We spent a lot of time at home in 2020 and as the autumn days grew shorter, I knew something was going to have to give. I always say that I HATE the dark winter months. Stuck in a windowless office for most of my career, I often miss out on natural light completely. I knew the pandemic winter was going to be dark (literally and figurately) so I set out to refresh our extra bedroom to give us a little vacay from the screens and everyday pandemic life. Keep reading for my 12 Spare Room Ideas on a Budget!
Before our mini renovation this extra bedroom had many purposes: guest bedroom, photography studio for blogging, random storage, clutter magnet. It was typically messy unless we had a guest, and we didn’t use it often. But this room has the best natural light in the house and I knew we weren’t taking full advantage of that. So as the days got shorter, I declared “Let’s make this room into a Sunroom!” It would be the place to be on weekends when we wanted to soak up a few sun beams. I decided to push it further and also embrace the winter darkness. Places in the world that get very little daylight in the winter are much better at embracing the darkness than most Americans (like me) who complain about it. But the darkness has it’s advantages. Keep reading to learn more, and get my 12 Spare Room Ideas on a Budget.
1. Create a Reading Nook
I wanted to make the most of every corner in the room, so began by bringing in a chair and creating a little reading nook. During the holiday season, this was quite the festive corner in the room. Starting with just a corner also made the thought of an entire room renovation much less daunting. You can easily create your own reading nook by reusing furniture from other parts of your home or seeking out affordable second-hand pieces.
2. Create a Lounging Space
Sometimes it’s nice to recline while reading, or take a cat nap in the winter sunlight. We had a queen sized bed in the space already, but I mixed things up and added a king-sized bolster pillow (Amazon Affiliate Link) to the long side of our Queen sized bed and purchased a couple of throw pillows from Society 6. (Affiliate Link) We already had the bedspread, so for less than $200 we made our boring bed that was only used a few times a year into a space we wanted to hang out.
3. Date Nights
One of the things I was really missing during the pandemic was going out to eat. Instead of dwelling on what I was missing, I started thinking about what it truly is that I love about going out to our favorite local spots and the spots we remember from our travels. What I often love is spaces that are cozy, quiet, and intimate. I love a vintage high back booth that makes you feel like you have your own little space. I love low lighting and quiet music. The kinds of places where you can actually talk and hear each other. Places described as Hobbit-like in travel books. And so we moved our small tulip table into the Sunroom. Some nights we embraced the darkness and ate by candlelight and a mellow Spotify play list. Other nights I created a theme with specific food, drink, and music for an occasion. I started theme nights early in the pandemic that usually involved a movie, but having this space away from all the screens and the nightly news gave us a lovely escape from the daily grind.
4. Snack Space
I love a good munchy crunchy hour! And by that I mean a little snack and drink before the main meal that allows you to pause, wind down from the day, and relax a bit before diving in to cooking dinner. We don’t do this every night, but it’s fun on occasion, especially the weekends when you might just want the appetizers for your main meal. Sometimes on weekdays, we would sit and chat about the day, listen to music, and take a deep breath before returning to the real world and catching up on the nightly news. It’s nice to have a space to just wind down.
5. Craft and Writing Space
It was important that I kept the Sunroom clutter free. No piling mail to sort through on the table! No bags of clothes waiting to be dropped off at a thrift store! But I did find it useful to have a clean and peaceful space for various projects like writing cards or working on a little craft project. I just made sure to tidy up every time so this spare room didn’t become a dumping ground like it had been when it was just and extra bedroom.
6. Studio Space for Art or Photography
Because this room is on the southwest corner of our house it has the best natural light. This is something to consider if you have a choice of rooms in your house. The tulip table has many duties in this space and can be used as a table for photography when needed, so I didn’t have to give up my studio space completely. I store all my camera equipment under the bed.
7. Holiday Wonderland
Because a spare room is usually a small one, it means you can go all out decorating for holidays and keep it within a small budget. I had a lot of fun with Christmas! I had mini trees on the end table and dresser and took down some of the artwork to display holiday wall décor. For Valentine’s Day, I put out my easy DIY felt table runner. I’ve really embraced the holidays during the pandemic as it gets us out of usual routine and gives one a reason to change up the décor a bit.
8. Display Those Collections
How many of you have small collections that are tucked away and just never get displayed? A space room can be a place to show off the things you’ve stored away and wish you had a place to show off. You can easily swap things out when your mood changes. I’m currently displaying some of my favorite vintage glasses, and I loved having a designated spot for my mini trees during Christmas. But this could be anything: jewelry, art, glassware, vintage hats. . .
9. Home Bar
I’ve been enjoying displaying some of my favorite vintage glassware and set up a pseudo home bar. It is actually an old dresser that I store craft supplies and photo props in. If we had guests staying for a few days I can easily convert it back to a dresser. We don’t have a china cabinet or suitable space to show off our glassware in our main living and dining space, so it’s been fun to have it out on display. You could easily convert another piece of furniture into a home bar or purchase an inexpensive bar cart.
10. Music
I’ve had fun picking different Spotify playlists to set the mood for date nights or letter writing. Now that the days are getting longer, I’ve moved some of my candles and brought in our portable turntable. Music has really been a great way to relax, escape, or sing (shout) out my frustrations this year! This (click for Amazon Affiliate link) is similar to the one we have if you are looking for an entry level portable player.
11. Spare Room for Guests
Ultimately, the Sunroom can still be a guest bedroom whenever we need it to be. The bolster pillow can come off the bed, the bar can be converted back to a dresser, and the table can be moved out of the room. Making a space easy to transform for guests when needed is important but I’m so glad we’ve made it flexible so we can now enjoy it most of the year too.
12. Space for Reflection, Contemplation, or Coziness
Do you know the Swedish term Hygge? It doesn’t have an exact English translation, but I became intrigued with this concept when I was thinking about ways to embrace the winter and make the most of the cold, dark months. Hygge can involve a quality of coziness, something charming, a feeling of contentment. You can’t buy Hygge. It’s more of a feeling and that means you have to find what hygge is to you. Scandinavians often embrace candlelight in the winter months, and when I started thinking about my own memories of coziness and contentment, firelight and the warm glow of the sunset came to mind. I added a lot of candles and warm fairy lights to our Sunroom. It’s lovely to get away from the harsh glow of all our screens for awhile. Comfortable places to sit, soft music, and cozy foods and beverages also made my list. We made mulled wine one night. I drank a lot of tea and coffee this winter. I put on my Starsky sweater, leaned into winter, and actually enjoyed it at times.
Resources
Ultimately, most of the bigger pieces we used in the room were repurposed from other parts of our house and I encourage you to do the same or seek out second-hand pieces. There were a few items that I did purchase. We replaced the roller blinds that were about 15 years old and impossible to dust. We also purchased the pillows. I really wanted to use my dollars wisely to purchase things that had vibrant pops of color and a retro feel. They work well with our Poly and Bark chairs and table.
Drapes: from Society 6 (Affiliate link)
Throw Pillows from Society 6 (Affiliate link)
Bolster Pillow from Amazon (Affiliate link)
What Would You Add to My 12 Spare Room Ideas on a Budget?
[This post contains Affiliate links to Amazon and Society 6, which means I earn a small commission if you click the link and purchase. See my About page for more information.]
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