As part of my continuing series, examining and reimagining our homes while we figure out our new world of living with coronavirus and self-isolating, today we’ll talk about our dining rooms and how they can work for us in challenging times.

The formal dining room has actually been a subject of examination for years. Do we still need one? Is an eating area in a great room the way to go? And in our new era, I say yes. To both. To all. To any. The one good thing to come out of a crisis like this is that we can rethink everything - even how our homes are used. Your home should work FOR you, and for how you want to live. Throw out the rule book, and consider these three possibilities for your dining room.

Open Them Up

Dining areas within our great rooms were always about gathering in one space as a family, and I say let them continue to do that. We can’t isolate from the people we live with, so it’s a time to continue to enjoy meals as together as a family. This type of dining room has always been a bit multipurpose anyway. Zoom meeting in the mornings and dinner at 6!

Make It Work

If you do have a formal dining room, then it’s the perfect place for a work space - just shut the doors. Instant home office! You can make the situation more permanent by stashing your printer and office supplies in your credenza, and remove some of the chairs as needed. With a table at the ready, this room is best suited for transforming into an office. And admit it, you eat most of your meals in another room, anyway. Of all the changes the coronavirus as brought into our lives, I think working from home is going to be the permanent new normal for many of us.

Out of the Box

Of course, if you have a little-used formal dining room (don’t we all eat most meals at our kitchen islands anyway?) maybe it’s time to ditch the dining room and convert it into a room you’ve always dreamed of. That could be a full office, a library, a craft room - dream big! A time of great change can bring transformation, so keep that in mind in your home, too!

Stay safe and well.

Warmly,

Beth