Five Themes for the Spare Bedroom of Your Dreams

When you take that Texas-sized leap into home ownership, you gain more than extra living space. You gain extra space in your life for the things you love. Whether you’re all-in for 80s ballad covers, your 80-pound rescue dog, or the eight-angle yoga pose, your friends at UFCU have your back. Here are our top 5 spare room theme ideas for whatever life you want to live.

1. Yoga Sanctuary

Maybe you fancy yourself a fitness junkie, or maybe you’re just ready to finally launch a regular workout routine. Wherever you are in body and mind, consider turning your home’s extra room into your own personal yoga sanctuary. A cozy, quiet home yoga space lets you embark on your spiritual journey without the added time and cost of journeying to your local yoga studio. So now you’re free to do downward dog within listening distance of your newborn’s bedroom or go straight into child’s pose without fear of public judgment. “Ohhhm.”

2. Music Space

Tired of rehearsing your set list in your bassist’s mom’s garage? Need a reason to dust off that old keyboard from your dorm days? Sounds like you’re in the market for the ultimate jam room — a place with zero shared walls, space to wail on the drums, and, well, air conditioning. If you really want to crank it up to 11, you can even convert that spare room to a home recording studio (with the proper sound-proofing, of course). Include a futon or sleeper sofa and you’ve got yourself a guest bedroom too. Doesn’t adulting rock?

3. Lady Lair

It’s 2018, and it’s about time we send the “man cave” mentality back to the Stone Age. Why not quash the status quo by turning your home’s empty room (or backyard storage shed) into a gals-only relaxation destination? Lady lair, she-shed, femme den — whatever you want to call it, this is a sacred space where you can escape life’s stresses and take a well-earned at-home spa day, build your dream fantasy draft, or binge-watch award-winning premium cable. Now, you don’t have to exclude the guys, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with creating a little hideaway just for you.

4. Pet Paradise

If you’re a pet parent, you know buying a home can make life infinitely better for you and your fur babies (we’re talking doggy-door-level-peace-of-mind better). And because we Central Texans will do just about anything for our cats and dogs, we might as well dedicate 100 square feet or so to their cuteness, right? Enter your pet paradise. Cushy, organic bedding, epic cat tree forests, chew toys for days — when you dream up the perfect doggy den or cat kingdom for your pet’s personality, we can almost guarantee they’ll repay you with a lifetime of cuddles.

5. Rental Room

While that spare room offers a blank canvas for entertainment and rejuvenation, it’s also a ripe opportunity to roll in some extra dough. Rent out the room to friends or family and use the added income to offset your mortgage, property taxes, or utilities. You can also sign up for a “bed and breakfast” app and turn the empty space into a hotel room of sorts. This allows you the freedom to choose who stays in your home without having to share it all year long. Plus you can capitalize on popular local events like SXSW and ACL and make bank! You practical homeowner, you.

Ready to unlock more joys of home ownership? Apply for your home loan with one of Austin’s top mortgage lenders at UFCU.org/MyMortgage.