spaces.

Colours mentioned in this blog...