HGTV's Jenny Marrs Shows Us The Perfect Way To Give New Life To An Unused Room

HGTV hosts Dave and Jenny Marrs are known for their ability to transform homes from dated and drab to stylish and super functional spaces perfect for their homeowners' needs. In a recent episode of "Home Town Takeover," the Marrs helped a couple realize their dream beachy bungalow miles away from the sea in Colorado, including the remodel of a former kids' room that newly serves as a beautiful and adaptable home office. While the room is small, the Marrs create a hideaway desk and work area perfect for meeting privately with clients from the husband's boxing gym.

The solution is a great one for tiny spaces that might not seem to have much to offer in usability, particularly if they are too small to use as a guest room with a larger bed. While many may just relegate small rooms for random storage, this transformation makes good use of any extra space in a smaller mid-century constructed ranch home already squeezed for size.

By placing a desk in the room's existing closet and installing sliding bookshelves on a track on either side, the Marrs provide a solution for hiding a sometimes messy and chaotic desk while still allowing a useful workspace and storage. A comfortable leather chair with a lamp and side table provides a seat opposite the desk for clients. When the bookshelves are closed, the desk is hidden by the shelves, which offers great storage space for books and décor, making the space a perfect small library for reading and conversing.

The Marrs, in line with their beachy bungalow aesthetic in the rest of the house, choose a dark stormy gray with blue tones for the room, which forms a delightful contrast with the white curtains, trim, and light wood floors Marrs intended to resemble sand. The deeper wall color and the darker wood desk/shelves make the room feel intimate and den-like, providing a perfect workspace.

Small spaces may be some of the most tricky to both style and make useful. This includes tiny bedrooms meant for kids but also small nooks, attic spaces, and larger closets that can potentially be used more fruitfully than in the past. Adaptability is key, with the best spaces offering multiple functions. Ingenious pieces like the hidden desk/bookshelf combo kill two birds at once, providing storage and DIY office space, but also allowing homeowners to quickly hide the clutter when necessary.

Think about the ways you can make a small room work, either through adaptable furniture that has a dual purpose or by making use of corner alcoves, ledges, and closets already in the room. Murphy desks, secretaries, workspace armoires, and other hidden desks are a great solution for hiding a messy desk and can serve as a focal point in a tiny room. Simply add a seating area or reading chair, and you have the perfect space you will both use and love.