Specialty or special function rooms have seen a rise in popularity along with the rise in the housing market. While the specialty area currently in vogue is outdoor living, according to a recent design trends study by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), home offices, mud rooms and craft rooms continue to show growth.

Millions of consumers have hobbies — gardening, painting, sculpting, knitting, sewing and jewelry making are among the more popular ones. Whether the homeowner is a pure hobbyist or even pursuing the activity as a semi-professional, a variety of supplies are often needed for these pursuits. The more money spent on an activity, the more likely the consumer not only needs storage, but also a clearly defined area in the home to work.

Although requests for craft rooms may not be as robust as home offices, this area still provides an opportunity for closet companies to increase sales, particularly with accessories such as bins, hooks, slatwall, drawer organizers, as well as countertops, cabinets and adjustable shelving. Renters, too, who are just as likely to be avid hobbyists, become prospects for craft room makeovers.

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), more of these specialty rooms are showing up in traditional floor plans, a function of home designs becoming smaller, and builders and remodelers using open space planning to incorporate the space into smaller footprints. For instance, craft rooms are being blended into extended pantries, home offices, laundry rooms, mud rooms and even walk–in closets to create multi-functional areas.

As long as consumers pursue their passions in their pastimes, there will be opportunities for an upsell in  creative storage solutions for their hobbies.