> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # More than meets the eye - URL: https://www.smdp.com/more-than-meets-the-eye/ - Published: 2008-08-06T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-25T00:33:32.000Z - Author: Guest Author - Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import I REMEMBER PLAYING WITH Transformers toys when I was a child. After last summer’s blockbuster movie, most of the world now knows what the Hasbro toys are and many children want them. When you stop to think about it, Transformers are neat toys, really two toys in one. If you purchased a transformer toy, such as “Bubble Bee,” back in the 1980s you got a yellow Volkswagen beetle that changed into a humanoid action figure. The whole idea of transforming one thing into another made me realize that people do this with spaces in their homes all the time. The idea of transforming a space into another type of space is only limited by your imagination, the laws of physics, and your bank account. Most people who own a home want a home office. This desire comes more from a need than a want. You want a place you can balance your checkbook, plan that dream vacation and do work away from everyone else. A home office can be as simple as a desk that folds down from the kitchen wall, or a more elaborate corner space in a bedroom. However, to make a true home office you want to have a door you can shut to focus on tasks. Without tearing down walls and changing the configuration of your home, the best way to create a home office is to change a bedroom into an office. What distinguishes an office from a bedroom is a closet. If you have a bedroom and change it into an office there is no need to remove the closet. All you have to do is keep the closet door closed. The most important piece of furniture to put into an office is a desk. If you go to your local hardware store, you can find shelving systems that can be used as desks. The nice thing about using a shelving system is you can customize it to your room. If you own a home with a backyard, you can turn that space into an outside living space. Many high-end homes that cost millions of dollars have beautiful outdoor spaces with outdoor kitchens, fire pits and green space. However, you do not need to be a millionaire to have an outdoor space. All you need is a little space, imagination, time and money. My friend is a landscape architect and he said that when you are planning an outdoor living space it is important to break it down into phases. Rome was not built in a day and your outdoor space will not be either. Sure, you could do the entire transformation at once, but creating an outdoor space over time is just as effective. The first step to creating an outdoor living space is deciding what you want to do. If you are a weekend warrior who can do many things yourself, get some books for ideas and put together a plan. Write down what you want and price out materials. Just like you build a house from the ground up, you want to build your outdoor space from the ground up too. If adding plants and grass, remember to add a sprinkler system in the beginning. If you want to build a deck, make sure you reinforce it correctly. If you are putting up small structures, make sure you pull permits. The last thing you want to do is create a beautiful outdoor space and have a city ordnance officer come by and tell you to tear it down because it does not meet city codes. Just because a room is called a bedroom does not mean you have to put a bed in it. The same goes with any other room in your home. I met a nice older couple who built a gorgeous house, but never put in a kitchen because they did not cook. They said they would put in the kitchen before they moved since they did not want the kitchen to become dated. Sure, that sounds a little unorthodox, but if you do not use a kitchen what does it matter? Of course, there are those individuals who decide to turn their garages into gyms which can rival more expensive large gyms. The possibilities are endless. Remember that transforming one type of space into another type of space is only limited by your imagination, the laws of physics, and your bank account. MIKE HEAYN is a Washington Mutual multi-family loan consultant. He (310) 428-1342, or e-mailed at *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 6, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/080608.pdf?ref=smdp.com)