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REMODELING AND REPURPOSING IN EXISTING HOMES Even among existing homeowners, home remodelers and designers report a wide range of reactions to the use of dining rooms. For some homeowners, the dining room is one space they may be willing to sacrifice to accommodate other needs, says Greg Jackson, president, Bennett Contracting, Inc., a home improvement contractor in Albany. “People like to open up their living area. Often, by taking a wall out [that separates the dining room], they 40 | Life@Home
will increase the size of the family room.” While the expenses and work related to remodeling can vary drastically depending on your existing home and the desired outcome, considering benefits versus costs is enough to motivate some homeowners to reconfigure their homes into a more usable space, Jackson says. “For people who entertain but like the company to be involved in the entertaining process, such as helping to prepare the meal or sharing a glass of wine with them, we do tend to open up a lot of the walls so
that it’s more of an open, interactive environment,” says Susan Spellmeyer, owner, SGS Interiors in Delmar. These configurations typically include counters with stools so the host can prepare the meal in the work area, while guests are seated across from them at an island, she says. In some cases, homeowners leave the dining room in place, but repurpose it to meet their needs. “If you have a breakfast room and a dining room, that’s a lot of space in your home that’s not being used,” says Jenna Burger, interior designer and blogger of SASinteriors.net in Saratoga Springs. “Given the economic times, as people may be downsizing in their homes, they’re strategically thinking about every use of space and how it can best be used instead of having nonusable space on a daily basis.” Even without remodeling, it’s possible to transform a dining room into a playroom, home office, exercise room, craft room, game room, laundry room, or sitting room. With the core walls and structure of the dining room intact, you can utilize design and décor items like furniture and shelving to fit the needs of the room you want to create, Burger says. For some homeowners, keeping a formal dining room is consistent with their lifestyle and personal preference. “It’s not a cut and dry situation. People who live in a very large home with many rooms and still do a lot of formal entertaining are keeping their dining rooms just as they had always been for entertaining,” Spellmeyer says. The demand for traditional formal dining room décor still exists. “My clients use the dining room as more formal areas of entertaining, They typically dedicate the space to dining and keep it at that,” says Lisa Santy, owner/designer of Pizazz Interior Design in Round Lake. While it may be one of the least used rooms in a home, Santy says, appropriate use of color and design can create a welcoming atmosphere. She recommends warm colors, chair and crown moldings, dimmer lighting, and a clean, uncluttered design to create a calm room for eating with guests, thereby keeping the original, intended use of the dining room alive and well.
Photo by Mark Samu.
A dining room turned into a casual family and lounging area.