Another Bonus Room Rethink

Who remembers this reveal way back in 2017?

I barely do. Probably because the bonus room has gone thru several changes in the last 3 years.

Kids. LIFE. Jobs. You name it. There are too many reasons to even count.

A home is constantly evolving based on a family’s needs, right?

Let’s just recount what has happened in this room since 2017 (if i can even remember it all):

First, we decided we needed a bigger, dedicated office so we moved the guest room into the bonus room creating a shared space (bonus & guest) allowing the previous guest room to become our office. Initially we utilized the queen size bed where the sectional was, relocated the two chaises, and placed the sectional in the window alcove (again). Fortunately the guest bedding coordinated with the blue in the bonus room, so we left it pretty much as is, decor wise. That lasted for awhile, actually, and functioned fairly well.

Fast forward a bit … our oldest daughter decided she was too old (read cool) for twin size beds so we switched the queen with the two twins. Her room got a cute little makeover and the bonus room received gray comforters but otherwise remained the same. Surprising all of us, the new layout worked great for both sleepovers and family movie nights.

Was it a little strange to have loads of kids playing video games and watching movies and dancing around in a room with two beds (pre COVID, of course) - yeah, a little. But whateves - we made it work.

Fast forward AGAIN to this Summer … I ran across an inexpensive daybed frame & trundle on facebook marketplace and thought “this makes total sense”. The shared space will feel so much less like a bedroom and so much more like a family room. So off we went to collect the game changer for the room.

Here she is, the game changer, in all her glory. Leaving a little to be desired, honestly. But, with the daybed in the window alcove and the sectional back in the corner of the room, the bonus room is back to having tons of space. Which was the main objective, obviously!

Sadly, no matter how the room is decorated, laid out or what the current function is, the bonus room is the least used room in our home. It’s also the largest, which is why this space has constantly been an aggravation to me. There’s just so much potential in a large room like this, but we have yet to tap into it. WHY?

Here’s one theory (that pains me to even type) …

The TV is too small. Yup, I said it. No judgement please.

Throughout the pandemic we’ve been watching a lot of movies and TV as a family in the downstairs TV room. Why is that? It’s certainly NOT more comfortable and it’s definitely smaller - so why there? I can only assume it’s because the TV is bigger.

Seems like an easily solvable problem, right?

Just get a bigger TV, you say.

One: I don’t want to. Two: there is no where to put a larger TV.

In all the times this room has been rearranged the TV has been in just 2 spots. Where it is now and on the only other large wall, (where the sectional is) which requires the couch to float in the middle of the room cutting down on the functionality of the space.

So, no, it’s not that easy of a problem to fix. Or so we thought…

Remember the outdoor movie set up we created this Fall? We’ve all been loving it so much - but sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate or we want to watch a movie during the week and its just not easy/possible. WELL, someone in our family suggested bringing the whole set up inside to create our own indoor movie theater.

What the what? Craziness. But, in a good way. AM I RIGHT?

For the last couple of weeks we’ve been living with the 10’ screen standing in the room and the projector system siting on the coffee table - and we’ve been using the room more than EVER.

Obviously having a 10’ screen standing in the room and a projector sitting on top of a stack of construction paper with wires everywhere isn’t a long term solution … time to put our thinking caps on!

Then I remembered this post by personal design idol, Emily Henderson. And the wheels really set into motion.

Can’t wait to share more as it comes together.

Until next time …