A "Whatever" Room

[Daisy]

I know space is at a premium for most of us at home, as it is for nearly everybody. But reading Gem's thread about her gift for OH set me thinking.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could have a "whatever" room? Preferably large with nice big windows and it would be used for whatever the resident family wants, whether it's a home gym, a hobbies room, a sewing room, a music room - anything in fact.

In our last house we had a room behind the garage where OH and I both had desks, and there was a table where the boys (then at school) made airplane kits, played dungeons and dragons etc, my first computer lived on another small desk and I had my lovely old Hammond organ in there as well. Later DS2 added a drum kit! The room just seemed to work for whatever was needed at the time.

I've got a friend who had an ironing room off the landing. She could shut the door on it and didn't have to keep putting away the iron and ironing board, and she had a comfy chair in there as well and it was her little hideaway if she wanted a bit of peace and quiet from the rest of the family.

[Gemini]

A whatever room would be wonderful Daisy

I know two people who have had summerhouses put in the garden for their hobbies. One is an art room/studio. They other a very professional looking sewing room.

I would do more arty crafty things if I had somewhere I could leave things out and not be annoying OH! I can have garage space but it is far too cold most of the year.
The bedroom which was my therapy room when we moved here is now only used for me to have my monthly reflexology treatments. It always doubled as second spare bedroom, with a sofa bed. Now with so many GC we really do need two spare bedrooms, so no chance of that one!

[Oma]

In our old house I had a spare room I did my ironing in , crafts , Sewing etc,
It was only a smallish single room but it was just for my stuff ,
We did have 4 bedrooms at the time so plenty of room ,
Now with this house there is no room for anything .
My DDs conservatory is used for GSs music and any stuff craft wise DD wants to do ,
Her small spare room is used as her home office now that she works from home permanently.
She was thinking of building above the garage for extra space that would be her whatever room if she did ,

I think we all should have a whatever room it’s a brilliant idea 😁

[Plantaholic]

Now I don’t have visitors, my spare room is, I suppose, a whatever room. My sewing machine is in there and all my craft stuff. There is also a desk and a printer there too.

[Gemini]

All round to Plant's to use the Whatever Room

[Lizzie48]

I do have a whatever room, it was the childrens play room for years, it is my sewing room, has a spare bed folding onto the wall if anyone is staying, an original hanging "egg" chair is in there as well, plus, plus!!!

[Gemini]

My auntie has one too. She has a 2 bedroom flat but no bed in the spare room as there is no one who would come to stay. She can't do her needlework any more and she isn't arty , but she did do jigsaws in it during lockdown!

[Daisy]

It's lovely to hear about people's whatever rooms.

[Grauntie Mag]

I share a whatever room with OH. He has one wall for his desk and files and I have the other three and I really need them... 😁

[Daisy]

Grauntie, that seems a very fair division of space to me.

[Plantaholic]

Grauntie, a very fair division

[Enfys]

Our third bedroom, a single room so not huge, was our hobbies room. P had his computer and all his film editing stuff in there and I had another desk and all my painting, craft, sewing machine etc in there too. Now I’m on my own I’ve had a good sort out…..passed the computer on to DGS so now have two desks. One I can keep all my painting things out on it and all my knitting wool live up there too. It does become a bit of a dumping ground so I’m in the middle of another big tidy up. It was also useful when DS and DIL stayed in the summer. They used it as a dressing room and kept their suitcases in there. A very useful space.

[Daisy]

Enfys, your third bedroom has worked well, and sounds really versatile.

Originally I intended to keep my painting stuff in the summerhouse and to paint in there. But it's too hot in the summer, and cold in the winter, neither of which help acrylic paints. So I've sneaked a little table into the corner of our dining room. I got a trolley from Hobbycraft to keep all the bits and pieces in, so it's not too untidy. I've got my desk, computer and portable keyboard in the second spare bedroom, where the children sleep. It's a lovely light, sunny room, but because it's in the eaves there's not much wall space.

[Mimi]

Before we moved our whatever room became our relaxing room, it had a comfy sofa with a bookcase alongside of it , a snuggly throw at the end of the sofa and it was sanctuary from the noise from the front of the flat that was prone to a lot of noise from neighbours who could be a bit on the argumentative side. It was lovely there, feet up with a good book , a cup of coffee and the throw draped across my legs.
We also had a tv in there , it was somewhere to watch strictly when OH was watching TV in the other room.

Slightly different, when I lived in Barry, we lived in a terraced house ( think Gavin and Stacey, and the house was exactly like the one that Gwen and Uncle Brin lived in ) . The house had a front room.and a 'living 'room which led into the kitchen.
Now the front room was only used at Christmas time or if 'posh ' visitors arrived unannounced. Normally no one was allowed to set foot in there.
I know that many years ago, long before we lived there, in the front room, it was common practice to have a coffin with a departed member of the family having their final days there before the funeral.

[Gemini]

I loved Gavin and Stacey Mimi

I know in the past people often did have a room for 'best'. OH grew up with front room only used at Christmas!

Our 2nd spare bedroom, which was my therapy room was our Zoom Room in lockdowns! OH is on the golf committee and they had they monthly meetings that way for well over a year. We have a sofa bed rather than a bed in there , so it makes a spare living room too.