Although dining rooms used to be set apart only as rooms for dining, many homeowners are now using their dining rooms for other purposes besides eating. If you already have a breakfast room and don’t regularly entertain, you may want to convert it into a home office, library, or even a craft room. On the other hand, maybe you just want to extend a small living room. However, when company comes, you’ll probably want to convert it back to its original purpose.
Some Practical Tip
Determine how you plan to use it. For example, if you intend to use it as a home office include a small filing cabinet in a corner. Instead of a bulky desktop computer, choose a compact laptop, which can be easily stored on top of the filing cabinet when you have company for dinner. If it’s just a dining area (and not a separate room) you may want to include it as part of your living room. Consider buying a smaller dining room table that you can easily push against a wall as a desk when it’s not being used for dinner parties. Or, if you have an empty breakfast area and are able to move your dining table, simply move it into the breakfast nook when you don’t have company. If your dining room includes an informal chandelier, you can easily remove it and re-hang it in your breakfast area when you’re not entertaining.
Include a storage bench. Not only does a storage bench serve as a place to sit, work, and read, but it’s large enough to store even a sewing machine, along with all the other items included in a sewing room, as well as supplies for an office or craft room.
Add bookcases. If you plan to use your dining room as a library, you’ll need some bookcases. Of course, you can use one of your dining room chairs for reading. If your room is big enough, include a reading chair in a corner for a cozy book nook. Besides books, you can also store other items on your bookcase for whatever purpose you plan for using your dining room besides eating. For example, if you want to convert it into a craft area or scrapbooking room, use the shelves for storing your craft items or scrapbooking supplies. Wall shelves are another option if you don’t want traditional bookcases.
Use a buffet table or sideboard. Besides housing dinnerware, a buffet table can also be used to store paperwork or hobby supplies. What’s more, if you have a China cabinet, not crammed with dinnerware, why not use it to store your books and/or craft items?
Select functional furniture. Rather than a large traditional table, choose a table that’s simple and more functional as a worktable. And, in instead of formal dining room chairs, you could use benches as they take up less space that could be used for your home office or craft room.
These are just a few suggestions for making your dining room more versatile. With some creativity, you can discover many other tricks to convert your dining room or dining area into a multi-purpose room, yet still be using for dining.
Originally published on Suite 101.