Are you due for a dining room makeover?
If you have a formal dining room in your home that sits mostly unused, you may indeed be ready. The space you set aside for this little-used area offers a wealth of fun and fresh possibilities for today’s modern family.
Dedicate Your Dining Room to Learning
If you have children in the home, chances are they have lots of homework throughout the school year. And while each child may have a desk in his or her room, you can maximize your family’s interaction by bringing them out to a common space.
Instead of a dinette set you don’t use, consider converting the space to an open learning center. Add bookshelves and desks, so everyone can be together when possible.
Of course, if one of your children requires a more studious environment, he or she can always spend the evening in the quiet solitude of his or her own room to study for the big test.
Create a Flexible Space in the Formal Dining Room
If you aren’t ready to entirely abandon the formal dining concept, convert the space into one that can be used for a variety of purposes.
Trade the china hutch for a multi-purpose credenza that can be used to store office supplies, games or even crafting materials. Add plenty of power strips and places for plugging in devices and chargers.
Add a few bookcases too, with bins where kids’ toys can be stored. Downsize the dining table and add a chaise or other comfortable reading spot for a quiet retreat.
Finally, get rid of the over-table light fixture and add both task and ambient lighting, to accommodate whatever activities your family wishes to pursue at the moment.
Reconfigure the Great Room
If your dining area is part of an open-concept space or great room, consider reconfiguring the flexible area with a more modern approach.
Designers recommend creating zones based on what your family enjoys doing.
Rather than following the traditional constraints of living and dining space, create a zone for family game time, one for reading or studying and a play area for little ones.
If you want to keep a table in this space for dining, incorporate a more modern furniture design. Use one or more square, pub-height tables with bar stools or tall chairs. This way, you can push the tables together for larger groups, or use them for different purposes at different times.
The square table design, typically allowing two people to sit at each side, is an ideal way to eliminate the remote and unfriendly feel of having someone sit at the far ends of the table. It increases conversational ease and creates a more intimate, familial feel to mealtime.
Guild Hall Fine Furnishings, serving northern Utah and the Wasatch Front, understands that today’s busy families enjoy a variety of activities at home. Visit us today and let us show you some of the many furniture and accessory options for creating a dining room makeover you’re sure to love — and use!
