Smart Design for Dual-Purpose Rooms

If your multipurpose room includes unsightly-but-essential fixtures — such as a water heater or utility boxes in a finished basement playroom, a washer and dryer in a converted garage-turned craft space, or a pile of computer equipment in a bedroom office nook — devise clever disguises for them. Some ideas: Hang a homemade art canvas in front of an electrical panel or fuse box, or use a folding screen to cordon off the utility area. Hide the washer and dryer behind a curtain or set of bifold doors. Or take a cue from Naomi Williams of Davis, Calif., who drapes decorative Japanese cloths called furoshiki over the office equipment in her study/guestroom when visitors come to stay.