A Junk Room Gets a Crafty Makeover
While some of us may see underutilized space in the house as the perfect dumping ground for miscellaneous bits and bobs, others see it as an opportunity to create something useful, and this room is the perfect example. Beneath all the clutter in Maya Anderson’s spare room lay a creative sanctuary waiting to be uncovered. Anderson, House Nerd blogger and self-confessed design junkie, transformed her former junk room (or her “Monica’s closet,” as she calls it, in a nod to the Friends episode) into her personal craft room.
After moving into their new digs as newlyweds, Anderson and her husband slowly unpacked and settled in, only later realizing that their spare room had earned junk room status. The room “dragged my energy down every time I had to go in there, and over time it became unbearable, and I knew something had to be done about it,” Anderson says. Armed with inspiration, ideas and useful tips from interior designer friend Nelly Reffet of Twinkle and Whistle, she embarked on designing the ultimate space to let her creativity run wild. Here’s how she did it.
BEFORE: Before the transformation, the room seemed to repel light, and the clutter from the move made the space feel small and enclosed. But its potential was clear. The parquet flooring and blank walls hinted at the perfect blank canvas for a crafty makeover.
BEFORE: The first hurdle Anderson faced was the dreaded task of making order out of chaos. The process was slow but necessary.
To get the ball rolling, she decided to “decorate for now,” as she says, making use of everything she already owned instead of waiting until she could afford to buy her dream pieces of furniture. She donated a large portion of her belongings to a local charity, letting go of old knickknacks.
AFTER: “Most of the things I already owned — including the tables and the Ikea shelving — and the other pieces I picked up cheaply from vintage markets, the side of the road or Gumtree [online classifieds],” Anderson says.
One of her prized collectibles is the tea chest used as a side table next to the desk. Anderson bought it while scouring Gumtree in Melbourne. “It was from a lovely lady who also sold me a vintage suitcase and some old tea boxes,” she says.
This old sugar tin was a secondhand find from a market. Anderson paid $3 for it and now uses it as a wastebasket.
See more ideas for decorating with thrift store finds
This wooden bookcase was another gem Anderson found at a secondhand market and bought at the bargain price of $20. It’s now filled with craft books and decorating bibles.
Not even the light switch was left untouched. In true crafter fashion, she covered it in washi tape.
“The hardest thing was making the most of the small space and keeping the little room from feeling cramped,” Anderson says.
To make the room feel larger and more ordered, Anderson used the large Ikea storage unit she already owned to neatly organize her crafting essentials, including her paint sets and scrap paper. She also moved the desk to the center of the room, a position that wasn’t her first choice but that worked well in creating the illusion of more space.
The multiple nooks of the storage unit keep all of Anderson’s craft tools within easy reach. Wooden boxes and a cane basket, bought at secondhand markets and stationery stores, keep the smaller items together.
The mix of old, new and worldly souvenirs populating the room showcases Anderson’s style and adds warmth.
Replacing the wood blinds with sheer curtains allowed natural light to flow through; they make the space feel fresh and open.
A small succulent on the windowsill is a homey feature that breathes life into the room.
Anderson stores her colorful washi tape collection on her desk in a glass jar so she can easily spot the patterns.
Check out ideas for decorating with tape
This wire basket was originally intended to store kindling for the fireplace, but it serves a new purpose in the craft room. Anderson found the wicker basket on the side of the road, and it holds all of her gift-wrapping ribbons.
Wire basket: Target
Anderson bought the desk lamp a few years earlier from Ikea. It now brightens up her workspace as task lighting.
Here’s the inspiration board where she posts her favorite designs, pictures and photographs to get her creative juices flowing.
What’s special about the little junk room–turned–craft room is that Anderson has made it her own. She has chosen everything in it with care, and everything has its own story. The pencil tin that has pride of place on her desk next to other crafting tools was a souvenir bought during a trip to Florence.
The once underutilized space has finally found its purpose, with Anderson giving the completed craft room a workout — using it to revamp furniture, wrap presents and gather inspiration for future decorating projects.
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Tell us: Have you transformed your spare room into a more useful space? What do you use it for?
