Giving a Room In My Home a New Purpose

Do you have a room in your home that you find you don’t use anymore or one that you no longer need because grown children are out on their own?

Or perhaps you no longer need the function a room provided for you in the past or the space no longer serves you best? If your spaces aren’t working for the way you live now, it might be time for a change. I just made such a change.

View of far wall in multi-purpose room.

A few years ago I wrote a post about when you go about decorating your home to make sure you are using the room exactly for what you need and will inspire you to live your best life.

Many of us get hung up on the fact that in the builder’s blueprint layout of the house the room are marked, dining room, bedroom, or living room. Just because a builder thinks you need all these functional spaces, there is no reason to have to use them for those needs.

The only rooms that usually have to stay to the plan are kitchens and bathrooms as it would be too expensive to change these once a home is built.

But the other rooms, you should feel free to make and use them in whatever your lifestyle calls for.

Over the years I have changed the way we used a few rooms. When my daughters moved out of the house after college, one of their bedrooms became a fitness room.

When I started my blog and needed an office, I set up what the formal living room on the builder’s plans stated into my craft room/studioffice. When we moved to South Carolina, I made the dining room my office.

Working from home set up ideas

I found over the last few years that my studioffice was no longer serving my needs. I found I like to work out on the kitchen table where there is a great view of the lake.

Since I didn’t use the studioffice much anymore for the intended purpose I set it up for, I had to figure out what it could become instead of becoming a place for junk and postponed decisions about what to do with all that stuff that was starting to clutter-up the room.

The double door pantry in my Pennsylvania house.

The space I was really craving for in the house was a bigger kitchen, but specifically more storage for the kitchen and a larger pantry like the one we had in our Pennsylvania house.

So over the last year I have been thinking of budget-friendly ways to make the room become more of a pantry. Then after thinking it over for some time, I found that the room could be a little bit of everything we needed – a place for my craft/decor creating, a pantry, as well as an extension of the kitchen.

When thinking about what furnishings to use to set up this new use for the room, I knew we had to stay within a budget and I didn’t want to add built-ins that would be hard to remove if we ever want to sell the house in the future. The function of the room should go back to a basic space like a dining room or family room.

Meet My Multi-Purpose Room

I truly enjoyed the room as my studioffice for years, but since it was no longer serving me, it was time to change it to fit my life now and going forward.

multi-purpose room

Here is what you see as you enter the newly created multi-purpose room.

I kept the desk as a surface to set up my sewing machine when I want to make something. I have two of the pom-pom slipcovered ottomans, one is in the living room. I keep the second one under the desk when it is not needed in the living room for more seating.

IKEA PAX Storage Units

View of two side-by-side IKEA PAX storage units in white in a multi-purpose room in a home.

The biggest change in the room was the removal of my creative tool wall and worktable. In its place are two tall IKEA PAX storage units in white. They are almost 8 feet tall and hold quite a bit.

IKEA PAX storage closet in white fitted with shelves and 2 drawers.

After looking at many tall storage units, I found using IKEA PAX units would give me a more built-in look.

One of the great things about the PAX units is that they come in various widths and heights and they can be customized in many ways, both inside with closet rods, shelves and drawers.

If you want doors for the unit, IKEA makes quite a few different styles of PAX doors from modern, classic with recessed panels to glass. You can choose doors that swing out like we added, but you can also choose sliding doors. On the IKEA site, you can go to the IKEA PAZ planner and design the unit you want.

I am still adding what will be stored in each unit. One will hold small decor items and accessories that are now up in my attic.

IKEA PAX storage closet in white fitted with shelves and 2 drawers to hold food and pantry staples in a multi-purpose room in a home.

The second PAX unit will be for food and pantry staples that I buy in bulk at Costco.

Creating Labels for the Shelves

IKEA PAX with added label saying cloth napkins on drawers
Find out how to get all my Free Printable Labels

If you have been reading my blog for years then you know I like to label what I store and organize. I find labels help keep a space organized as anyone putting things away or looking for something knows exactly where it should go.

When creating the small pantry closet in the kitchen a few years ago, I found these clear shelf label holders that snap right over the edge of a shelf.

IKEA PAX with added labels on drawers

The clear label holders come in especially handy on the drawers where I can’t see what is in each. With a label, I do. :-)

The Craft Supply Armoire

Looking at vintage armoire in mutli-purpose room.

The large antique armoire where I store craft supplies stayed. I plan on painting this to look like it is lightly stained wood. What did change on this back wall of the room is where I hung my gift wrap organizer and ribbon organizer that used to be on the wall where the IKEA cabinets now are.

How to organize spools of ribbon in a craft room.
How to make a wall holder for rolls of gift wrap.

I made each of these organizers using a large frame. To see how to make them:

Crafting area in multi-purpose room.

In the back corner is my downsized work table.

The Wall Storage Unit Wall

Vintage IKEA TV and media wall unit remade to use to hold a variety of kitchen, pantry and other items in a multi-purpose room.

On the wall opposite the IKEA storage cabinets, I puzzle-pieced together a mis-match of bookshelves, file cabinets and an obsolete TV cabinet that I already owned that were in storage in the attic.

Painting them all the same color gives the units and wall a cohesive look.

Looking at an angle of the vintage IKEA wall unit mixed with other storage units and file cabinets.

I created it to hold small kitchen appliances, cookbooks and other overflow kitchen items.

Computer paper storage idea in a craft room

I was even able to fit my rolling cart I made to hold printer paper into the wall.

Vintage IKEA wall unit fitted to make a custom wall unit to act as a pantry using a mis-match of other storage items.

On the shelves as soon as you enter the room, I store the small appliances we use the most often on the shelves as soon as you enter the room. That clears clutter from my small kitchen.

The wicker magazine holders are from IKEA.

View of far wall in multi-purpose room.

When you first enter the room you see the multi-drawer cabinet. I love this piece that I bought at a flea market soon after we moved to SC.

I love seeing all the different fonts on the drawers’ labels…

Chalk paint that is affordable

… and the fact that I still have easy access to supplies I need to make decor and more for my house that I share with you.

Looking into the multi-purpose room from the kitchen.

This is the view of the room from the kitchen and foyer. I like that it is pretty and not cluttered looking.

And if you haven’t noticed in any of the previous photos in this post, the popcorn ceiling is GONE!!! Having a normal white ceiling makes the room so much brighter.

(Looking closer at the photo above I see when the drapes were hung back up, I forgot to clip the last drapery hook to the wall to hide the rod. Just did it. :-) To see what I am talking about, see this post: Tips for Hanging Drapes and Curtains.)

I still have more to add to the PAX units, but am very happy with how this new multi-purpose room has turned out.

If you have lived in your home for any amount of time, do a check to make sure your rooms and spaces are working for the way you live now, it might be time for a change.

Product Resources

how to create a multi-purpose room in your home

Would you like to save this post?

Enter your email below and I’ll send it to you!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


18 Comments

  1. Diane,
    Wow, what a great change you came out with, and yes removing that popcorn ceiling makes a world of difference. We did that in out kitchen remodel, really does lighten the room up. Continued success in the next room remodel.

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Doray. :-). thanks – we still have the living room popcorn to remove. The contractors are dragging their feet. Pretty soon, we may just do it ourselves.

  2. Looks like enough floor space to use as a dining space when needed? Really multi-purpose room.

  3. I love what you’ve done with this room!! My husband and I are in the process of turning an unused bedroom into a walk-in closet for my clothes and shoes. Cleaning out the room is probably the hardest part. Thank you for the great ideas!

  4. Julia@Cuckoo4Design says:

    Gosh I wish I had a room like this! Beautifully organized, I love it!

  5. Your pantry shelves looks just like mine. (WFPB). Lots of beans, diced tomatoes and grains. ❤️

  6. Excellent post and so well photographed! I love all the improvements you made, but my favorite has to be the way you put all the bookshelves and cabinets together, that unit is good looking and oh so useful! Great job!

  7. This turned out great. I think one of your “super powers” is thinking outside the box. I would have never thought to piece together that storage wall of items you already had. Genius!

  8. What a beautiful abd efficient room! I love this ideal. It is perfect!!
    Great job

  9. Hello Diane,
    Thank you for providing such wonderful ideas for those of us with small kitchens! I truly appreciate your suggestion of using the IKEA PAX storage system. It’s not only efficient but also helps keep everything clean and neat. Your ideas have made a big difference.

  10. So smart!! Looks fantastic. I’d love to see the antique armoire stained!!

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Holly – I have wanted to strip the armoire many times. I started twice. Once when I lived in PA, and right before I painted it pink, but I didn’t like the wood. I am however going to paint it so it looks stained. :-) I got all the supplies and hope to start working on it soon.

  11. Did you and your husband add the doors to the IKEA PAX units?

    1. Diane Henkler says:

      Hi Eleisia – One of the great things about the PAX units is that they come in various widths and heights and they can be customized in many ways, both inside with closet rods, shelves and drawers. Outside IKEA makes quite a few different styles of doors to use with the units from modern, classic with recessed panels and glass. There are also doors that you can choose that swing out like we added, but sliding doors can be added also. On the IKEA site, you can go to the PAZ planner and design the unit you want.

  12. What a great room makeover! Redoing the space to fit your lifestyle now is the key to loving your home.

    You are such an inspiration. I’ve been eyeing the PAX system to make a craft area in our basement.
    Thank you for sharing.

  13. I always love seeing how you organize things!! It all looks so amazing & fresh. Enjoy your “new” room!

  14. Barbara Pilcher says:

    What a lovely room and what a smart use of space. I like that you thought about what happens when you want to sell your home and not wanting to do something that takes away the room’s flexibility.

  15. Michele M. says:

    Well done, D!!! Whjat a smart, functional and VERY nice looking area.