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What would you use 'extra' rooms for in your house?

138 replies

LemonSqueezy0 · 16/07/2025 06:56

If your house had a big kitchen, living room and a seperate dining room what would you use the other rooms for?

In a dreamland, what would make you happy, and do you think your partner or family would agree?

For me I think I would love a library room. Comfy sofa, various throws, loads of books with a ladder that attaches to the bookshelves.. I also quite like the idea of a cinema room, but that feels like something we'd use less often, especially with how big the normal televisions are now. That just feels like another living room to me...

What would you do, if you had the space?

OP posts:
DomesticDispute · 16/07/2025 07:38

I have a library! It's absolutely what I dreamed of as a kid.
The reality is I don't read anything like as much as I once did. I don't buy or keep books, thankfully at the rate I once did.
It's away from the family so I couldn't use it when home alone with the kids.
The thing that also compromised the library, dHs office and every other room is storage absence or stuff creep.
So we are building an extension but I'm less excited about the two bedrooms more about the
Bootroom through to laundry area, this is the big deal

An attic, shelves, lit and purely for stuff, memories, camping, luggage, spare linen.
This will allow other rooms to be what they are not mixed.

Dontlletmedownbruce · 16/07/2025 07:37

Library room, it can be small but cannot have a TV. The most important rule is that I cannot be disturbed in there.

We have a spare room, a converted attic space with ensuite. We have a pull out guest bed. There's lots of gym equipment there and a big wall mounted TV. Dh and ds1 use it to work out sometimes, younger kids use it for sleepovers or when they are hanging out with friends. Our home office is on a large half landing on the way. The long term plan is for DS1 to move up there

Ruelzdontapplyhere · 16/07/2025 07:36

Craft room for everyone to keep all the crafts stuff in one place instead of projects all over the place.
Or a toy room.

Ginmonkeyagain · 16/07/2025 07:33

I'd like a utility room but apart from that I am fine with our two bed flat. More rooms is just more.places to clean and maintain and more places to accumulate stuff.

meganorks · 16/07/2025 07:33

If we ever by a new house I would like:

  • A separate living room for the kids where they can watch what they want and hang out with their noisy mates
  • A utilty room
  • A downstairs loo
  • A garage or a hallway big enough to build a cupboard for DHs bike

Added things that I would love

  • A downstairs office so the dog can come in
  • A room for gym equipment that DH never uses
  • A lego room (our box room was one but it became a dumping ground.)
  • A boot room (because we just seem to have too many shoes and coats!)
DilemmaDelilah · 16/07/2025 07:32

In an itch deal world where money was no object?

A therapy room where I could have massages/my hair done etc.
A room for my dolls houses
A craft room
A room for DH to do whatever it is he likes doing (for all his junk)
An office/study
A reading room
A dressing room each
An orangery/winter garden
Another 3 bedrooms with an suites

In reality:
Our dining room is in our conservatory so I would like a proper dining room so that I could use the conservatory as a conservatory
Another 2 bedrooms for guests (or at least another 1)
A dressing room
An en suite for my room

MayBeee · 16/07/2025 07:32

I'd need a much bigger house , so being greedy .

Extra bedroom so I could have my own , it would be bliss .
Extra small room off that as a walk in wardrobe .
My own bathroom
Extra room for crafting .
A library / reading room
A big workshop / barn for dh for his hobbies in the garden .

MiddleAgedDread · 16/07/2025 07:30

Would like:
large kitchen / diner
living room
downstairs loo
utility room with space for outdoor kit storage
master bedroom and ensuite
guest bedroom, maybe 2
office with a desk and another table for crafts, jigsaw etc and lots of space for books
gym

so if anyone knows tonight’s lottery numbers……

Passthecake30 · 16/07/2025 07:30

I’d like a spare room to wfh in, rather than the kitchen table. Also another one, to house more rescue rabbits.

Everythingisokay · 16/07/2025 07:29

I would have a playroom, crafts room, reading room, an office and maybe a little gym 🤩

Offcom · 16/07/2025 07:28

A contemplation room, very beautiful and designed specifically for doing nothing much at all.

Magpie50 · 16/07/2025 07:28

I have 2 bedrooms I don't need so the smaller one is a combination storage room (I tend to bulk buy things I use) and drying space so my dehumidifier and clothes airers are out of the way.
Second, bigger bedroom is a combination gym, library and dressing room! I have fitted wardrobes all down one side, exercise bike and weights on another and a huge floor to ceiling bookcase and 2 original 1930s art deco armchairs by the window.

Didimum · 16/07/2025 07:27

We have an extra room downstairs, which is/was a playroom. Kids are a bit older now so it’s got all the books in, a sofa and our piano. And a few toys.

WonderingWanda · 16/07/2025 07:27

I would love a sewing room but at the moment my wants are downgraded in place of dh's home office and the kids den / gaming room.

When the kids leave home I'm having my own bedroom.

minnienono · 16/07/2025 07:25

The extra room is an office here (dumping ground from renovating the kitchen and additional bedroom for when 3 kids are home, very rare)

summersolsticesoon · 16/07/2025 07:25

Boot room, to store skis, walking coats , paddle boards , winter coats , boots, sports gear.

Agix · 16/07/2025 07:24

Both me and DH currently have our own offices each, I'd like to keep that.

If we had additional rooms, I'd like a dedicated cat room. Big cat tree, cat toys, etc.

I'd also like a dedicated room for invert pets.

Gym.

A whimsical reading nook/library.

Icanttakethisanymore · 16/07/2025 07:24

Playroom (where ALL the toys can live)
Office / library
Gym
Laundry

snemrose · 16/07/2025 07:24

TheyreLikeUsButRichAndThin · 16/07/2025 07:21

Family dressing room - all clothes in there, no wardrobes or chests of drawers in everyone’s bedrooms so more space, no traipsing from room to room putting everything away. Ideally washer and dryer in there too! Vaguely considering this on a smaller less lavish scale for our box room but not sure it’s big enough.

Gym - turned conservatory into gym but it’s usable about 2 months of the year as it’s about 30 years old and either sweltering or freezing 😄

Music room

Craft room

I would love a family dressing room! I think it makes so much sense and each person can pick their outfit the night before and put into their room. In this dressing room could be a communal sock drawer - we are all the same size and it makes so much more sense to put them all together

thebigyearahead · 16/07/2025 07:23

we have a music room, because we all play instruments. It’s got a piano, and all our other instruments and equipment there. It’s used lots and invaluable. (Older DCs)

snemrose · 16/07/2025 07:21

Apart from my kitchen diner I am not fussed about big rooms I would like lots of smaller rooms each with their own purpose

TheyreLikeUsButRichAndThin · 16/07/2025 07:21

Family dressing room - all clothes in there, no wardrobes or chests of drawers in everyone’s bedrooms so more space, no traipsing from room to room putting everything away. Ideally washer and dryer in there too! Vaguely considering this on a smaller less lavish scale for our box room but not sure it’s big enough.

Gym - turned conservatory into gym but it’s usable about 2 months of the year as it’s about 30 years old and either sweltering or freezing 😄

Music room

Craft room

Campervann · 16/07/2025 07:21

My own bedroom to escape dh when he's disrupting my sleep!
My own little living room to escape the kids and dh to watch my own shows 😁

Panda89 · 16/07/2025 07:21

Our spare room is an office but I would much prefer it to be a library room with shelves and a big comfy chair. Shelves with ladders is my dream 😂

DappledThings · 16/07/2025 07:20

I have a library. We have three reception rooms so one lounge, one study and a library. I love it. Bottle green walls, bespoke floor to ceiling shelving. And in the winter it's the warmest room in the house.