There are several trends in the housing market that are causing families to rethink the way they traditionally use the rooms in their homes to make them more multi-purpose. We are seeing more multi-generational homes where grandparents, their children and grandchildren all share one dwelling. Many empty nesters are choosing to downsize, moving into smaller bungalows and condos. There is also a trend towards homes and condos that are built smaller, the principle behind it being we can create less of an environmental footprint and live a simpler, less cluttered life. As a result, greater focus is being put on designing homes with rooms that are efficient, using less space.
This trend poses an exciting challenge when it comes to decorating and furnishing your home. Selecting smart, versatile pieces for these rooms is key.
Here are three of the most common multi-purpose rooms we see in our clients’ homes and clever ways to furnish them:
Kitchen/Dining Room
Many people are opting to omit the traditional dining room from their home. Instead, they use a longer table in their kitchen like the Wolfgang that serves as both the kitchen and dining room table and bar stools like the Linda, set beside a tall counter for quick, on-the-go dining. When hosting guests, this same countertop acts as a buffet.
There are major benefits to this set up as the cook gets to socialize (it’s easy to get caught up in the kitchen duties) and it frees up the traditional dining room space, often under-utilized, to serve a different, more heavily trafficked purpose in the house.
Spare Bedroom/Office
Chances are if your spare bedroom is playing double duty as an office, it is most often being used as an office. A guest bedroom is intended to be inviting, clean and comfortable and who doesn’t want an office like that? The way to make these two functions combine cohesively is to pick office furniture like the Cascadia Console, which has finishings and lines you’d find in a bedroom, but still provides the functionality needed for an office workspace. Instead of a traditional filing cabinet, opt for a piece like the Sequel Storage Cabinet, which could even double as a bedside table. A daybed or pull out couch takes up less space, offers seating, and makes the room feel more like an office than somewhere you may be tempted to take a nap!
Living Room/TV room
The traditional living room, once reserved for seating and entertaining guests, is being fused with the TV room where families can gather for anything from movie night to hosting a holiday party. The key to making this space comfortable no matter the occasion is creating ample seating within the space. Sectionals like the Calcutta are perfect for this. They can also serve as natural dividers within a room, for example, if you want to create a section that doubles as an office, or a family computer area that we are seeing more of every year.
The more storage you can create in this popular section of the home, the better. Used as side tables, ottomans with lids like the Uno allow for quick cleanup and storage when surprise guests arrive. Coffee tables with built-in storage shelves such as the Prive are ideal because they make commonly used items like remotes, iPads, books and magazines easily accessible and easy to tuck away.
Dining Room/Game Room
A games/dining room is a great way to create a spot in your home for entertaining guests. This can be achieved easily with the Fusion Dining Table, which converts to a billiards table when the top is removed. Its sleek benches match any decor and can be moved around with ease to create extra seating.
A big trend in dining room furniture you can leverage during your next poker night is the popularity of round dining tables like the Ca’ D’Oro. Its murano glass provides an unexpected and feminine twist on the traditional round, wooden poker table.
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While challenging, the multi-purpose room truly allows creativity and novel thinking to happen when it comes to design.
