Make a Multitasking Flex Room Work for You

New homeowner Christina was excited about the possibilities for an extra room in her house, even if the current furnishings—a beige loveseat and an exercise bike—weren't exactly inspiring. Christina was hoping the room could serve as an office, workout space, and occasional guest room, but still feel like a cohesive whole—and feature the bold colors she craved.

Enter Riche Holmes Grant—host and designer of the Telly Award-winning TV show, Home Upgrade, produced by Better Homes & Gardens and REAL SIMPLE magazines, and streaming on PeopleTV—who was ready with some smart strategies for Christina to DIY a stylish multipurpose room that suited all her needs.

Holmes Grant chose a bold green color for the walls and the ceiling to help the room feel larger and the ceiling higher—and a bold accent wall with a tropical mural to highlight the room. Next, she added a sofa that converts to a bed when guests come to town, and a set of sheer curtains to surround the exercise bike, keeping it out of sight when not in use. Adding caning to the doors of basic IKEA cabinets gave them a more polished look and helped them match the desk. Bright-colored accent pillows and bedding finished off the space.

Love it? Check out these products to help you re-create the room at home.

Paint

Dark Everglade Eggshell Enamel Interior Paint - Painting the walls and ceiling in this rich green helps make the room look larger and the ceiling look higher. ($53, Homedepot.com)

Floor

Alexander Home Faux Cowhide Area Rug - A faux cowhide rug adds a touch of coziness without taking up a lot of space—and is easily rolled up and put away to make room for the bed or for workouts. ($110, Overstock.com)

Veken Non-Slip Rug Pad Gripper - If you have a rug that's an irregular shape, choose a larger rug pad, lay the rug over it, and cut to fit for a custom pad. ($24, Amazon.com)

Mural/Couch Wall

Colorful Tropical Leaves Wallpaper Art Peel-and-Stick - This peel-and-stick tropical mural adds a central focus to the room, and brings in splashes of color. (From $106; Etsy.com)

Cassius Quilt Deluxe Sofa Bed by Innovation-USA - For flex spaces that serve more than one purpose, look for furniture that serve double duty. This stylish sofa bed is a cozy place for Christina to relax most of the time, but can be easily turned into a bed for overnight guests. ($3000, Smartfurniture.com)

Lush Velvet Pillow Covers - Pretty velvet pillows in jewel tones highlight some of the colors from the mural wall and add an additional pop bold color that Christina craves. ($35 to $69, Westelm.com)

Olive Green Pillow - A rich green accent pillow coordinates with highlight colors in the mural. ($50, Cb2.com)

Chartreuse Green Velvet Pillow Cover - Bold-hued pillows add interest to the simple sofa. (Two for $14 to $25, Amazom.com)

Gold Aricin Microfiber Reversible Modern & Contemporary Duvet Cover Set - This gold velvet duvet matches the luxe feel of the rest of the furnishings and adds a bright pop of color for guests. ($86, Wayfair.com)

Manila Cylinder Drum Accent Table - A simple cylinder drum makes a gorgeous side table next to the couch. ($90, Target.com)

Valencia Floor Lamp Brass - This pretty brass floor lamp provides a reading light without taking up precious table space. ($90, Target.com)

Desk Wall

Portola Hills Caned Desk (Walnut) - This sleek, simple desk hides lots of storage behind the caned doors to keep the room looking uncluttered. ($300, Target.com)

Stewart Upholstered Dining Chair - A bold-hued purple desk chair is a stylish spot for Christina to do her work, and works beautifully as an accent chair when the room's being used for guests. ($640, inmod.com)

Peloton Wall

Ceiling Curtain Rods/Room Divider in Bronze - Installing ceiling curtain rods helps to create a cocoon that masks the exercise bike when Christina's not working out. ($71 to $121, Homedepot.com)

Classic Voile Sheer Curtain - Sheer curtains hide the exercise bike without blocking the light, so the room still gets plenty of natural light. ($49 to $69, Potterybarn.com)

Gold Wimbley Curtain Tieback - Gold curtain ties make it easy to pull the sheers back for a quick workout. ($31, Overstock.com)

BILLY Bookcase, OXBERG Glass door, GRIBBOL Knob - Basic IKEA bookcases can be beautifully upgraded with cane webbing and doors. ($80, Ikea.com)

358M - Fine Box Cane Webbing - Christina stained and installed caning to the cabinet doors to coordinate with the desk. ($0.85 per lineal inch, caneandbasket.com)

Golden Pecan Classic Wood Interior Stain - The pecan wood stain matched perfectly with the desk. ($13, Homedepot.com)

Balsa Wood, 1/8 by 1/8 x 36 inches - Christina used these balsa wood sticks to install the caning and hide the raw edges for a finished look. ($19 for 50 pieces, Pitsco.com)