Brennan Homes Blog

It seems as though the burning question these days is; “Do I want a Dining Room in my new home?”  With the growing popularity of informal dining and breakfast nooks, it seems many dining rooms are turning into spaces that are used a mere 1-3 times a year for holiday dinners. Many people are unsure on what they should do and whether they should break away from the traditional dining room. Here are a few ideas from brightnest.com of what you could do with the space instead.

1. Use it as a guest room. Many of our new home buyers are opting for a first floor guest suite for parents and in-laws so they don’t have to climb the stairs to the 2^nd floor. If you aren’t convinced you want to convert the entire space to a bedroom, you could install a Murphy bed to be used when needed, and still utilize the room for another function when you don’t have company.
2. Convert it into a home office. Utilize the space for your home office or the kids’ homework central.
3. Use it as the party room.Swap out your dining room table for a pool table, and maybe even install a bar to serve food and drinks from. I think you’ll find that the dining room’s popularity will grow at least ten fold!
4. Turn it into a playroom. If you’d love to have your kids playing close by while you are in the kitchen, consider utilizing the dining room as the kids’ playroom. Say goodbye to the fancy table and hello to a craft table, add some toy bins and bookshelves, and maybe even a nice comfortable rug.  You’ll then have yourself a great playroom that will keep the kids close for easy playtime supervision.

What are your thoughts on the dining room? Do you have one and use it or have you repurposed it for another use? If you’re thinking of buying a new home, will a dining room be on your “must have” list for floor plans?