Make better use of home's space

Have you ever looked around your home and wished that you had a room for special craft projects, for exercising or for a playroom for the kids but concluded there just wasn't the space? I think many of us who have older houses, or who weren't involved in the design and building of our homes, have looked around at one time or another and have found it wanting.

And even if you did work with an architect to design your home, you may have found that your needs have changed over time; that years ago you didn't anticipate your desire for the wine cellar, a guest room or the media room.

Well, don't despair or put your house on the market too quickly; you may have more space than you realize in hallways, storage sheds, basements crawl spaces or even rooms that are underutilized or poorly arranged. It just takes a critical and objective eye to help your home live up to its potential for delivering the extra legroom.

When Kevin and I moved into our turn-of-the-century carriage house we found the upstairs charming but poorly arranged in terms of space. We had a long corridor connecting two bedrooms with a string of ill-conceived closets and a wide hallway in between. However, by building a wall to make the wide hallway into two small rooms and removing an unnecessary closet, we were able to create a private study for both Kevin and me where once there was just wasted space.

Likewise, in our previous home I was desperately in need of more closets. With little room to spare, our handyman was able to add some drywall to a section of the basement, put in a door, paint and add shelves and a hanging rod. Thus, my much-needed closet was born.

Look around your home. Where could you reconstruct or reconfigure to give you the room you desire? Here are some ideas of how to manage the space in your home to meet your needs or wishes:

• Formal dining room: With so many family rooms, larger kitchens, outdoor spaces and living rooms arranged to accommodate dining, the once prominent formal dining room is often the first place that people will concede is used only once or twice a year. So rework this space to make it more efficient for you.

Maybe you need a studio, a study hall or arts and crafts center, a spot with ample counter or desk space to accommodate a computer and all the necessary support technology, supplies and storage bins to keep your children close by, yet productive and busy when you're all at home together. You may need to bring in an electrician to add wiring or to purchase desks, shelving units or armoires in which to store equipment. Or you may wish to have a carpenter add built-ins.