We could all use a little more space in our homes, right? Even though I now live in a bigger space than my previous rentals (a one-bed bungalow and, before that, a studio flat) I still feel like there’s not quite enough room for everything I need to do in my home.
That’s where planning a multi-use space comes in. If you’re not sure what that means exactly, it’s about designing your home to work harder for you (and potential buyers) by making the space more flexible. Clever furniture, practical storage and even the colours you choose can make all the difference.
Let’s see what that means in practice…
1. Make every room work twice as hard
One of the easiest ways to create a multi-use home is to think beyond traditional room purposes. For example, a spare bedroom doesn’t have to be just a guest room; it can also double as a home office, craft space or workout room.
To achieve this, you can choose clever furniture, such as a daybed that converts into comfy seating or even a Murphy bed that folds up onto the wall to give you more space to exercise. But you don’t have to spend a lot to get a good result; a fold-down table can double up as a desk and wall-mounted shelves are inexpensive ways to keep the room flexible and clutter-free.
In living rooms or dining areas, consider furniture that can adapt, like a sofa bed, an extendable table or storage footstools/ottomans. These allow you to switch easily between relaxing, working, having guests to stay or entertaining. The added bonus is that, when you’re selling your house, these practical, well-thought-out pieces can make your property more attractive to buyers as they show how versatile the rooms can be.
DIY Hack: Create more space for any hobby using a fold-out desk and hooks to organise craft supplies, tools or office essentials. I made a DIY ‘bake station’ from a wall-mounted desk to store my cookbooks and baking bits, enabling the space to work harder in my kitchen. It’s cheap, easy to install and keeps clutter off surfaces while adding a fun feature to your room.
2. Clever storage solutions to maximise space
When rooms need to serve more than one purpose, smart storage is essential. Investing in stackable boxes, under-bed storage or DIY shelving can help keep things organised without overcrowding your home. If you’re on a budget, secondhand shops or charity stores often have great storage furniture that can be given a quick makeover with paint or new handles.
Good storage not only keeps your home looking neat and spacious, but also makes packing for your move much easier. Buyers tend to prefer homes that look well-maintained and roomy, so these small touches can indirectly contribute to selling faster.
DIY Hack: Upcycle wooden crates or drawers to make stacking storage or underbed boxes. Simply sand, paint or varnish them and, if you want to move them around, add wheels like I did – here’s how I upcycled old drawers into underbed storage boxes.
3. Zone your spaces
Sometimes our rooms might be open plan. It therefore appears that you’re living in just one room, when in reality, the space is serving multiple purposes, such as a kitchen/living/dining room. So, one way to make it clear that the room has multiple uses is to use colour to ‘zone’ different areas.
You could paint the living room a different colour to the kitchen area or use a block of colour on just the walls around the dining table to highlight it as a different zone. Likewise, if you have an alcove or under-stairs space that you’re using as a home office, wallpaper or paint the nook in an entirely different colour to the rest of the room to show it has another use.
DIY Hack: I used chalkboard paint to zone a workspace by painting the inside of a cupboard door, so when it is opened, it can be used as one of the walls of my fold-open office/craft space. It includes pots and a drainpipe ‘shelf’ for storing stationery supplies. Here’s how to DIY a ‘Doorganiser’ for yourself.
How multi-use spaces can make your home more appealing
If you’re making changes because you want to sell your house, adding painted ‘zones’ can ensure buyers realise just how many ‘rooms’ they’re getting, even if the interior is open plan. If you stow away your belongings in plenty of sensible storage spaces, the spaces will appear clutter-free and will therefore look larger overall.
And, with so many of us working from home these days, it’s an added bonus for buyers if they can see a space allocated to home working, as they won’t have to figure out how to fit in their own desk – it’s already obvious how the space can work well for them.
It’s easy enough to make the small changes above to maximise the space in each of your rooms, thereby making your home more appealing and possibly more valuable! However, if the thought of having to redecorate or redesign your space is overwhelming, there is another option that involves absolutely zero painting, cleaning or furniture building!
Instead of getting your house viewings ready, you could choose instead to sell your house fast with a company like We Buy Any Home. They’ll give you a free cash offer in minutes, based on key information like the size and location of your home, not how multipurpose the rooms are. Pick your completion date and have the money in your bank in as little as a week.
I hope these ideas have inspired you to take another look at your home and discover some spaces where you can make the rooms suit you better for work, rest and play. Making your home work harder doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive with these DIY options, so please let me know if you try any of these yourself and I’d love to hear your own home hacks for making a space that works well for you.
Pin it for later
This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂
