A bonus room is a relatively recent term that is mainly used in the United States. It is used to describe a large room in a house which could be used as a multi-purpose area. A bonus room, unlike an American bedroom, does not usually contain a closet. A bonus room might be used as a family room, sewing or hobby room, game room, home cinema, office, or den. It is sometimes over a garage or in an attic area with partially reduced ceiling height or some other less desirable characteristic. In some areas the term may be used to describe a room that cannot legally be called a bedroom (because of inadequate ceiling height, fire safety features, etc.).
[edit] Etymology
One early use of the word is from The New York Times in 1991, which described it as "A recent solution to the problem of noisy teen-agers is the enticingly titled bonus room, which is a spare room on the bedroom floor that can be used as a den, television room or guest room."[1]
- ^ Rybczynski, Witold (November 24, 1991). "A House Is a Home, but It's Something Else, Too". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE3D8133DF937A15752C1A967958260.
