13 Superb Alternative Uses for a Formal Dining Room

In today’s busy living, the concept of a formal dining room, like the formal living room, is almost obsolete. Because quite frankly, how often do you get to use the area? The truth is, your dining room is generally under-used. Therefore, it’s best to find cool alternative uses for the formal dining room and not let that living space go waste! 

There was a time when most houses were built with an extra room near the front of the house — just so you could have a formal meal with your guests and family. The compartmentalized floor plan was such that the living area was divided into formal and informal areas. 

But, today, most of the new homes are designed with an open floor concept — with an open kitchen and dining area next to each other. Moreover, families, these days prefer casually sitting around a kitchen island for a cozy mealtime. 

So, who wants to waste so much good space? It’s a good idea to find alternative uses for your formal dining room. Get inspired by these 13 awesome ideas and convert your dining space into useful rooms for your family activities.

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1. Guest room

If you don’t have an extra room for your visiting guests, you can remodel your existing dining room into a guest bedroom. The room will ensure comfort and privacy for your overnight guests. Think of installing a Murphy bed that can stay up when not needed. That way, you can use the space in other functional ways too.

2. Home office

A good alternative use for a formal dining room is to convert it into a well-designed home office. Especially if you work from home. You can use the abundant space to set up a desk and shelves for storing your emails, files, and folders. Since a dining room is close to the front door, it allows a fairly discrete entry to your clients without letting it affect the entire household.  

3. Hobby room

More often than not, we end up using our dining room table for crafts projects rather than for eating meals. Why not turn the area into a dedicated hobby or crafts room instead of hosting dinner parties? You can let your creativity flow and not be disturbed by the chaos outside. And, you already have a dining table and dining chairs to work on! Just add some good storage ideas for keeping your craft supplies handy.

4. Homework station

Having older kids would mean more requirements for space, especially for completing the ubiquitous homework projects. You can create an exclusive homework station where they can sit and do their school work. Do remember to provide them with the necessary stationery items and reference books for the assignments.  

Read more: 6 essential family room remodeling ideas

5. Home theater or TV room

A superb idea is to turn your formal dining room into an entertainment room. You can binge on your favorite movies, sports programs, or TV shows. Add some comfortable seating and good lighting — and the perfect spot to relax is ready. 

6. Bar 

If you have an extra room in the house, there’s so much you can do with it. You can even have your own home bar with a cool bar cart, a high-top table, and bar stools. So, the next time you feel like having a drink, instead of going out for cocktails and beers, invite your friends to your dining-room-turned home bar. 

Read more: Home bar ideas

7. Nursery

Babies need space. What with all the paraphernalia of the crib, changing table, baby clothing, and toys. You’ll always need additional space. Converting your dining room area into a beautiful nursery will come in handy — especially if you’re in two minds whether or not to look for a bigger house.

8. Music room

If you’re an aspiring musician — dreaming about having your own music album someday or looking for a place to listen to your record collection, a music room is what you need. Why don’t you use your dining space as an acoustic room or music studio? Create the perfect room to crank out the tunes. Do remember to soundproof the room for a great musical experience. 

9. YouTube studio

If you’re great at making YouTube videos or are a fashion influencer, you’ll need to set up a YouTube studio right in your house. A redundant dining room can be the perfect creativity hub for your inspirations and online creations. 

10. Game room

Want to invite your pals over for a game of pool, ping-pong, or video games? Well, you have the room for it! Yes, convert your formal dining room into a game room and create the ultimate gaming arcade. 

Read more: Cool Ideas to Get the Most Stunning Gaming Room Setup

11. Home gym

Why get an expensive gym membership, when you can simply roll out of bed and work out in a small home gym? Create a space dedicated to exercising right in your house by making changes to your formal dining room. Whether you’re into running on the treadmill, using kettlebells, or a yoga enthusiast — turning your unused dining room into a mini-gym is one of the best design and decor ideas you’ll have.

Read more: Big home gym idea by expert architect

12. Play area

Want to be able to keep an eye on your kids while you tackle your day-day kitchen tasks? Just turn the adjacent formal dining room into a safe play area. Get all the toys, games, and books out and arrange them on-wall-mounted open shelving. 

13. Home library

A really good alternative use for a formal dining room is turning it into a literary haven. If you or your children are book lovers, you can have a library — right in your own house. How cool is that? Add some colorful bookshelves, a comfortable reading chair, and bright lighting — and you’re set.

Last words

Wasting an entire room just for formal dining that you would barely use, is a luxury — especially when space comes at a premium. No wonder, many homeowners are rethinking their formal dining space with the help of an interior designer. They’re finding creative ways to utilize this area. We hope these cool alternative uses for formal dining room will inspire you to turn the room into an area that you’ll actually use.

Read more: Great ideas for your transitional dining room

Written by Ramona Sinha. October 12, 2020

Ramona is a content writer for Kukun. This experienced blogger uses simple and succinct words to decipher the complex phenomenon called life. An avid traveler, she’s a digital nomad at heart and an animal lover from the depths of her soul.