Your house may have more space than you think! Before you add on — or move out, even — look around. Perhaps you can maximize your existing floor plan by repurposing an underused room. Formal dining rooms are commonly underused spaces in modern living but lend great opportunity for new rooms. With their location conveniently next to the living room and kitchen — the possibilities are plenty.
Formal Dining Room Conversion Ideas:
Library/Den
Make this space your niche nook, an informal place for hobbies and happy-time. Add built-in bookshelves, cozy chairs, soft glow lamps and voila, you have a library/den space to relax and read in. Settle in with a hot cup of tea from the nearby kitchen for the full effect.
Home Office
Converted dining rooms make great home office spaces because having a door is not always necessary. A desk is usually a must along with added storage for files, and shelves for supplies. Depending on your work life, you may also consider installing a large wall calendar art piece for keeping track of schedules, appointments, task lists, and other important details.
Guest Room
Unless you host regular out-of-town guests and have the extra space, it doesn’t always make sense to dedicate a bedroom solely to visitors. Consider adding a hidden Murphy bed to underused rooms for multi-functionality. Get creative! You can find plenty of ways to add secret sleep spaces for temporary stays.
Baby Nursery
Growing families can repurpose a formal dining room into a nursery during the baby years to save space and/or keep the baby close — especially if the primary bedroom is also on the first floor. Keeping the nursery close means quicker trips to the nursery during the night, as well as easier diaper changes throughout the day.
Playroom
This is one of our favorite family reuses for any underused room: a playroom! Little ones can play the day away, rain or shine, in a devoted playroom space. Add bins for toy storage, a table with chairs for art projects, floor cushions for reading, tents for a hideaway — you name it! There are so many options and so much fun to be had. For older kids, consider adding a TV and lounging chairs to create a cool hangout space. Warning: Doing so may mean that your place becomes the hangout house for your kids and their friends. But there are worse fates . . .
Ready to re-room? Everything Home can help convert underused spaces in your house to your favorite places! Contact us to learn more about our unique interior design process and services.
Happy Home. Happy Life
