Here’s what to do with your kid’s room after they move out
It’s a tale as old as time – you send your kids off to university, they graduate, get a job, and move out to the big city. You’re excited for them, who wouldn’t be? But you can’t help but miss their presence in your home, and walking past their old bedroom makes it worse. As it sits vacant, you wonder: what should I do with this empty room?
A guest bedroom? A home gym? A new office? ‘Some call it empty nest syndrome, I call it an opportunity!’ designer Cyndy Cantley muses. Rather than let your child’s old room remain unoccupied collecting dust, take advantage of the space. After all, it is your home – you may as well utilize every room.
1. Make it a guest room
(Image credit: Vivian Johnson. Flax Interiors)
According to Lauren, the most obvious choice is to turn your child’s room into a guest bedroom after they move out. After all, the bed is already there – all you need to do is revamp its design. Lauren recommends elevating the design ‘with a welcoming, hotel vibe that your kids will want to come home to.’
Start by removing any tacked-up posters of your child’s favorite musicians, athletes, or anything else they have on their walls. Then repaint, spruce up the furniture, get new bedding, and add any other guest room essentials for a comfortable night’s sleep. ‘Bonus points if it can also serve as the backdrop for future grandchildren to make happy memories,’ Lauren adds.
This is just what designer Emily Flaxman accomplished in the room above – a room she transformed for a client whose child went off to college. ‘It’s apparently now the most covetable room in the house when everyone comes home to visit,’ Emily tells me. ‘Nothing like coming home to a king bed after sleeping in an extra-long dorm room twin bed, ha!’
Brooklinen
Classic Percale Core Sheet Set, King
Treat your guests (or your kids when they come to visit) with sheets as soft and comfortable as can be. Brooklinen’s classic percale set is a fan-favorite and can ensure a relaxing night’s sleep.
Benjamin Moore
Revere Pewter
Decorating with neutrals is a great idea for guest bedrooms. Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter is a classic option for paint – it feels both warm and cool at the same time and can set the scene for whatever decor you choose for the room.
Schoolhouse
Stillwater Floral Quilt
Add some charm to the design of your new and improved guest room by folding a quilt at the foot of the bed. This style’s patchwork design will invite character into the space and make the guest room feel more personal.
2. Create a home office
(Image credit: Michelle White. Design: Alice Lane Interior Design)
If you’ve been in need of a proper workspace, your child’s old bedroom is the perfect opportunity to make that happen. After they move out, transform their room into the home office you never had. That’s what designer Jess Bennett has done for her empty-nester clients. In the room above, Jess turned what once was a bedroom into an elegant workspace for a mom after her child moved out.
Now, don’t just buy a desk and call it a day. Take advantage of the space you have to work with, and design it in a way that reflects your personal style. Jess designed the room above to look effortlessly sleek and stylish with a monolithic marble desk, fuzzy area rug, and textured ceiling light. You can do the same by redesigning the space based on interior design styles you like the most.
West Elm
Ronan Office Chair
Don’t just choose any desk chair for your home office. Choose one that ensures both comfort and style, like this pick. Its chenille seat and back are soft to the touch, while its metal frame and legs act as a tasteful contrast. And for convenience, this chair glides across the floor on four caster wheels.
3. Use it as a multi-purpose room
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When your child moves out of the house, their room becomes a bonus room of sorts. It presents an opportunity for you to use it in whatever way you want. Rather than limiting yourself to one purpose, create a multi-purpose room that has several functions and many uses.
That’s what designer Maria Hogrefe accomplished in the room above. ‘We took this limited space and transformed it into a functional area for guest quarters, a work-from-home setup, and a creative retreat,’ she tells me. ‘The intent was to craft a moody, intimate atmosphere using rich color palettes, timeless furnishings, and bespoke built-ins, including a custom Murphy bed, that maximize both style and utility.’
Despite working with a small space with tricky walls, Maria was able to create a stylish room with many purposes. ‘Balancing form and function in a small space presented challenges, but each element was carefully considered to enhance livability without sacrificing aesthetic impact,’ she says. ‘The result is a layered, soulful interior that feels equally inspiring and restorative.’
4. Turn it into a quiet retreat
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Now, I might not have kids of my own, but I can imagine that relaxation is hard to come by when living in a house full of children. But once they move out, their empty rooms present an opportunity to create a calm and quiet oasis – a retreat room, if you will.
Designer Kieu Nguyen Smith made that possible for her client in the room above. ‘Previously a teenager’s bedroom, the client wanted a space for herself after her last child had left the nest. It became a quiet retreat where she could close the door, cozy up with a book, and finally have a purposeful space for her heirlooms and collectibles,’ Kieu tells me.
Kieu and her team kept only the beams in this room, then color drenched the space in a soothing, deep gray paint. The varying wood tones and soft fabrics complement the wall color, while the sisal rug adds texture and warmth to the space. Kieu also added lots of storage to make this space not only a stylish retreat, but a functional space, too.
This is the color that Kieu used in the renovated retreat. It’s a soothing shade of gray with hints of brown and green. It can help create a calming atmosphere in your retreat room.
Wayfair
Swivel Arm Accent Chair
Any quiet retreat room needs a comfortable chair for relaxation, and this one is the best pick. It features stylish rolled arms and a tailored skirt bottom. But the best part? It swivels. This is the type of chair you’d never want to leave.
Martha Stewart Rugs
Sisal/jute Solid Color Rug in Ivory, 6′ x 9′
A sisal rug adds just the right amount of texture to a space. This one is simple in its design, but is nonetheless a stylish option underfoot. It can enhance the comforting ambience of a child’s bedroom-turned quiet retreat.
5. Make your room bigger
(Image credit: Emma Lewis)
If your room is positioned right next to your child’s old bedroom, there’s no shame in knocking down the wall to make your room bigger.
According to Cyndy Cantley, she didn’t even wait for her son to graduate school to do so! ‘The moment he left for his junior year of college, the measuring tape came out and so did the sledgehammer,’ she says. ‘We knocked through the wall between our bedroom and his, installed beautiful bespoke built-ins with mirrored doors, a skirted dressing table and glorious room for every shoe, scarf, blouse, skirt and purse.’
If the structure of your home allows for it, a renovation like this is a great idea to help make small bedrooms bigger. Plus, if you’re the only one left living in the house, why not take advantage of the space? ‘The kids may have flown the nest, but I finally have a place for everything tucked neatly behind doors,’ Cyndy says.
6. Design a room for hobbies
(Image credit: Future)
As your children get older and eventually move out, you’ll recognize how much time you have to engage in the hobbies you were too busy to do before. You might even consider turning an old child’s bedroom into a room dedicated to those hobbies – whatever they might be.
That’s what designer Autumn Pochiro did in her home. ‘As a mom with two college-age daughters, the house felt a little off with three empty rooms,’ Autumn tells me. After turning one into an office space and the other into a guest room, Autumn is working to make the third room a hobby room.
‘The old playroom is being drafted for a new craft room equipped with a sewing station, wrapping wall, and fabric roll storage rack,’ Autumn says. ‘This will be my creative hub away from the office.’
Wayfair
Craft Storage Organizer Compatible With Cricut Machines
When it comes to organizing a craft room, it doesn’t get much better than this storage table. Aside from its many shelves for storage and large pegboard, this storage table is complete with a desk surface and a charging station. It’s scratch resistant, water resistant, and designed to accompany you in all of your crafting endeavors.
7. Create a ‘snug’ room
(Image credit: Future)
While it’s exciting to use an empty bedroom as an opportunity to create a new space, there’s nothing wrong with simply tidying up the room and turning it into a cozy nook, or as designer Susan Petrie calls it, ‘the snug’.
‘While the obvious choice for many people in the current work-from-home climate is to turn a bedroom into a home office, I am turning my college aged child’s room into a what the Brits call ‘the snug’ – a place that I can curl up with a good book or binge watch a new show with a cup of tea and cozy throw,’ Susan says.
‘I am not a fan of changing up what is familiar if it has always worked, but I do like to update it by decluttering, adding a new rug and pillows, a comfy arm chair, great lighting and of course fun reading material,’ Susan says. ‘It’s my little escape from reality and the only place I can comfortably nap… plus it’s perfect for last minute guests as well.’
Threshold
Cotton Flax Woven Striped Square Throw Pillow
Comfort is a must when creating a ‘snug’ room. Ample throw pillows can help with that. This pillow is made with a cotton linen shell and plush polyester filling. Not only will it provide comfort, but it’ll look good while doing so. Plus, reviewers love this pillow, commenting on its stylish appearance and softness.
Crate & Barrel
Remi Ivory Linen Mini Table Lamp 15″
Ambient lighting is important for every room of the home, but when it comes to creating a relaxing nook, it’s essential. No one wants to (nor can they) relax in a space that’s as bright as an exam room. Decorating a room with fabric shade table lamps like this one will ensure a tasteful light output.
Calvin Klein
Mohair Ombre Throw, 70″ X 50″
The last thing you need to cozy up in your newly designed ‘snug’ room is a soft blanket, and this mohair style is the best pick. It’s ultra soft to the touch, and generously oversized to ensure maximum comfort. Plus, its soft tan color is both soothing and versatile.
These empty nest room ideas vary in their difficulty – while some involve little effort, others require significant change. If you decide to make a drastic change to your child’s old bedroom, be sure to read up on our tips on where to spend and save in a home renovation. This can help you get the look you desire without breaking the bank.
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