What to do with that extra room in your house

We’re all trying to make the most of the space we have. And it often feels like no matter how much you have, you always need more. So we build extensions, convert lofts, reimagine the garden, use our walls to display precious items and so much more.

But there are always areas that aren’t used as effectively as they could be. Box bedrooms and garages often become dumping grounds for clutter that accumulates over months and years.

This is where there’s good news! Even a modest spare room can become something genuinely life-changing with the right approach. Here are some inspiring, practical, and occasionally weird and wonderful ideas for making the most of that extra space.

 

1. Create a home gym

Dragging yourself to the gym in the middle of a grey British winter is one of life’s bigger hurdles. With a home gym, you’re left without an excuse (and you’d be surprised how little space you actually need to build something effective).

Start by thinking about the equipment you can use at home. Resistance bands, adjustable dumbbells, a pull-up bar mounted in a doorframe, a foldable rowing machine, or a compact set of kettlebells can all form the backbone of a serious training setup without eating up the entire room. If budget allows, a multi-gym station or a folding treadmill that slides under a bed frame can be brilliant space-savers.

Other considerations when building a home gym

Flooring

Flooring matters more than people realise. Interlocking rubber tiles protect your floor, reduce noise, and make the space feel purposeful. Speaking of noise — be mindful of the impact on family members and neighbours, particularly if you’re an early riser or you enjoy dropping weights. Consider acoustic underlay beneath your tiles if the room sits above a living space.

Accessories

Install a full-length mirror along one wall so you can check your form and track your progress visually. Mirrors also bounce light around the room, making smaller spaces feel larger.

Storage

For storage, make walls your best friend. Shelving and wall-mounted racks keep the floor clear for movement and mats. A pegboard is surprisingly effective for hanging smaller equipment like resistance bands, jump ropes, and gloves. If you have the ceiling height, you could even look into wall-mounted pull-up rigs or suspension trainer anchor points.

Weirder ideas worth considering

A climbing wall section mounted to one wall makes for an unexpectedly brilliant upper-body workout at home. Outdoor-style astroturf on the floor gives a different feel and is easy to clean. You could even dedicate a corner to a cold plunge setup, something that’s very popular right now.

 

2. Design a music room

 

I used to have a music room in my parent’s house and it genuinely was a place that I loved. They removed/converted the ensuite in my bedroom to make space for a full sized keyboard, bookshelves, recording equipment and more.

So how on earth do you make one?

Accoustics

First, address the acoustics. A bare room will sound echoey and unpleasant, which makes playing or recording dispiriting. You don’t need a professional studio build. Thick curtains, a bookcase filled with books, a large rug, and acoustic foam panels on the walls can all dramatically reduce echo and improve the sound. Acoustic panels come in dozens of colours and shapes now and can genuinely double as wall art.

Storage

Storage for instruments is the next priority. Many instruments can’t just be packed away. They need to be accessible and cared for. Guitars and bass guitars look fantastic on wall hangers and are easier to pick up and play when they’re on display. Keyboard stands with tiered shelving allow multiple instruments in a smaller footprint. For drumkits, an electronic kit with a mesh head is a game-changer for home use, reducing impact noise dramatically.

Accessories

For the finishing touches, add storage for your impressive vinyl collection, a dedicated record shelf or shelving unit designed specifically for LPs keeps them in good condition and looks stunning as a design feature. Pair it with a quality turntable and you’ve created a listening corner that rivals any specialist record shop. Add any artwork you love to the walls to make the space feel like a natural, personal extension of your home.

Weirder ideas worth considering

Commission a custom mural on one wall that reflects your musical influences (it costs less than you’d think and makes the room genuinely unique). A modular sound booth (flat-pack versions are available online) can sit in one corner for recording vocals or podcasting. You might also consider a foley corner, a small section with interesting surfaces and objects for sound design work, if film or audio production is your thing.

 

3. Build a productive home office

With remote and hybrid working now firmly embedded in UK professional life, having a dedicated office space that isn’t in your bedroom is one of the most impactful things you can do for your productivity and your mental health. The separation between work and rest matters enormously.

Natural light

Natural light should be your first consideration. Think carefully about where your desk will sit relative to the windows and the direction of the sun throughout the day. A desk placed side-on to a window tends to work better than facing it or having it behind you as it reduces glare on screens while keeping the room feeling bright and open. If natural light is limited, consider a SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) lamp, which can genuinely boost mood and energy during darker months.

Tidiness

Cable management is unglamorous but essential. A desk with integrated cable management, combined with cable clips and a small trunking channel along the skirting board, transforms a chaotic-looking workspace into something that feels calm and professional. A monitor arm frees up desk surface and helps you get ergonomics right, which matters enormously if you’re spending six or more hours a day at a screen.

Storage

Built-in storage is worth the investment. Custom shelving, a fitted cupboard, or even a Murphy-style fold-away desk unit keeps the room looking intentional and makes it easier to switch off at the end of the day by closing the door on a tidy space.

Weirder ideas worth considering

A standing desk converter or a full motorised sit-stand desk is increasingly affordable and can make a real difference to how you feel by mid-afternoon. A phone booth-style acoustic pod (available in flat-pack form) within a larger room gives you a private space for video calls, particularly useful if the household is busy. You might also consider biophilic design. A living wall or moss panel installation has been shown to reduce stress and improve focus, and they’re low-maintenance once established.

 

4. Add a walk-in wardrobe or dressing room

A dedicated dressing room is one of those upgrades that sounds indulgent until you experience it, and then you wonder how you ever managed without one. Having a separate space to get ready in the morning transforms the rhythm of your day. No more creeping around a dark bedroom trying not to wake a partner on a different shift, and no more arguments about who’s hogging the bathroom mirror.

The key is to plan your storage around your actual habits rather than a generic Pinterest ideal. Think honestly about what you own and how you use it. Do you have more shoes than hanging space? More accessories than drawer space? Map it out before you buy a single unit.

For hanging space, a double-hang section (one rail above another for shirts and jackets) maximises vertical space efficiently. Leave a longer section for dresses and coats. Open shelving for folded knitwear is preferable to drawers, which tend to become chaotic. Dedicated shoe storage, whether angled shelves, a rotating tower, or pull-out drawers, is often the most-overlooked element and can make or break the room’s usability.

Accessories deserve their own system. A wall-mounted jewellery cabinet, a row of hooks, or even a dedicated drawer unit with felt-lined inserts keeps everything visible and tangle-free.

Lighting in a dressing room deserves serious thought. LED strips inside wardrobes are a game-changer. For the main room, opt for warm-toned lighting that mimics daylight reasonably accurately (pure cool-white light will make colour-matching almost impossible).

Don’t forget to add in a comfy seat, like a small upholstered stool, a vintage armchair, or a velvet ottoman. It gives you somewhere to sit while putting on shoes, allows you to pause and gather yourself before the day begins, and adds a sense of considered luxury to the space. A full-length mirror with good lighting on either side completes the picture.

Weirder ideas worth considering

A fragrance display shelf, treating your perfumes and colognes as objects of beauty rather than hiding them in a drawer, adds an incredibly personal, boutique-hotel feel. A small steam garment care unit (a hanging steamer with a dedicated hook space) keeps clothes looking sharp with minimal effort. If you’re a fashion enthusiast, a rotating rail system on a track allows you to move seasonal pieces out of the way without boxing them into storage.

Whatever direction you choose, the most important step is simply committing to a clear purpose. A room with a single, well-executed function will always serve you better than a room trying, and failing, to be everything at once.

 

Go beyond the obvious: more ideas to inspire you

If none of the above quite fits, here’s where things get more interesting.

Cosy snug or reading den
Layer up blankets, cushions and soft lighting. Add floor-to-ceiling bookshelves or even a window seat if you can.

Mini cinema room
Projector, blackout blinds, surround sound and a stash of snacks. Done.

Hobby or craft studio
Whether it’s painting, sewing, pottery or model-making, give yourself a space where you can leave things out mid-project.

Games room
Pool table, retro arcade machine, board games cupboard – or even a poker night setup.

Indoor garden room
Perfect if you’re plant-obsessed. Think shelving packed with greenery, grow lights and a calm, fresh feel.

Wellness or meditation space
Keep it minimal – floor cushions, candles, calming colours. Somewhere to properly switch off.

Dressing-up room/content studio
Ideal if you create content or just love fashion. Add a backdrop wall, good lighting and a rail for outfit planning.

Pet room
Why not? Built-in beds, toy storage, feeding station – your pet gets their own little haven.

Hidden bar or speakeasy vibe
Low lighting, shelves of glassware, maybe even a record player in the corner.

Something completely different
A Lego room. A map room. A gaming cave. A themed escape (Harry Potter cupboard under the stairs energy, but better). If you’ve got the space, you can afford to be a bit playful with it.