An empty nest can be a happy nest. In a previous post, we talked about using tough love to get your children who have left the nest to stop using your house as a storage unit. Now that you have tackled that issue, you are faced with the delightful dilemma of what to do with all that extra space. When you finally have the green light to repurpose your grown child’s bedroom, the possibilities are almost endless. Craft room, office space, meditation retreat, home theater – name your bliss.
There are some very sound reasons to do this that you might not have considered. A 12’ x 12’ room actually represents a sizeable percentage of your overall floor space. Most of us don’t live in big, old rambling houses with lots of room to spare. It just doesn’t make economic sense to turn 10% of your living area into a cobweb-filled, little-used space, especially if you are going to use it for a hobby that you were spending money to do outside the home.
Now, having said all this, you certainly don’t want to make your child feel they are not welcome in your home. But there is a way to do this without leaving their room just as it is, as some sort of shrine to their childhood. Keep a few carefully chosen pieces that represent the place they have in your home and your heart, and display them in your new reading room or game room. This will go a long way toward making them feel like they have come home when they come to visit.
Those of us who live out West don’t usually have the luxury of using basements and attics to store all our unused stuff. If you repurpose your child’s room, but need to keep their bedroom furniture just in case they have to move back at some point, or you decide you need a guest room more than a yoga room, you’re going to need a storage unit. If you live in the Phoenix area, there are several Dollar Self Storage facilities available that are clean, safe, and secure!