Ideas for a multipurpose room

With the holidays on the horizon, finishing the multipurpose room in the basement has been at the top of our priority list. It will be a great space for our family – and another spot I get to decorate. That means I’ve also been pulling together all my inspiration and ideas for a multipurpose room.

Last week, I shared our progress on the DIY shiplap walls and farmhouse trim. This week, we’ve been working to pull more of the space together.

I am so happy with how it looks already.

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The biggest changes from last week, in case it’s not obvious:

• Those swoon-worthy barn doors that Ryan built and installed this week. (Hope to have more information about these coming soon.)
• The carpet squares and furniture.
• TOYS!

Henry’s already been spending time down here almost every night. So that’s a huge win.

What we’ve already done in the multipurpose room

We were on a serious budget for this project – so I tried to use what we had to begin. The goal is to spend as little as possible down here.

The shiplap walls and ceilings from Lumber Liquidators are really the showstoppers. They were originally white pine hardwood floors, and they add so much character to the room.

The furniture was a hand-me-down from my friend Ann, who is clearly a saint. It’s awesome to have a comfy area to hang out. The leather is super easy to wipe clean. And the arm chair is the perfect spot for nursing – which is a happy bonus for this momma.

The carpet squares were salvaged from Ryan’s parents. (Upcycle FLOR tile in blue jay)

They were removing several colors that coordinated so Henry and I spent an afternoon mixing them up in the area. They covered almost 3/4 of the room. I plan to buy a few more of the tiles to finish off the remaining row. And then, maybe buy more little by little to finish off the room completely. It’s incredible how quickly the room looked finished with the flooring.

Carpet squares are such a great solution for this area – they are hardworking, durable and look great. But they also allow us to avoid installing more labor-intensive flooring. The fact that my 5-year-old and I could knock it out in an hour was wonderful! (It was even fun.)

More ideas for a multipurpose room

As you can probably see, the biggest use for this space is a joint family room-toy room. But I’m also hoping it will serve some other uses – hence, multipurpose. I think it’s pretty common for most rooms to serve double (or triple or quadruple) duty in family homes today.

The beauty of multipurpose rooms is that they can change and adapt as kids and families grow and change.

So, we also want to add in additional storage space, some craft/desk space, and exercise space. Not everything will happen right away – but it’s definitely worth planning for down the line.

First up, the exercise area.

We already set up the (very dusty, obviously neglected) treadmill. Stop judging me. I JUST HAD A BABY. AND I WAS PREGNANT BEFORE THAT. But this little nook is the perfect spot, don’t you think? Maybe I’ll actually use it.

Next, a future desk area.

This little area next to the nook will make a great spot for a desk down the line.

For inspiration – I’m obsessed with this long desk space.(Ryan would like to note that this will not happen for a while. He has earned a rest. Blah blah.)

(Postbox Designs)

And then there’s storage.

The very first thing I’m planning to tackle is toys. I tried to use what we had – but there’s not enough storage and it’s just too chaotic. I want the smaller stuff tucked away. (There are still several other bins of toys that need a home, too.)

I’d like to fill this entire wall with simple, inexpensive storage cubes – providing versatile storage that can change and adapt over time.

Here’s some inspiration:

(Thrifty Decor Chick)

(Houzz)

I know these cubes are used a lot – but there’s obviously a reason for that.

And finally, decor. 

I have a lot of fun pieces tucked away for the basement – so we can start cozying up the area. Because this is a true family area, I want to add lots of family photos and mementos. Ryan has a dream of adding a whole collection of cuckoo clocks. So, it will be eclectic and very “us,” as it should be.

No rush. Just slow and steady to pull it together.

And with Christmas decorating right around the corner, I’m also looking forward to a Christmas tree down here. And probably some other holiday decor, too. I can’t let a space go unadorned in December. It’s basically my number one rule.

If you have any tips or ideas for a multipurpose room, drop them below. I’m always looking for more inspiration!

Wanna catch up on our progress to finish the basement? 

• Shiplap in the basement
• Installing wood flooring on walls
• DIY shiplap walls and farmhouse trim

 

Thanks to Lumber Liquidators for providing the shiplap for our basement family room. And thank you for supporting sponsors who make projects like this possible.