A multipurpose media room designed by Elizabeth Roberts Architecture. Photo: Gives Anderson.
At Forrest Glover Design, we’ve spent a lot of the year thinking about how living through the COVID pandemic has and will impact our living spaces.
In less than a year, we’ve seen massive shifts in how our clients and partners are thinking about designing their homes and spaces, and in some ways, we’re seeing it as one of the few positives to come from this experience—we’re all spending a lot more time at home. Many of us are spending a lot more time with our families and viewing our work-life balance differently. We’ve suddenly found that we need more from our homes than we did before: workrooms, playrooms, dining rooms, and a lot of storage for all of that toilet paper (or maybe you just went for it and added a bidet to your bathroom). In light of these changes, we’re beginning an ongoing blog series.
For this first installment, we’re sharing ideas for creating a true multipurpose room. Are you wondering where to host your parents for 1-3 weeks now that your guest room is an office? Or are you simply hoping that sometime in the future, you’ll be able to host guests again and thus reluctant to claim the much needed extra space dedicated to guests? Either way, we’ve found some beautiful, contemporary, ingenious solutions to share.
Think beyond the standard pull out sofa with a space-saving modern Murphy Bed.
Photo: Thomas Kuoh for WSJ
Photo Left and Right: Lionel Moreau for Onefinestay.
Custom built-ins can maximize space and fill a variety of needs, from hidden storage to guest beds. Consider bespoke benches around your dining or living room or adding a chic daybed in a window or nook.
Photo: Shade Degges. Design: Studio Shamshiri.
Photo: Scott Burrows. Design: Arcke.
Photo: Emily Gilbert Photography. Design: Elizabeth Aurandt
Photo & Design: Studio Lifestyle
Photo: Mattias Hamrén. Design: Lookofsky Architecture Studio
Photo: Douglas Friedman. Design: Catherine Kwong.
Photo: James Elliot Bailey. Design: Architects Annie Ritz and Daniel Rabin.
Maximize game space for both kids and adults with a variety of seating options and tabletops. We love the idea of an exercise corner in your office, a dining-turned-ping pong table, or, if you just finished watching the Queen’s Gambit, a chess corner in your living room.
Photo & Design: Studio Ashby
Photo & Design: Alexander DB
Photo via Pitrest. Design: Cass + Nico.
Photo & Design: Chango & Co.