Several interior design magazines have pegged ‘dual purpose rooms’ as a trend to watch. We’re not sure if it’s actually a trend or a necessity, though! With many people still working from home, it can be hard to find a quiet corner let alone a dedicated office room. The space we have has to work harder while continuing to be shared. Here’s how to make it the dual purpose rooms trend work for you and your needs so you can have a truly functional home.
Increased storage
If your dining or living room has become an ‘office diner’, you’ll need more storage for files and equipment. Depending on your setup and the space you have available, there are several options here. You can have a little ‘under desk’ drawer set which can live under the table while you’re working. If you need the space for dinner parties, you can move it out to the side to become an impromptu wine table.
If you have space for a separate desk, choose one with plenty of drawer storage so that your wrk overflows onto other surfaces as little as possible. For bigger rooms, you could also add an extra bookcase or shelf unit. Consider one that has a cupboard as well as shelves, so that you can keep clutter out of sight.
Standford industrial two-drawer filing cabinet, Modish Living
Keep your home office or office chic and tidy with this neat little filing cabinet, which looks stylish enough to be at home in a dual purpose room. It’s handmade from old recycled wood, which still bears the natural scuffs and scars of its former use, and sits on a distressed steel frame giving it an industrial feel. £425, available for pre-order from Modish Living. There’s also a desk in the same range.
Flexible furniture for dual purpose rooms
If you don’t have space for a separate desk, your kitchen or dining table generally has to do double duty. Extendable tables are helpful, as they can be enlarged to give you enough space to work at one end and dine at the other.
This dining table is both contemporary and classic, offering a timeless sleek silhouette that will complement a wide range of dining chairs. The table extends to seat a larger group of people – unextended it comfortably seats 4 and extended it seats 6. £595, available from Rose & Grey.
Rooms within rooms
If you have a fairly large room, an excellent solution is to create an ‘office nook’ and partition it off with a screen or divider. Not only will your ‘office’ then be out of site so that the room still looks like an ordinary living room, but it will also give you some privacy while you’re working. As an alternative to a screen, you could also try a modular shelf unit or a curtain to separate the space.
This practical room divider can be used as privacy or to help prevent draughts. Due to the hinges, the 3-piece screen can be easily folded and unfolded and can be quickly put away when not in use. The frame of the screen is made of pinewood and the milled-out ornamentation on the inside makes for an interesting detail. Was £117.99 now £94.99, available from Wayfair.
Maximise space in dual purpose rooms
With clever design you can set up a home office in almost any space, even under the stairs! This modular system from Shelved fits almost anywhere and can be designed to your own requirements. Price on demand.
With home working set to become part of the future, it’s well worth investing some time into giving yourself a longterm and practicable solution – after all, you’ll be spending a lot of time there!
Main image: Shelved (c) 2022
0
Leave a Reply