Turn a College Student's Deserted Bedroom into a Multi-Purpose Space

If you are in desperate need of space in your home, and your college student's bedroom has been deserted, consider turning it into a multi-purpose space. Completely taking over the space may not be an option yet. The returning college student, particularly the freshman or sophomore may not be too thrilled to find a treadmill where their childhood bed used to rest. You can repurpose the deserted bedroom space while your student is away at college, while still leaving it hospitable enough to feel like home when the student returns.

You may recall an episode of The Brady Bunch in which there was a clamor for Greg's attic bedroom after he made the den into his groovy pad. While that did not work out for anyone, especially sad and lonely Greg, your family may experience the same space woes. Here are some practical ways to turn a deserted bedroom into a multi-purpose space.

Turn a College Student's Deserted Bedroom into a Multi-Purpose Space

Note: This is for families with college students who will be living in the dorms and will be only coming home on major holidays, and maybe in the summer months. College students that will be returning every weekend to sleep at home may be insulted if you change too much of their space while she is away during the week.

1. The Home Office

Turn a deserted college student's bedroom into a home office for yourself or your husband. You can still leave the bed in the room, or swap it for a day bed from another room in the home. Add a larger desk to the room, big enough to accommodate a printer and scanner (or a combo), your computer, any modems or routers, and the college student's computer when he returns home for the weekend.

A large L-shaped desk is large enough to accommodate more than one computer.

2. Exercise Room

Remove extra furniture and make floor space in front of a TV or the computer. Use the space to exercise to on-demand yoga or aerobics segments available for free through your cable company or online.

3. Reading Room

A deserted college student's bedroom can easily be transformed into a quiet reading space. Set up a corner of the room with a large armchair, reading lamp, and bring in an extra bookshelf if you need one.

4. Arts and Crafts Studio

Store organized arts and crafts materials in the closet or in the room, and add a large working table. This will give you space to engage in arts and crafts, and provide younger children a flat and clear surface for making school projects, without taking over the kitchen table.

Final Tip:

Once the college student has truly left the nest and has rented an apartment or house of their own, then you can repurpose the entire bedroom. Other family members may want to switch or trade bedrooms, and you will have to consider what is fair in your family, based on space needs, how many kids are sharing rooms and which switches and moves will best benefit the entire family.