Media Room Ideas With Tons of Storage Inspiring Our Next Makeover

We are finally getting to the phase of our lives where our playroom is starting to become obsolete. (*mom cry*)

Our girls still play with some toys, mostly in their bedrooms, but we’ve found our family could benefit from a media room with more storage and entertainment function than our playroom provides.

This is a previously converted space that was once our home’s original living room, and it has always been a stumper. With a fireplace, 3 doors, 2 big windows, and a wall of cabinets, figuring out the right furniture placement has always been a doozy.

I literally just walked in the room and took a photo exactly as our kids had left it, magic marker scribbled play chair and all.

What is a Media Room?

A few weeks ago, we realized if we removed all of the cabinets to shove a sofa against the wall and added tons of built-in shelving, swivel chairs, desks, and a projector screen, it would all make sense!

And so the media room makeover was born.

A media room is a flexible, multipurpose space that serves as a place for watching TV, playing video games, listening to music, and as a casual gathering area for socializing.

It’s typically flexible and adaptable for different types of entertainment with an informal layout, flexible seating, and with options for both ambient and task lighting.

Media Room Ideas With Storage and Function

Here are some media room ideas inspiring ours if you need inspiration to create your own multifunctional family room.

1. Sofa Against a Wall Surrounded by Shelves

If you have a small living room or media room that’s limited on furniture space, this layout is brilliant!

Normally, interior designers advise against pushing a couch against a wall, but by surrounding the couch with bookcases, it creates a cozy nook perfect for lounging with a good book.

We plan to use a modern style reclining sofa as theater seating flanking a projector screen to sometimes use it as a family movie theater space with side tables and swivel chairs for flexible seating options.

Maybe we’ll even be able to add a few surround sound speakers inside the shelving to create a DIY sound system.

2. Door Surrounded by Bookcases

When you have a door as an obstacle but you need more storage, surrounding a doorway with built-in bookcases is the perfect solution.

We would love to make these French doors into pocket doors with our go-to DIY built-in shelving IKEA hack for a media room idea on a budget.

We’ll hide a motorized projector flat screen above the door to use for movie nights. I’m crossing my fingers and toes that it works, but since there is a load-bearing brick wall hidden right behind that paneling, it might pose a challenge.

With or without pocket doors though, it’s a great way to utilize tons of storage without any wasted space!

Adding shelving above the door makes it even more useful.

Rather than an open doorway, ours will still have a door, even if pocket doors aren’t possible.

3. Wallpapered Ceiling

In the case of low ceilings, like ours that are 8 feet, wallpapering the ceiling is a fun way to add an element of surprise.

I keep picturing something like a leafy wallpaper overhead for a dose of whimsy. These monochromatic blue doors, trim, and walls with a pop of pattern on the ceiling is a beautiful idea.

4. Built In Desks

It’s nice to have desks for studying, doing craft projects, and where our kids can do their homework.

We still plan to have a smaller TV on this wall (for the kids to use when we’re not using the big projector screen on movie nights), but adding built-in desks provides extra storage that also doubles as a TV console.

I plan to hang a Samsung Frame TV on the wall above the built-in desks with framed art surrounding the TV to disguise it into a gallery wall.

More Media Room Ideas

• 8 Home Office Lounge Ideas to Boost Productivity and Function
• DIY Built In Bookshelves Using the IKEA Billy Bookcase Hack
• Rec Room Makeover Reveal