The Quadri-purpose Room

I currently work out of our multi-purpose room. And when I say multi-purpose, I’m really saying multi-, multi-, multi-purpose room. When you walk in, there is a large desk and bulky ergonomic chair. Next to that, a queen sized bed that has been used twice in eight years and coordinating bedside tables. Beyond the foot of the bed sits a large bookshelf, with in-progress sewing projects hanging over the edge that doesn’t butt up to the wall; a set of storage cubes overstuffed over with my growing collection of fabrics, patterns, and threads; and an end table on which my trusty sewing machine and serger wait for to clear my work desk and lug them over for duty. The room serves as an office, guest bedroom, sewing room, and storage.

I’m not done. There are six paintings leaning against various walls in the room, waiting for their assignment. There are boxes of 80s video games and signed Radiohead merchandise, which my partner has been planning to sell for nearly a decade. The mattress is currently covered in Christmas presents and wrapping supplies, and serves as an extra storage surface throughout the year.

The walk-in closet is stacked high with a dozen totes of fabric, several totes of camping gear, and the back up toiletries and household supplies. I can barely open the door because the space is so full. The entire room is an organized person’s nightmare! I have always considered myself an organized person, but then I created this monstrosity, so…

Compare that to my partner’s office: a desk, bookshelf, guitar, keyboard, some pedals and gear, and an end table with a decorative brass lantern. Sigh.

One of my goals for 2022 is to get this room in order because it drives me mad. Should we shove the bed into a corner, buy daybed, or a platform bed? Or maybe a futon! Every solution still left the room looking overly-cluttered. But yesterday, I had an idea.

The leather sofa in our living room was heavily damaged when a deluge of water poured down from the ceiling. Insurance paid out $70 and it would cost $350 to have it removed, so the crusty beast still lives in our living room. We don’t own a TV and never actually used the couch, but I still have been eager to replace it. What if someone sits on it, and flakes of dried leather stick to their legs?! Unlikely, but horrifying.

The idea is this: replace the living room couch we never use with a fold-out couch that will rarely be used for sitting or sleeping, and get rid of the guest bedroom set that is never used. Mind blown. It’s so obvious. My quadri-purpose room can become a tri-purpose room. I am totally going to make this happen.

Now, if only furniture wasn’t so damn expensive….