The Key To Creating Functional Multi-Zone Spaces

As a family’s needs change in their home, their home can’t always change immediately. A change in your job could mean you now need to carve out a space for an office, children could need a new space for focusing on homework, or a new hobby could mean you want to find space for a home gym or crafting area. All of these examples are ways in which a homeowner could need to shift their spaces. 

Many of us need to make multiple zones happen in one space. This presents a design challenge for homeowners. We’ve gathered our favorite design tricks for making these multifunctional spaces work in homes. Take a look! 

1. Create Zones- If your bedroom needs to double as a yoga studio, consider honoring the space as a completely separate zone. If you’re able to rearrange furniture to give the studio a little more space to breathe, this can easily be accomplished. Utilizing rugs and lighting are another way to accomplish this, as seen in future tips on this list. 
2. Add Task Lighting- Another important way to add zones is to add lighting to make each space work. If you are relying on an overhead light to light the whole space, you’ll likely find that you don’t feel like your space is its own area. If you’re setting up a craft space in a family room, consider adding some dedicated lights to the craft table and area. This way you’ll have good task lighting when working on a project, but can “close” the space when you are no longer working in that area- simply by turning off the lights. 
3. Use Rugs to Define Areas- A well-placed rug will differentiate one space from another. If you are adding an office space to a guest room, you can place a rug under the bed and sleeping area then create a separate zone with a rug under the office area. These visual cues really help to make spaces feel dedicated.
4. Use Creative Storage to Tuck Away Zones- If you need to use your bedroom as an office in your home, you may find it hard to transition to sleep at the end of a day. Consider a piece of furniture like this one to make your desk space disappear at the end of a workday. (Please note, the links in this post are affiliate links. Our marketing partner may receive compensation if you purchase any of these items from a link used in this post.)
5. Use Convertible Furniture- In addition to pieces like the desk mentioned above, consider a system to tuck away beds or other necessary pieces of furniture. Sofa beds have come a long way in recent years. Murphy Beds are also a great option for making a guest bed invisible and giving you floorspace when not in use. 
6. Use Closets as Square Footage- It’s totally possible to create an amazing hideaway room inside of an unused closet. A foldout desktop and some creative decor features (hello fun wallpaper!) can make a closet feel like a super special retreat for a workspace! 
7. Consider Scale- Make conscious choices about the furniture you’re using in a multifunctional room. Usually this means opting for designs with a smaller footprint. A room can look dramatically different if filled with overstuffed items and heavy pieces. Adding some smaller scale items can make a space feel completely different. 

Photo by Anthony Shkraba from Pexels