Instead of squandering every square inch of the room with an oak table that sits eight, place a couple small, café style tables in the room. Enter a zip below and get matched to top-rated pros near you. Author Fran has extensive knowledge in interior design and decorating. Some people insist that they need a formal dining room, but that doesn't mean it has to be used as a formal dining room all of the time. A room off the kitchen that has a door can be used for almost any type of activity. Submitted On April 04, 2010. Be sure to have a cuddly blanket for cold evenings, and a few throw pillows to be more comfortable when reading. | Your options depend primarily on this room’s location in your home. If you are like most homeowners, your formal living room is useful for one primary thing: accumulating dust. 513 Articles, By Angie's List Call Center, © 1995-2020, Angie's List. You now have the home office you've always wanted. | One large overstuffed chair will be sufficient in a smaller space, and adding a tiny table and a cozy lamp will add to the ambience. © 2020 EzineArticlesAll Rights Reserved Worldwide, The Complete Guide for Types of Crown Moldings and Their Benefits, Dining Room Not Right For You? Practical Uses for That Unused Formal Living Room, AZ Insider: The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley Has A Formula for Impact, Chandler Center for the Arts Brings Black Violin Virtual Program to Schools, Children's Museum of Phoenix and Cartwright School District Partner to Give Kinder Students Fun, Educational Supplement, Cox Communications Commits $60 Million to Close the Digital Learning Gap, Japanese Friendship Garden October Volunteer Events, Phoenix Theatre Company Builds Outdoor Stage for Fall Shows, Celebrating Thanksgiving Arizona Style | COVID-19, Cece's Hope Center, AZFoothills Non-Profit of the Year, Best High-End Sushi Restaurants in Phoenix. Make it a Morning Cafe Instead of squandering every square inch of the room with an oak table that sits eight, place a couple small, café style tables in the room. If your extended family treats your house as their free hotel, consider installing a Murphy bed in your dining room. https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Fran_Sloan/259270, Home Improvement: Interior-Design-and-Decorating The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. If this sounds like you, you probably feel as though your dining room is the most wasted area of your house. Every homeowner has ideas of what changes they would make to their home if money were no object. Friends come in through the front door and are escorted to the family room, bypassing the formal living room all together. Visit the Solution Center to Explore Articles. A room that only gets used during holidays isn't worth keeping. Dining room alternatives, ideas, and other uses of dining room space. The dining room will quickly become the most popular room in the house! Need professional help with your project? FAQ | That leaves you with a wasted space that can cost a mint to decorate. The dining room is your home's temple of elegance -- in theory, anyway. For the 5 days that you host large dinners, simply clear off your office supplies and add the extra chairs back to the table! Here are five ways to get more from your dining room. Article Source: Maximize it by changing your dining room into a more flexible room for your family. Friends come in through the front door and are escorted to the family room, bypassing the formal living room all together. It's Your Space! One of the best ways to dress up the dining room is to add a stylish area rug. Maximize it by changing your dining room into a more flexible room for your family. Take a look at her favorite place for blue rugs and in particular blue flokati rugs. Dining Room Alternatives For Busy People Fairlinks White Ditch the fancy table and replace it with a craft table and add toy bins or book shelves. In an open concept home, the area rug will define your space as separate from other living areas. Formal dining rooms are starting to go the way of the formal living room—out of service. Platinum Author In fact, it's usually the place where you pay the bills, do your taxes and banish the kids to color in silence before you go quietly insane. Be Heartless: Decorate for Valentine's Day Without Hearts, Contact Us | Picture your large dining room table. Alternate Uses For Your Dining Area, https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Fran_Sloan/259270, http://ezinearticles.com/?Dining-Room-Not-Right-For-You?-Alternate-Uses-For-Your-Dining-Area&id=4049595. However, as modern-day life has become more casual, so have our living spaces. Alternately, you can find a place to store the items until you feel as though you can use them. Small tables are more inviting when you're enjoying a cup of coffee, reading the paper or even opening the mail. Other days your family could be split up due to extra curricular activities and you only have one or two for dinner as opposed to 5 or 6. All comments are subject to review and approval prior to posting. Repurpose Your Dining Room for How You Want to Live Growing up in the land of Southern Hospitality, I thought I would never in my life propose the idea of repurposing the dining room. If the living room is directly in front of the front door, the formal living room would be well suited to convert into a library or a reading den. The dining room will quickly become the most popular room in the house! Shelving for books and a hutch that will hide away bits and pieces of paper work and your computer are best in areas like this. It can be hard to let go of the dining-room dream, but let's be realistic. Fran Sloan | In addition to reclaiming the functionality of the room, you would have a place to store your family’s books that tend to accumulate and clutter shelves all over the house. Originally, formal living rooms were spaces in which special guests were entertained. Ensure that you are happy with every nook and cranny of your house by repurposing rooms and putting your space to good use.