4. A HOME OFFICE
For anyone who works from home some or all of the week, or who manages a household’s worth of paperwork, a dedicated office beats a corner of the kitchen table. Move in a large desk, a chair that can support a full workday, a file cabinet, and a bookcase if you need one, then set up generous lighting to avoid eye strain. A daybed under the window means the office still sleeps one, and reserving a dresser and a closet for your child’s things keeps their claim on the room intact. The desk earns its keep when they visit, too: somewhere quiet to study for finals or work through job applications over a long weekend.
5. A WORKOUT ROOM
If the trek to a crowded gym has lost its appeal, a vacant bedroom can become the place you look after your health. Consider the workouts you enjoy most and equip the room for those, starting small with multipurpose pieces. An exercise mat covers yoga, Pilates, meditation, and stretching, and a set of free weights, an elliptical, or an exercise bike can follow as your routine takes shape. Full-length mirrors on the walls let you check your form, and a TV or large monitor set at eye level opens up virtual classes from home, with an instructor who can watch your form and give feedback as you go. Even a workout room can turn back into a bedroom when it needs to. A folding futon stored against the wall, or their bedding kept ready on the closet shelf, turns the room back into a bedroom for a holiday weekend, with the weights rolled into a corner.
Whatever direction you choose, remember that the change may be an emotional one on both sides. Your child may feel sentimental about their old room, and the first visit home after it’s been redone can be a jolt, no matter how good the room looks. Ask their opinion before you start. Let them weigh in on color schemes and furnishings, or take the project on together over a school break. The room will end up more useful for it, and the message underneath the fresh paint stays the same: this is still your home, and there will always be a place for you in it. MAKING THE CHANGE TOGETHER
13
September 2026
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