Functional Furniture

July 12, 2010

Work, entertain and welcome all in one room! Use these ideas to turn that extra room into a home office, TV area and guest room.

How to Create a Multi-Purpose Room

Daybed
A clever design makes it easy to go from couch to guest bed and provides lots of extra storage space. To save money, repurpose old furniture to build your own. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:
- Give bookshelves, wooden cubes or an old desktop a fresh coat of paint, then use them as the base. To hide storage nooks, install a hinged door.
- For the surface of the bed, secure a piece of flat lumber board, cut to size, on top of the base.
- Put a yoga mat down before you add a mattress to help prevent sliding.
For more bed-related organizing ideas, read A Purposeful Bed.

Smart Slipcover
For everyday style, use a beautiful slipcover to protect the daybed mattress. To make one yourself, consider these budget-friendly suggestions:
- Instead of buying new fabric, repurpose bright-colored or pretty-patterned flat sheets.
- Sew the sheets together on three sides, or keep it simple by using fusible tape.
- Attach ribbons or buttons to the fourth side of the slipcover so it's easy to pull on and off or the mattress.

Guest-Ready Room
Prepare for visitors in a snap with these easy tips:
- When you use a closet to create a home office, it's easy to elegantly disguise your workspace my hanging fabric curtains. For details, read Clever Closet Office.
- Before visitors arrive, freshen the bed with a clean, crisp set of sheets and a cozy blanket.
- Complete the welcoming environment with a special gift like our Hometown Welcome Kits.

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