How to Design a Dual-Purpose Room

Dual-purpose rooms aren’t a new development, but they’re becoming more necessary. Smaller urban homes, more work-from-home opportunities, and an emphasis on practicality have increased the popularity of multi-purpose rooms. However, it can be hard to decorate a dual-purpose room — your guest room and office might have entirely different aesthetics. 

This year, multi-purpose rooms and how to decorate them are becoming a growing topic taking over interior design publications. Here are our top tips for creating the perfect dual-purpose space without losing style and luxury.

1. Limit the purposes.

When we say dual, we want to clarify that we mean “two.” Having a room that is filling the need for a breakfast nook, home office, a guest room, storage, and a playroom for the kids will look cluttered and neglected. There are no interior decor tips to make that level of multi-purpose work. 

Decide what two functions the space needs to meet. Is it an office and a playroom? A space to practice with the band and a guest room? A dining room that moonlights as a wine cellar or home library? Choose the two purposes of the space before you start planning the decor.

2. Consider the room’s space and square footage. 

It’s hard to place your desk at the foot of the guest bed and make it feel intentional. Look at the shape of the room. Is there a natural break or divide that you can use to separate the two uses of the space? Creating zones within the area may be the answer. Just because you’re using a room for two reasons doesn’t mean they have to be on top of each other. 

3. Love your Layers.

Layers can create the illusion of distinct spaces. Layering your lighting is a great way to create two unique spaces within the same room. Another excellent layering tool is in the colours of a space. You can find links between two colour palettes to create cohesion while still having two separate colour schemes within a room. 

4. Choose your colours wisely.

Speaking of colour palettes, we recommend choosing something with more versatility or neutral tones. Often, dual-purpose rooms end up being the ones that change the most in the lifespan of a home. The guest room/home office was once the nursery and playroom or the home gym and art studio. Because of this, choosing a wild wallpaper may end up being a lot of work in a few short years.

5. Use flexible furniture.

There are numerous furniture solutions for multi-purpose rooms, and the sofabed is one of the first dual-purpose furniture items we think of. However, you can now find stunning murphy bed solutions that look like home office wall storage until you deploy the bed. 

The trick with any dual-purpose room design and decor is to find quality furniture that can handle all that use and meet both rooms’ needs without taking up too much space. When we require multiple functions out of an area, it means strategically choosing furniture so the room doesn’t feel like we tried to fit a full bedroom and a living room into a tiny space. Finding furniture that can fulfill multiple purposes is how you can accomplish this.

The trick to a multifunctional room is to decorate it with intention, so it doesn’t feel like a “compromise.” If you’re still having a hard time finding the balance between your two needs, our team of interior designers is here to help you create the perfect dual-purpose room. Our complimentary design process means you can have professional help without the expensive price tag. Get in touch with us today and create your dream dual-purpose space this year.