Spare Room

It’s that time of year again when parents across the UK are preparing for their children to leave home and make their first steps towards independent living at university. Quite often this change, although usually an emotional one, presents the opportunity for a spare room to be created, transformed from a teenage den to a room of possibilities.

Without a plan, a spare room in your home can easily become a messy area for random items that don't have a proper place elsewhere. Avoid this mismatched room that lacks identity by thinking about a clear purpose for the space.

Cookes Furniture is sharing ideas and inspiration on what to do with a spare room with those who are lucky enough to have some free space once their children have flown the nest.

Beautiful Guest Suites

One of the more traditional choices for a spare room in the home is creating a beautiful guest suite for when friends and family come to visit. Depending on the type of home you have warrants different styles and types of guest bedrooms, however the main aim for a space turned into a guest bedroom is making that visitor feel as welcome and as comfortable in your home as possible.

A typical guest room will ensure that the visitor is provided with all of their home comforts such a fresh, beautiful linens and bedding, good lighting and sufficient storage space for their belongings. Going the extra mile often means providing guests with tea and coffee making facilities in their room, refreshments and their own towels and toiletries depending on budget and space.

The trick is to provide a clean and neutral space appealing to any sense of style and preference. Opt for lighter, softer tones and low-key shades such as greys, browns and whites to induce a feeling a calm for your guest. On the other end of the spectrum use the spare room as the chance to show off your tastes and personality to your guests by creating a themed or colourful bedroom. 

Whether you are working with a smaller space and can only fit one or two accessories and home comforts, or if you have a grand area available to provide that hotel-esque feeling to guests, Cookes Furniture offer a range of luxurious items that can work well with a variety of guest room interior themes you may wish to incorporate. 

Opt for pieces such as the Camden two tone 5ft bedstead, the Arabella 5ft bedstead or the Cookes Collection Chateau Blanc Dressing Table.

 Office space

Have you decided to start your own business venture this year or have a hectic commute to work? Why not consider converting your spare room into a home office?

With new flexible working laws in place more of us are working from home now than ever before, if this is the case and you have the opportunity to work from your own home then create a space that’s both functional and stylish.

To make the most out of a home working arrangement the environment needs to have minimal distraction. The beauty of having a designated room for your office is that it helps prevent piles of washing and ironing, the television or the fridge from peeling you away from being productive and the task at hand.

Whether you feel a desk, some shelves and a chair is sufficient for your home office, or you decide to go all out and create a break out meeting area with coffee tables and chairs or even attempt to replicate the oval office - different work stations will be appropriate for different people. The type of office you create really depends on the nature of your job, the length of time you spend working from home, not to mention your budget and the size of the space.

Once you’ve determined the look and feel of your home office consider essential items such as the Limelight Boat Bookcase at £399 or the Alexander and James Jude Chair in Leather for £685 available online and instore at Cookes Furniture.

Room for the grandkids

If your children left home years ago, you may have had big ideas to transform their old bedrooms into dressing rooms, an area for your arts and crafts and unfinished projects or even a home gym. In reality though if you already have grandchildren or are expecting them at some point then you’re going to require this extra space.

To help ease the financial pressures of child care, grandparents are starting to take more of an active role in looking after their grandchildren during the week and also throughout summer holidays and school breaks whilst parents are at work. Whether this is the case and you’re looking after the little ones on a regular basis or even if it is for the odd sleepover or family get-together, creating a space for the grandkids has become an increasingly popular trend for the use of spare rooms. 

Opt for brighter, playful colours and shapes that help create an environment that makes the grandkids look forward to visiting. It can be hard to strike a balance between a play area for the kids that incorporates a learning zone and that’s also suitable for sleeping, so consider items such as bunk beds, cabinets, desks and other suitable youngsters’ furniture from the Cookes children’s furniture range launched last year.

Tech free chill zone

Whether you need an area for yourself to de-stress or a space for the whole family to get together and escape from the busy world and all its commitments and distractions, creating a comfortable, technology free zone in your home is definitely the way forward. 

Focus on keeping this space comfortable and quirky with plenty of blankets and throws, cushions and multiple seating options such as bean bags as well as rugs to keep the warmth in. To differentiate this space from the usual living room try to encourage a clutter and tech free environment, leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

Ditching the television, mobile phones and the internet allows the whole family to get together and really catch-up. Not only is a room like this perfect for family nights in with board games, charades or story telling but also the perfect opportunity for a private space to curl up with a best seller or take a nap.

For the ultimate chill zone consider the following items available online and in-store at Cookes Furniture, an Alexander and James Bloomsbury sofa, a Natuzzi Editions Sofa, one of the Ligne Roset Interstice Coffee Tables or a unique Side table bear for just £79.

Whilst we may all have that lifelong pursuit of our dream home, there are several additional ways to add a touch of luxury to your living space. Other ideas of spare room transformations include a ‘movie star’ inspired walk in wardrobe, an art or design studio, a home gym, a chef’s dream pantry, a games room or even your own cocktail bar. For those lucky enough to have this space, set your imagination free as the list of ideas for spare room transformations are endless.

4th September 2017

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