It can be hard to figure out the best way to use your bonus room! These are the most stylish bonus room ideas for families of all shapes and sizes.
One of the things I was SUPER excited when we found our new house was the secondary living space upstairs. I started gathering bonus room ideas before we even closed. A flex room was on my list of “must-haves” this time around because I really wanted my girls to have a space that they could play in and hang out in that we could also use as a family to watch TV and movies! In the past, they had play areas and we made playrooms in various rooms in our old house, but this is the first time we have a true bonus room. Very grateful for it!
There are so many amazing bonus room ideas out there. My main goal for this space was for it to last and grow with them as they become teenagers (even though I don’t even like to think how close we are to that). I have always wanted to have a house that had room for ALL the kids to hang out, and creating a space that ages with the girls is really important to me. We also use it as a family to watch movies and TV so comfort is key! Of course, it couldn’t be boring, lol. We are so happy with how it turned out! You can see the whole post about our bonus room (with LOTS more photos and a source list) HERE.
I wanted to share with you the bonus room spaces that I pinned when I was gathering inspiration for myself! You’ll see that I was definitely drawn to spaces that feel fun yet sophisticated enough to be enjoyed by grown ups. I definitely looked for spaces with “loungey” seating areas. Several of the spaces I was drawn to feature distinct zones (seating vs. art/desk area, seating vs. play area), which I knew we wanted. And they almost all feature functional but pretty storage.
Enjoy! I hope you find some inspiration here as well!
Bonus Room Decorating Ideas
IKEA Built-Ins by Provident Home Design. IKEA built-ins are the way to go! I love the way these have drawers and shelves. Perfect for hiding kids’ stuff that still looks stylish.
Giant Wall Scrabble® by Jen Woodhouse. This is so fun. So perfect for kids that are either learning to spell, or need to sharpen their skills. What a cool DIY and it doubles as art! We didn’t wind up having a good space for something like this, but I looooooove it so much!
Cushy Lounge with Canopy by Hibou Design Co. My girls, especially Attley, loves a cozy reading nook (we made one for her in her old room!). The floor cushions and canopy in this room create a fun little hideaway perfect for curling up.
Hangout Space for Teens by Kelly + Co Design. I am trying to be really forward-thinking when it comes to how we will want this room to age with the girls. I love the cool vibes of this hangout.
Ping Pong Table and Built In Bench from Apartment Therapy. We talked A LOT about a ping pong table, but we decided that if we did ping pong, they would want us to play all the time. We really want something they can do with each other! The foosball table won out, but maybe ping pong in the future?!
Bold Walls in Teen Hangout Space by CC + Mike. I LOVE a bold dramatic wall and toyed with it for the bonus room. In the recent past we moved to making most of our walls neutral, but I do love having one or two bold wall colors mixed in and this reminds me of our old dining room.
Boho Teen Space by Mimi & Hill. I love how bright and airy this space is, and the boho vibe is so cool.
Kid Friendly Flex Room by Young House Love. Finding the perfect balance so the entire family can really enjoy the bonus room is key. This space nails it–kid friendly without looking like a preschool.
Larger Than Life Prints by Chris Loves Julia. Bonus rooms tend to have big blank walls. I love this inexpensive art that has a big impact! We used our Doodlespot art, which also is good sized and family-friendly!
Bright Floor Cushions featured in Real Living Magazine. This bright floor cushions are simply amazing. I love that they are grouped–what a way to make your bonus room cozy and bright!
Built-Ins with Accent Wall by Bless’er House. Filling one wall with built-ins is a way to create a ton of storage and have places to display important pictures and decor you love. Adding the planks gives it fun texture!
Sofa Table Bar by Our Faux Farmhouse. Create extra seating and a spot that makes snacking easy (and less messy) with a behind-the-sofa table. It doesn’t take up much room and I also love it for kids that like to stay busy with projects while watching TV!
Chaise Sofa from Joybird. One of my number one needs in our bonus room is a comfy spot to watch TV and movies as a family. I LOVE this option from Joybird!
Aren’t these bonus room decorating ideas awesome? I love how they are super stylish while still being family-friendly. We are absolutely loving our bonus room as much as thought we would and I’m so glad we didn’t rush it (it took us 4 months to complete, lol).
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