How to Create a Room Within a Room

Could that space for a spare room be staring you in the face? See whether any of these ideas might fit your home

Kate Burt 21 February 2021

Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and various magazines. I'm now excited to part of the editorial team at Houzz UK & Ireland, bringing the best of British and Irish design, interiors and architecture to Houzz.com.

Houzz UK. I'm a journalist and editor, previously for the Independent, Guardian and... More

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In a busy household, it can often feel as if no one gets any space to themselves, while in an open-plan room, the lack of defined zones can sometimes make a home feel smaller. One potential solution to either of these problems is to magic up a new room inside one you already have. Easier said than done, perhaps… Or perhaps not, as these architecturally inventive ideas show.

Mailen Design

Annex one end
While many of us may not have a separate room we can dedicate to home working, we may have ‘surplus’ space downstairs. In period properties with two reception rooms, as well as modern homes with large, open-plan spaces like this one, there will often be scope to carve off a portion of the room to add function – with some clever architectural design, of course.

Here, an enclosed home office has been created at one end of a living room. To keep the feeling of airy openness while creating a quiet place to work, architects Mailen Design created a wood and glass partition that lets light flow between both rooms. A continuous built-in bookcase and storage unit further connects the two spaces.

Mailen Design

Here is the other side of the partition, where you can see how practical the timber half wall is, as it provides a valuable surface against which furniture can be placed.

Read about the whole project.

Fotointeriores

Build a box
In this open-plan Spanish apartment, the sense of a discrete kitchen has been created by this semi-glazed ‘box’.

Again, the decision not to build a room cut off by solid walls all around is partly influenced by the position of the windows. This way, natural light and views can be shared.

The half glass, half solid wall is practical for furniture placement, particularly on the kitchen side, where it facilitates base units and a small peninsula, as seen in the next photo.

Fotointeriores

The space beyond the internal windows becomes a perfect spot for living room seating or a dining table, with the glass muffling noise created on either side.

Chris Dyson Architects

Favour freestanding
If family fun isn’t too distracting, and you have a large, open-plan floor in your home, this idea could be an alternative.

Rather than being built in, this freestanding cube designed by Chris Dyson Architects is on casters. It provides storage and a bookcase for the living space at floor level, and an enclosed (if not private) work space inside.

Perla Windows Ltd

Boost your landing
OK, so a landing isn’t a room as such, but, in some homes, it’s an existing space that has the potential to give you anything from a home office, as here, to a reading nook, dressing room or play space. Indeed, making use of a decent-sized landing can give you a whole extra, self-contained room.

There are various ways to go, but bespoke glazing like this can give you a seamless door and windows while maintaining the sight of an attractive external window as you come up the stairs. It should also keep your staircase flooded with daylight.

space + style by Marco Joe Fazio Ltd

Make it temporary
A room within a room, as already seen, does not need to be fully self-contained – nor does it need to be permanent.

In this extended home, the large kitchen/dining/living space includes a play area for the homeowners’ small children. In an ingenious piece of design, toy storage is concealed behind a large, swing-out screen with a blackboard on one side.

space + style by Marco Joe Fazio Ltd

Seen here, closed, it demonstrates how swiftly toys can be tidied away when not in use.

When the screen is pulled out, it contains some of the chaos of toys being strewn about. It also gives the children a sense of independence while still being within earshot of anyone in the kitchen or living area.

Find a reviewed interior designer to take on your next project in the Houzz Professionals Directory.

Furnished by Anna

Look up
With its calming palette and cosy sitting area complete with fireplace and TV, this comfortable bedroom by Furnished by Anna would be a real retreat from a busy household.

In order to make space for the seating area, the wardrobes and dressing table have been moved…

Furnished by Anna

…onto a mezzanine. Go up those stairs in the previous photo and you’ll land here, in the perfect slot for storing clothes and getting ready.

High ceilings can create many opportunities for anything from extra storage to sleeping platforms and more. A good architect can fill you in on what’s feasible and how to design something that complies with Building Regulations.

Tell us…
Where could you create a room within a room in your home? Share your ideas in the Comments.

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margretg2

Open-plan chickens coming home to roost? It had to happen sooner or later. I look forward to articles explaining why two - or more - rooms instead of one big space might actually be a cutting-edge idea. Having said that, I do love that Build-a-Box in the Spanish apartment.

1 Like 10 March 2021 at 12:34pm