3rd bedroom - therapy room or play room?

[Gemini]

I don't expect anyone to tell me what to do on this one, as it is one for me to mull over and decide on, in time.

My dilemma is the 3rd bedroom in our house. The 2nd bedroom is the official spare room, with a double bed and a cot (until we don't have a baby needing it!)
GC and other overnight visitors use this room. A lot of my clothes are stored in the wardrobes in there. The 3rd bedroom has a sofa bed, so can be used as an extra spare room for example if DD2, SIL and children stayed the night.

The 3rd bedroom is my therapy room, for my work as a reflexologist. I worked from home in a similar room in my previous house, and I wanted to do the same here. OH and I decorated and made it just the way I wanted it. I love working in there. I have always gone out to clients who couldn't get to me or had problems with stairs, but generally prefer clients to come to me. No driving and carrying the couch, and I can create a lovely calm atmosphere with music and candles for them in my room. It is painted lavender and is lovely workspace, for me and for my clients.

When we moved here I had only 1 grandchild, and my mum was far more self sufficient than she now is. Also my OH was out at work all day.
I wanted and had time for several clients a week. I had a fair number of regulars and would advertise from time to time to keep the number up.
Now, the combination of having 2 more GC to look after, my mum needing me far more and OH being retired so me wanting to spend some time with her, have meant that I no longer advertise.
The consequence of this is that with natural gradual dropping off of clients over the years and no new ones replacing them, I am almost retired! I have friends and friends of friends who will ocasionaly book treatments, and I pay one of our catsitters in reflexology, but my only regular client now is my ex next door neighbour. As he doesn't drive, I go to him since I moved away.
So, apart from my own reflexology treatments which I have in there once a month, and the ones I give OH from time to time, my room is scarcely used.

We have toys in the dining room, conservatory, garage and spare bedroom. In chests, drawers, toy boxes. I keep thinking that this is not a good use of space.
I could move the nice oak storage from the therapy room to spare room swapping for the not quite as nice stuff in that room! The therapy room could be a play room with toys and games in there. The 3 grandchildren could make as much mess as they liked and things could stay out. I would leave the sofa bed in there, so it could still double as 3rd bedroom and the children can sit and play on it. This makes so much sense.
If I have clients now they will be known to me, so won't mind me not having a dedicated room any more. I could work from the dining room, and when the cot goes back into the loft there will be space in the spare bedroom to work as well.

All this, my head says is the best thing to do. In some ways I want to. I have talked to GS1 and he is very excited about this, wanting to do it that very day
When I go into the room and start to plan it in my head however, the calmness and nice smell just make me remember why I started this work, how much I wanted my own work space (14 years ago) and what I would be giving up.

I really am in two minds. I am not an impetuous person. Sometimes I annoy myself with how long it takes me to decide on something, so I won't be rushing into it without more thought. I have been thinking about it for months now.

So, not asking for advice really, just thinking it all out

[Oma]

I did this with my spare room Gem , we fitted wall to wall sliding door wardrobes and fitted them out with wide shelves to hold all the toy boxes and turned the spare room into a play room ,
It worked very well for us , a room the boys could play in, paint in , a little table and chairs for drawing and play dough , somewhere that it didn't matter if it was messy we could just close the door ,
We also had a TV they could watch DVD's and there programs in there lying on Giant bean bags ,
Then when it was no longer needed we reverted to our spare bedroom again and fitted the wardrobes out with rails and shoe shelf etc
A pic of Oliver in ours

[Grauntie Mag]

Do it, do it, do it Gem. It sounds a great plan. It’s good to be able to interchange rooms for purpose.
...but your treatment room sounds lovely, just where I’d like to be right now. 😁

[Qwerty]

I have only one comment Gem like Oma our spare room has sliding wardrobe doors all kitted out with shelves and drawers for toys but none of my g/c would stay up there alone or together for long, as much as I tried to keep the toys contained they wanted to be near us and would ask to bring toys down , it just didn’t work for us the kids thought they were missing something lol good luck with what you do though

[Daisy]

Gem, I can see your logic in wanting to make a more practical use of the third bedroom, but two things occur to me. One, as Qwerty says, the children want to play downstairs - all our GCs have brought toys down from my study/their bedroom, and you can guess who takes them back!!!

Two, the very fact that you are undecided says to me that your treatment room is somewhere special to you and you are reluctant to give it up.

I think there are times when logic is the best way of making a decision - and times when it isn't!

[Nana]

Keep us posted on what you decide Gem.

[Libra Gran]

Don't do it Gem, it's your special space and I think you would regret it. As the others have said the children would want to be where you are anyway. No keep your little sanctuary.

[Gemini]

Libra, I think you are right and I think Daisy has said exactly what I feel. For now it stays!
If the children were mine, or like Oma in the past, were here 5 days a week, I would definitely do it, but apart from occasional weekend visits and sleepovers generally it would only be used once a week in term time, as I usually look after GS1 at his house after school.
Thank you all for your input. I will let you know if I change my mind in future!

[Plantaholic]

I think you have made the right decision Gemini, it is a special room.

[Daisy]

Gem, I’m so glad you’ve decided to keep your treatment room for now, at least. We need our special places or things and logic doesn’t have to rule our lives. 😁😘