Do you only use your formal dining room over the holidays and when one or two other special occasions arise during the year? Is the furniture in this room gathering dust because it’s hardly ever used? Do you wish you could find a better way to use your formal dining room and the pieces in it? If your answer to any of these questions was “yes,” we have some suggestions for getting more out of this space:
- Playroom – If you’re tired of tripping over toys and games in your main living area, but you lack enough bedrooms to dedicate one to a playroom, try converting your formal dining room into a dedicated play space. Most dining rooms tend to reside in close proximity to the kitchen, so you can still listen in on your kids without allowing their mess to spread all over the house.
- Homework station – As your children get older and start to do more homework, you may find that some of their projects take several weeks to complete. Using your formal dining room as a dedicated homework area gives these projects a place to stay and may even help your children focus better.
- Game – If you don’t have a basement, garage, or loft area to dedicate to playing games and hanging out, your formal dining room may be a good option. Use the table for board games or swap out the existing dining table for a billiards or ping pong table.
- Library – Many older homes combined the dining room with the library. If you long for a library space in your home, equip the area with plenty of shelves and fill the space with books.