If you had a spare room.....

[gimmegimmegimmeagin]

What would you do with a spare downstairs room if you had one?
We've just bought a new house, it's got 2 living areas, one that we'll use as a good room and the other as a family "den", big kitchen dining area, downstairs loo and utility room. There's also another reasonable sized space that has been a converted garage (properly done to a living standard). I'm just not sure what to do with that space. Neither of us WFH so no need for office space, kids older so no need for a playroom. What would you do with it?

I’d make it a gym

Ooh, so many possibilities! This is exciting. A library? I'm serious by the way, totally not taking the piss.

Similar here, but no kids. Recently renovated, so still working out how to use the rooms.
Front room will be a more formal lounge area/reading room. There is also a room with very large windows which will be a gym/games room/garden room.

Formal dining room maybe, or a "hobby" room (eg art, music, sewing, games room, home cinema, reading room).

Personally I need an office room even without wfh. General life admin, sorting out finances, planning (menus, parties, birthdays, holidays, schools), online shopping, quiet place for phone calls, sometimes studying and reading.

Cinema.

When my sister and I were teens/early 20s and still at home, our parents made the other downstairs room into a second living room, so we could have friends over and have somewhere to go. Possibly a crafty way to have us not have boyfriends in our rooms too!

She has two living rooms though, the main one and the den.

so this is a third downstairs room.

op. No one knows what you all like to do. Music, reading, craft, exercise, watching movies, but based on what you like doing the most, or spend the most time doing, that’s what you should make it.

Office? Gym? Gaming room? Library? Craft room?

Pets... all the pets 😄

Teenage room. Somewhere they could do their homework (so sort of like office), maybe with comfy seating and a. projector (& screen) so it can turn into a cinema room. But basically somewhere the teens could hang out with their mates.

Alternatively have a think about hobbies in your family. Gym, sewing room, lego room, model railway, whatever....

Craft room. I'd fill it with all my yarn and crochet stuff.

I'd have it as a hobby room.
Games table and all the board games displayed.
Poker set etc
Book shelves for books and a comfy chair to read on.
Storage for crochet stuff
Area for DDs art stuff and an easel set up
Bar with drinks and snacks stocked

We have a multi purpose spare room. Its got a sofa bed and tv and my treadmill folded up.
Can be used by the teens or visiting friends.
Used for the treadmill watching a bit of TV.
Just a really useful bit of extra space for the house.

Our spare downstairs room was used a bedroom by our son, but now he's moved out it's a music room - comfy sofa(bed), DH's vinyl collection, record player/bluetooth speaker, piano, plus a couple of shelves of photo albums etc. It means DH can lock himself away to listen to his music and doesn't inflict it on me!

We have one which is in a transition period at the moment. It was a playroom but they've mostly grown out of it, so next plan is to turn it into a hobby room. Big tv with consoles attached at one end of the room, then at the other end a wall of bookshelves with cupboards underneath for board games, a couple of smaller armchairs, and musical instruments (upright piano, cello, a number of guitars).

I'd make it into a gaming room if your dc are into gaming. We've got a 2nd living room, it's got an ikea bed in it in case we have people to stay, but it's the dc gaming room. In our old house, the computers were on the dining room table. This is much better!

Guest bedroom

I recommend another lounge type room - ours has another tv which is handy when the kids want to play fortnite or watch something we don't want to - or when my FIL visits and watches the golf in the lounge, I can escape and watch something else 😂.

It's also really handy for sleepovers when there's a group of them. Ideally I want to make it into more of a cinema room with big screen on the wall etc.

Just a word of caution re the converted garage - my friend had hers converted into an office but it's so cold they never use it and it's only used for storage.

Treadmill ? Pool table?

My friends converted theirs into a bar. It’s really beautiful - all pale wood and navy walls. Their kids are young adults who still live at home and they have a large and sociable family and friendship circle so it’s a great space for entertaining.

Sex dungeon, with things dangling from the ceiling, and all the equipment.

(you can tell I wouldn't have the first idea where to start with a sex dungeon 😂😂)

Teen’s living room
gym
hobby / craft room
Laundry room
gaming room
wine cellar
pool table room..

Any of these combined with a second/third spare bedroom (I’m assuming you have a couple of those or the obvious answer would be that)

Or just dump all your crap in there 😁

For us specifically I would have it as a sensory room for my DD. I would go mad with lights, equipment and other bits and bobs.

More general use, I would have either a library or hobby space.