Formal dining rooms are beautiful; however, you may only use this room several times a year. Your dining room may take up some substantial real estate in your home, so rethinking how you use this room will feel like you’ve gained square footage and more usable space. Assessing the dining room’s location, size, and shape will help you reimagine this space to flow with the rest of the home’s layout naturally. Read on for ways to rethink your dining room to make this infrequently used space more functional.
Transform it into a scullery or butler’s pantry
A scullery or butler’s pantry may serve your home more efficiently if your dining room is adjacent to or connected to the kitchen. If you have a more laid-back hosting style and end up gathering in the kitchen when you entertain, having a scullery or butler’s pantry can keep the mess out of the kitchen and keep the prep work tucked behind closed doors/
Create a cocktail lounge
If you prefer swanky sips over a sit-down supper, transforming your dining room into a cocktail lounge may be a more efficient use of space. Enveloping the space in a moody, dark paint color and dark, textured wallpaper, sleek yet comfortable seating, plenty of martini tables, and soft, warm lighting will create a space where you can entertain or escape during a quiet night at home.
Make it casual
Maybe you host sit-down meals semi-regularly and want to keep your dining room, but your home has a laid-back vibe. Keeping your dining room but making it more approachable and casual can result in a space you use more often, even gathering around the table for weeknight dinners.
Design an office
The furniture should be multifunctional when your dining room is an office by day and a dining room by night. Adding French or glass front doors can provide the privacy you need while working but will create the visibility you need when the space converts back to a dining room. The dining table can instantly turn into a desk, with the correct desk chair, computer, table lamp, and other workday necessities. Installing built-ins or mobile storage can easily conceal your workday essentials after the workday is over. If the space is large enough, a secretary desk in the corner can give you the space you need to work and still be a beautiful piece of furniture where you can conceal your office supplies when you’re finished working. When it’s time to set the table, you can easily position the dining chairs, tuck away your workday items, drape the tablecloth, set the tablescape, and watch this room transform into an entertaining destination.
Game room
For the household that loves gathering to play your favorite games, setting up several game tables instead of a dining room can create a space for family game nights or even larger game nights when you’re hosting friends and family. Use the same chairs at the different game tables for a cohesive look and to seamlessly transition these chairs to dining chairs. This way, if you need to use the space for a dining room, you can push the tables together, drape a tablecloth, set up the chairs, and it will look like a complete dining set.
