Re-envisioning The Dining Room - Firoozeh Khorrami, CID

Beach Style Dining Room by Lakeville Architects & Building Designers

For many of us, our dining rooms sit vacant and unused, sometimes for many months during the year. Some people only seem to use it for Thanksgiving or other holiday dinners. With the popularity of the open plan kitchen / family room, the way of the formal dining room seems to be on the way out… or is it? Perhaps all we need to do is drop the adjective ‘formal’ and re-imagine dining room as a space, not only where families enjoy meals together; but a bibliotheque, a craft room, and a unique space that can accommodate many other functions.

Contemporary Dining Room by San Anselmo Interior Designers & Decorators Ann Lowengart Interiors

We think the dining room is having a comeback! After all, there is a premium on the space in our homes so why would we want a valuable piece of real-estate like the dining room to sit idle? To that end, we have re-envisioned the dining room as a space not only for dining with friends and family but also a place to be surrounded with art, books and other accessories that the family uses and enjoys. It should be a place that stimulates conversation, warmth and a sense of well-being and allows family members to use it for other important functions.

Contemporary Dining Room by Laguna Beach Interior Designers & Decorators

Michael Fullen Design Group

The multi-purpose dining room can transform into a work room for homework and studies, a craft room for all kinds of projects, a place to do a jig-saw puzzle or lay-out a dress pattern. We love to see the dining room function as a library with book shelves lined with the homeowners favorite and most beautiful books. The dining room breakfront which traditionally stored china and place settings can also have concealed storage for craft items, games, computer accessories and other useful things.