Building your dream house from the ground up? Planning an extension? Finishing off your basement or simply looking for a creative way to get more out of the under-utilized extra space in your home? Let your imagination run wild with these ingenious bonus room concepts. Home Theater Pulling the television set out of the family room and into a private home theater offers a host of benefits: From a larger screen to surround sound speakers or even a full projection system, a dedicated space allows for bigger and better equipment.Custom-built storage for electronics & media.Enjoy TV, games and movies at a higher volume with the door closed.Decorate with furniture specifically designed for watching television.Return the family room to a quiet place for socializing and relaxing. Mudroom More standard in Canadian homes, the mudroom is catching on in America, too. Acting as a buffer zone between the clean interior of your home and Mother Nature, a mudroom is a designated space to shed your shoes, coat and umbrella so that dirt and moisture isn't tracked into the house. Consider adding the mudroom to a secondary entrance to maintain a formal primary entrance for guests. Alfresco Kitchen The idea of an additional kitchen may sound too lavish at first - but if you often dine outdoors on the veranda, the convenience of outdoor cooking facilities will leave you wondering how you ever lived without. Imagine how an expansive covered lanai and secondary kitchen would spruce up your backyard. Game Room or "Kids Only" Play Room Toys on the floor? No problem. Let kids be kids with a dedicated space to run wild. Paint one wall with chalkboard paint for artistic fun and add a large wall storage unit to quickly and easily pack toys and games away in plastic tubs. Conservatory Connect with nature and enjoy the beauty of sunlight with the comforts of being indoors. A perfect place to curl up with a good book or to enjoy the garden during colder months, a conservatory works well as a stand-alone structure or in conjunction with your kitchen or bedroom. Nap Room A small enclosed space to let the outside world slip away. Furnished with a snug recliner or a small day bed, a nap room is a refreshing indulgence you won't regret. Some nap rooms are set up to double as a guest room or a sitting room for comfy chats with old friends. Room-Sized Closet Converting a small bonus room into a gigantic room-sized closet is a dream come true for fashionistas. Cordon off a corner for a jewelry center where you can display your collection for easy viewing and selection. A full-length mirror completes the transformation from ignored space to your own private Hollywood-style dressing room.Start your post here...
