You bought a home with a
formal dining room. Nothing wrong
with that. Problem is, you can count on one hand how many times you’ve actually
enjoyed it. So you haven’t turned into the gracious dinner host you thought
you’d be. Why reserve that valuable space for “someday” when it can serve you
so much better today.
Homey Home Office. Already have a rectangular dining
room table? Take away all but one seat, or remove them all and replace with a
sumptuous accent chair. Boom, the perfect desk arrangement loaded with surface
space. A desk and underlying rug at an angle might be even more dynamic. And
that chandelier? Looks just as good over your desk as it did over the table. If
you do invite dinner guests, return the chairs for a quick fix.
Homework Area/Playroom/Craft Room. Dining rooms easily
make the grade as homework areas, playrooms and craft rooms, too. Very on
trend, tables with heavy distressing make it easier to hide the occasional slip
of a crayon or marker. You can bring in couple of stylish bookshelves for cubby
space or use your existing buffet or server for storing supplies. They’re not
just for plates and silverware anymore!
Breakfast Bistro/Cafe/Sitting Room. Imagine your dining
room as your favorite neighborhood cafe, complete with a bistro table and
chairs (in lieu of a dining room table) and a lounge seating area, maybe with a
wall-mounted TV. What a perfect place to sip your morning coffee, check your
email and get yourself perked up for the day. When it’s time to unwind, your
cafe serves as your wine bar.
Pool Hall/Bar Lounge/Party Central. Love the thought of
having people over but dread having to cook and serve? Break from the ordinary.
Turn your dining room into a cool hangout space, complete with a bar, pool or
ping pong table and wall-mounted TV. A few swivels chairs will really keep the
conversation flowing.
Music Room/In-Tune Space. Maybe you play the piano or
guitar, or perhaps your little ones are budding musicians? Turn your dining
room into a music room with instruments on display, fun seating, music-themed
artwork and your music collection. Or, stretch the possibilities by turning the
space into a yoga or dance studio, if that’s what really moves you.
