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If you’re like many homeowners, the next two months on the calendar are the ones you wait for all year long to justify that huge formal room off the kitchen that generally sits empty for the remaining 10 months of the year.
The frustration of having a room that you barely use but always have to clean has been a topic visited in interior design circles for decades and has been soundly addressed with the advent of the open main level floor plan. For many families this way of using space just makes the most sense when it comes to entertaining for larger group events, building in more communal family time, and transitioning away from the traditional front of house formal living and dining room scenarios.
The only blip on the open-plan-radar materialized during the pandemic when families needed to use the same space for everything, every day, and we needed to get creative again about carving out smaller personal spaces within the open plan. Statistics do not, however, find homeowners choosing the open-plan option less post-pandemic, but it does make those with new home dreams more mindful about what open-plan living means now.
If you are planning a new home scenario and considering your options, here are four very important questions to ask yourself before you consider ditching your formal dining room:
What is my comfort factor when it comes to being less traditional?
Not having a dedicated dining room will be noticed when those formal occasions crop up. If you’re the type that is into making reservations over making dinner for special days, then you’re probably a good candidate for 24/7 open plan living. Culturally, if you come from a familial background where breaking bread is the celebration, having that special space takes on greater meaning.
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How might noise, smells, and a lack of privacy affect the way my family lives in this space over time?
This, for many, is the largest concern homeowners have about open-plan living—the living with it everyday part. Noise from appliances, frying foods, and running faucets becomes common place, as do the aromas that will waft about into your living, dining, and studying spaces on a daily basis. The trade-off in exchange for the planned connectivity received is worth it for many, but this is something that will affect the overall ambiance and functionality of your primary living space, which happens to include your dining area.
How important is my home’s resale value to me?
Are you comfortable that future buyers may see your choice as a drawback, potentially affecting your home’s resale value? Also, keep market preferences in mind. In some areas, formal dining rooms are highly valued.
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Am I comfortable seeing my guests using their laps as a table?
While the space in an open-plan scenario may seem bigger because it has less walls, also consider that it may not have the tabletop capacity that a formal dining room offers. And many times, the countertops are being used as buffet servers for special occasions.
Flex-Plan Space
Not sure where you stand? If you already have a formal dining room that you feel is under-utilized most of the year, try using these tips to convert the space into something more flexible.
Start by assessing your room for square footage and determine if it is large enough to set up separate spaces within the larger room. You can visually divide and conquer by creating distinct zones within the room, and for example, set up a small home office in one corner with a desk and chair, while the main area remains open for dining. You can even use a stylish screen or bookshelf as a room divider to add character.
Choose versatile furnishings, like a convertible dining table that can fold down or expand, allowing the room to switch between dining and other functions. Add flexible seating that is lightweight and easy to move. Or consider adding bench or ottoman seating that doubles as a storage component. Manufacturers are more responsive than ever when it comes to providing options that strike that perfect balance between form and function.
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Counteract clutter with flow by ensuring the room’s layout allows for easy movement between activities and arrange furniture mindfully so when it’s time to switch the room’s function, the tweaks are minimal and seamless.
Use a pop-up or foldaway desk and a hidden charging station to outfit your flex space so it doesn’t channel any basic office or media room vibes, and install smart lighting or a smart thermostat so you can easily adjust the environment to match with the activity type.
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Add attractive storage solutions such as sideboards or buffets that can accommodate both house and office wares.
With some out-of-the box-thinking and clever execution, you just may just turn that often-underutilized room into something functional and fabulous for every month of the year!
