How to Create a Multipurpose Guest Room
Creating a room that serves dual purposes in your home is a great way to maximize space without maximizing your square footage. Whether you are planning a nursery/guest room or a gym/office combo, it’s easy to design and decorate an area to be functional, organized, and inviting. Our multipurpose guest room and media room combo is one great example! See how we did it, plus check out my tips on ways to help guests feel comfortable in your home.
Organizing the multipurpose guest room space
You may remember earlier this year when I created my blissful office and guest room combo. That was my first experience with creating a multipurpose guest room, and it turned out beautifully!
And then… it became an office/bedroom combo when a family member moved into our home. Suddenly we were without a guest room with no rooms to spare!
What we did have was one large room in our basement that didn’t quite have a purpose. It held a TV and video games, and my husband had set up his desk in one corner. So much space seemed wasted.
I decided it would be the perfect spot for our guest room/media room combo!
I used a folding screen as a divider to break the room up a bit. It separates the room into two spaces: one for the guest room and media area, and a space for my husband’s temporary office.
Even though he will likely move his office into another room soon, the screen still offers a bit of privacy and coziness to an otherwise large room. Plus it’s perfect for hiding a bit of clutter if I ever need to tidy up super fast!
Having a defined space for different functions helps to keep the room from feeling cluttered and overwhelming.
Space-saving furniture for the guest room
Fancy hotels may have space for king sized beds and sitting areas, but our basement does not. Fortunately I was able to combine a cozy bed and sitting area into one!
I decided a futon would be the perfect solution for both a place to sit while watching movies or playing games as well as somewhere for guests to sleep. My only concern was having something that would be high quality and comfortable enough for my guests.
After hearing great reviews about The Futon Shop, I decided they would be the best choice. They sent me a futon frame and mattress to try out and I immediately fell in love! Like, I literally just flopped on the bed and stayed there for a while. No joke.
The biggest reasons I chose a futon from The Futon Shop were:
- organic, non-toxic products
- hand-crafted in the USA
- their furniture is affordable for everyone!
Having styles and colors that fit in with my decor and furniture that is more comfortable than I imagined was a bonus! The teal cover and gray throw pillows add a nice relaxing color to our drab basement.
The mattress is hand-stitched with sustainable and eco-friendly materials, and is anti-microbial and dust mite resistant. With four kids and a dog, that was a big deal for me. I also love that it has a 15-20 year life expectancy, which is way longer than most other things last with these tiny tornadoes!
I already opt for mostly organic and non-toxic products for my family, so of course I want the same for my guests. And since my family will be using the futon for movie nights and play time, I want the safest furniture possible!
If you are a mom like me who shops for quality furniture that is eco-friendly, sustainable, made in the USA, and non-toxic, I highly recommend you check out The Futon Shop for yourself. I wish I had discovered their products years ago! You can get an extra 5% off futon covers by using the code AMANDACOVER5 on your order.
Decor ideas for your dual-purpose space
Because we already have multiple things going on in one room (guest room, media room, and temporary office), we don’t want to overcrowd the space with clutter.
Simple, minimal furniture helps to keep the room feeling open, while providing places for storage.
We opted for a low-level television cabinet with doors that hide away all of the movies and video game accessories. The TV takes up the entire top surface, which limits the amount of clutter (ahem, toys) that can accumulate there.
To the side, I placed one small bookshelf and filled it with a few of our favorite books. If our guests are in need of a little late-night reading, they have plenty of great books to choose from!
With this multipurpose guest room being in our basement, unfortunately there are no windows or natural light. We swapped out the overhead yellowish bulbs for daylight bulbs to help brighten up the room, and added a lamp in the corner.
To add the illusion of additional brightness, I propped one large white canvas against the wall on the bookshelf, and placed a white recliner in the corner. The white folding screen also helps to offset the dark floors and reflect some light.
The faux potted plant also helps to add “life” to the room and make a once dreary space seem much more inviting!
10 tips to help guests feel more comfortable in your home
Helping our out of town guests feel comfortable while they visit is always my main goal. I want them to enjoy their time in our home so they have a pleasant vacation and look forward to returning again.
These are my top tips for helping to make guests more comfortable:
- Make sure they have a comfy place to sleep (a chemical-free natural cotton mattress is a great start!)
- Clean up. No really. Provide clean linens, vacuum the floor, put away clutter, and check for dust.
- Set out extra toiletries (and extra toilet paper too). We always forget something!
- Provide clean towels and cloths.
- Freshen the air with a candle, oils, or open a window.
- Make the Wi-Fi password easy to find.
- Set out reading material – books or a local travel magazine.
- Plan entertainment. That could be a local attraction, a board game or movie night, or a fun dinner. If they have kids, try to have kid-friendly toys available too!
- Add an extra special touch – a basket of snacks by the bed or a vase of fresh flowers lets them know you care.
- Relax and enjoy your time together! Your guests are much more likely to be comfortable if you are comfortable too.
