Changing the Functionality of Rooms

18 years ago

I'm thinking of changing the functionality of the rooms on my main level and am looking for opinions. Below is the existing layout of my downstairs. We spend the majority of our time in the Great Room and the kitchen, so I'm trying to make some of the other rooms more useable. We are planning a kitchen renovation, so I'm trying to get this figured out at the same time. I was originally going to make the current FR(upper left) into the "everyday eating area" and keep the DR and LR as is. Our DR is on the smaller side and as a result rarely used.

What if I make the DR(disregard arrows) the casual eating area(we will be opening up that wall and will move powder room door), make the LR(which is bigger than the DR) the DR and leave the current family room as is. Have had some negative feedback that it would be strange to have 2 dining areas in the front of the house. As pictured below, I was thinking of having the casual eating table closer to the kitchen side and also adding a couple of oversized chairs to make it look less "dining like." All thoughts are appreciated.

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Comments (9)

babelphissh
18 years ago
Could you give some more infor about the Great Room.. as in size.. is the wall at the kitchen and dining room a support wall?
malhgold
Original Author
18 years ago
The Great Room is 22' X 25'. The wall at the kitchen and DR is a load bearing wall. Was told I would just need to put in a header.
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soshh
18 years ago
How about making the kitchen/family room into a big country kitchen/dining space? It's big enough you could have a club chair or two in there.

Then, make the small DR into an English study inspired media room. Close enough to the kitchen but a little separated.

The LR can stay as is.

Of course, this all depends on the style of your home and how you entertain.
lyfia
18 years ago
I think I would prefer keeping the family room as dining, but I'm an informal entertainer. I'd like that space because you could extend the table for when you have a lot of people.

I probably would use the current dining as and office/study area or a quiet place to go and read while I'm waiting for something to bake in the kitchen. Then for re-sale you still have a very configurable home if somebody would prefer the more traditional of having a separate dining room.
babelphissh
18 years ago

{{!gwi}}
michelleback
18 years ago
When we remodeled our kitchen 15 months ago, we opened our kitchen into the formal dining room. We now use that room everyday and since the room is the same size as before the remodel, we have all our company dinners in there as well. My kitchen now has an island for breakfast/snacks but we use our dining table for all dinners. I furnished the room slightly nicer than a breakfast nook but less formal than a traditional dining room. You may not need to convert your living room to a dining room if the DR can still serve your entertaining needs.
malhgold
Original Author
18 years ago
clayladylei - you have me intrigued. I do like take out and eating out, but where is the "kitchen"?
babelphissh
18 years ago
Does this help?
{{!gwi}}
CaroleOH
18 years ago
It sounds like you have too much room! Which is a good problem to have.

I would open up the wall to the Great Room - I do think Clayladyei's mockup of that looks nice.

Would use the family room as a more formal dining area - not Queen Anne style, but one that is in line with the cabinets you pick out for the kitchen. I would expand the kitchen to include cabinets where clayladyei has the game table and I'd wrap around that corner a bit. Where your dining room used to be, I'd either do a smaller table and chairs - maybe the size of a game table - basically a smaller eating area near the Great Room.

Then for the LR, I'd do some french doors so you can close it off a bit and make it a den. A quiet place to read, watch TV, take a nap! The rest of your home will be open and great for entertaining, but I'd want a hideaway if you're kids have friends over etc...you can have peace in your den!

Would it be possible to move the powder bath to the other side of the house? That's the only area I'm not sure how to work the kitchen around. Do you have an architect who could give you some suggestions on cabinet placement etc.?