SFGate

feeny Do you have exercise equipment? You could always make it into an exercise room, if you don't think you would use a guest room. We use our guest room often, so that is a crucial feature in our house, but I understand not everyone has overnight guests very often.

Jody Thompson What about either the workout room or a game room? You could get a foozball table or air hockey or one of those tables that does pool/ping pong/air hockey. You could put an arcade game in there along with one of those two shooter basketball arcade games and a dart board - a little bar. I'm sure I've filled up that room beyond capacity. Just think about what you like to do - have friends over to play games, art work (a studio), reading (a library?)... the sky is the limit! It does not have to be a guest bedroom.

Aggie Purvinska Create and air b&b profile and have guests from all over the world non stop!

rangestormer Actually the room is 14 sq.m/151 sq. ft, if it makes any difference. My research on Google today showed that many people make an arts/crafts room out of it, but I do not have such hobbies.

An exercise room is not an option, because I already workout 6 times a week, so I kind of need a large gym. A treadmill and elliptical were my options, but my place is near the mountain, so I would rather do my cardio workout outside in the parks and the forest.

In terms of games, it seems my friends and I spend it on the consoles these days, so a game room sounds cool, but I doubt it would get much usage. And the consoles would be in the living room, because of the comfortable sofas. A pool table could have been nice, but there is not so much space in this room and I am also afraid it would make too much noise when used (neighbors' bedrooms are below and above that room).

I can only think of a home office or a guest room. I am already thinking of putting a desk in the living room, but if anyone thinks this is a bad idea, I would really love the input.
How does your guest rooms look like? Would you put a desk maybe, a library? Use it for storage? In other words, has anyone made theirs like an "all-around multipurpose room", and if yes, how? Mine is rectangular, 4x3,55 m/ 13'3x11'7 ft.

Dytecture Personally if I have extra room in my apartment I would try to avoid having a working desk in the main living area as it gets messy while in use. A double functioning guest bedroom and home office would be a great idea. The bed doesn't need to be a conventional design, perhaps a futon or even murphy bed that you can use a lounger when needed.

olldbobbi In my extra room is everything that cannot find a home somewhere else, including the dogs kennel. Do you collect anything? You could put up shelves for a collection. Otherwise, a comfortable sofa with your desk/computer/video games could work.

decoenthusiaste My son collects shoes and would love to have a room for them. Are you big on clothing? Could you use a large walk in closet/dressing room? Like oldbobbi said, it would make a good catch-all room. Just install lots of shelves so it doesn't get out of control.

eztia You want the large living room space where you spend most of your time to be used for your work and for entertaining friends.

Do you have a lot of sports equipment that would usually be placed in a garage? It could be stored in the extra room.

If you play a musical instrument, this would be a good place. There are resources on Houzz for soundproofing rooms in a house.

You could make the small room a place to meditate, or a place to relax and read paper media while sitting in a recliner. If you have family or friends who might need to spend the night, a futon couch might serve the purpose.

pcmom1 Your folks would probably appreciate a guest room. I assume they aren't living close? Would sure save money on hotel bills!

gardenarian Rent it out! You're only 26; invest that rent money and retire early. Truly, it's worth it.

victorianbungalowranch Yes a room mate is a possibility to help pay the mortgage.

And a guest room is not only good for your parents, but for your friends if they are visiting late and playing video games with you, or if they have had too much to drink to drive or if the mass transit isn't running any longer. And the spare space is great for storage or to dry laundry on a rack, or to have your athletic equipment or gym bags handy.

orangecamera I think it's okay to not really use the room for anything if you don't have a use for it. Keep it as empty as you want/need. Eventually you may find a use for it if you take up a new hobby or start collecting something. In the meantime, just close off the heat vent and close the door. No need to heat it if you're not using it. I applaud you for taking your neighbors into consideration! I wish my upstairs neighbors had!

It's your apartment, and your life. If you want your desk in your living room, by all means have it there. You can always move things around after a few months of living there, if you decide the first layout isn't working for you.

If you don't plan to put a bed in the 2nd bedroom, I would suggest you get a good quality air mattress for times when you do have overnight guests. The one I have came with an electric air pump, and fills in about 4 minutes. It's come in handy many times.

If you really want to use your spare room for something, stop thinking about it as a "bedroom". Let your mind wander and you may come up with something super unique for yourself. There are self-contained dry saunas that are easy to build...I'd have one of those if I had the room. https://www.thermasol.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=40&mItem=6 (just an example, I am not recommending anything about this brand or model)

Anne Gibney I agree with the AirBNB idea. You sound like you have a great location near the mountains. You can rent out the room for a few days a week, a whole week or onto. This would give you a great income for a room you would otherwise not use. Because it is an apartment/condo you may need to check your buildings subletting policies.

Darzy You could get some modular/freestanding shelves, etc and make it your walkin closet/dressing room. But, not a complete overhaul so you'll keep your second bedroom for "guests" and resale value. Something with closed units againts the walls so if you need that blow up mattress, you'll have space in the center.

Jody Thompson You could create a library in there. Then on one wall, you could put a Murphy bed unit. It would be folded up unless you need it for a guest. Outfit with awesome bookshelves and many books, and a nice recliner. If you don't have a fireplace and would like one, you could purchase an electrical fireplace and put it in this room. There is something to be said for a quiet, cozy room. Let us know what you decide, and have fun with it!!