Welcome to the 870th Metamorphosis Monday! Before we get into today’s post, how about a little eye candy to start your week? Last week, I mentioned that I had once again stumbled across the sunroom where I first saw and fell in love with some pretty, scalloped-designed wicker furniture. I knew I had seen it on Instagram, but couldn’t remember where until I came across the cover of this book by the talented designer, Gil Schafer. Having already purchased one of his books years ago, I wasn’t surprised to find that this beautiful sunroom was one of his designs. Here they are together in my study: the ottoman and the room that inspired it. (The book, Home at Last, is available here: Home At Last. Ottoman is available here: Ottoman with Scallop Design.)
Mr. Turkey arrived last week and he’s a handsome guy! His colors are brighter and prettier in person than they appear in my early morning photo.
After he arrived, I liked him so much that I ordered the matching gravy boat and salt/pepper shakers. The cute shakers arrived yesterday, and the gravy boat should be here today. Looking forward to sharing a table with these charming pieces this Thursday. In the meantime, you’ll find this beautiful, large tureen available here: Spode Woodland Turkey Tureen. Gravy Boat is available here: Spode Woodland Gravy Boat. Salt and Pepper shakers are available here: Salt & Pepper Shakers.
So, a crazy idea popped into my head a few days ago, something I’m super tempted to do, but probably won’t. The dining room in the Dollhouse is not the biggest in the world. Without the built-in shelving down the right wall, it would have been wider, but the thing that is most throwing me off is that there really isn’t a great place for your average-size buffet.
In Georgia, I have a buffet and a mirror on one side of the room. A china cabinet is on the other side.
I don’t need a china cabinet here in the Dollhouse since there’s a whole wall of shelving (that I hope to add glass doors to) for storing china/dishes. If I do one day move here full-time, I really would like to have a buffet with a mirror above it, preferably the same mirror that’s currently in the dining room.
I wish that when this home was built, they had installed two windows down the wall on the left and left a spot in the center between the windows for a buffet or sideboard.
What started me thinking about all this was I realized if I move here full-time, this living room will probably go unused the vast majority of the time. I don’t plan to place a TV in this room since I have the movie room downstairs in the basement. Plus, I almost never watch TV anyway. I do have “living room” furniture for this room, and I already know just how I would arrange it, but I don’t think it would get used very often.
The only time this room would probably be used is when I’m reading in the seating area I have planned for this end of the room.
In this wide-angle view of the room, you can see it’s a much larger room than the dining room. A buffet would easily fit on the left wall in the photo below with tons of room to spare.
And, I’ve always dreamed of having a dining room with a fireplace.
If I turned the living room into a large dining room, this smallish dining room could become a keeping room. I’ll never forget the wonderful keeping room I saw in a home many years ago. The house was a newer home, so it was designed with a keeping room off the kitchen. The keeping room included a plush love seat that faced a beautiful rock/stone fireplace, along with two cozy reading chairs. I would have lived in that room all day, every day. I’ll probably end up trying to find two smaller buffets to go on either side of the window on the left.
Do you use your living room, or do you have a dedicated TV room somewhere else in your home? I remember my mother and father-in-law’s home had a living room that was used when they had family or friends over, especially during the holidays. The rest of the time, they spent their evenings watching TV in a small den that was located in another area of the home. Do you have a movie room or a den where you spend your time in the evening? I seem to spend most of my time in my study/office, where I love to read and do puzzles when I’m not working on a post. When family visits, after dinner, we usually head down to the movie room to watch a movie. Have you ever thought of turning your living room into a dining room?
I’ll probably end up trying to find two smaller buffets to go on either side of the window on the left.
Looking forward to all the wonderful Before and Afters linked for this week’s Met Monday! Like to know when a new blog post is up? Subscribe for email updates (it’s free) and your email will never be shared. Subscribe for free email post updates here: Subscribe.
Metamorphosis Monday: Metamorphosis Monday is a party that’s all about Before and Afters. Please link up your Before and After projects, like DIY projects, room makeovers, craft projects, and even recipes. Please do not link up Table Settings; save those for our Tablescape Thursday party on Thursday. If you are participating in Met Monday, link your post to the party using the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on the name of your post, then copy and paste the address (that shows in the address bar at the top of your blog) into the “URL” box for InLinkz when prompted.
Looks like it would be a great dining room! And I like the idea of the keeping room, too.
I believe everyone uses their home differently. We have both a large living room and a dining room but also a finished basement that is a bar and a movie theater. We used to entertain down stairs more often but now that my sister-in-law is wheelchair bound, we keep our family functions upstairs. I’m glad to have that room even when it may be used just a few times a year. I have been using it recently to work on a cross stitch project because the room has 7 windows and gets so much light. If you want a larger dining room, I say go for it.
I love the idea of a larger fireside Dining Room and a Keeping Room with the shelves. I think it would be fantastic! I am a Realtor in the Atlanta area and I personally think this would be the perfect solution. Can’t wait to hear what you decide. Have a great week!
I love the idea of turning the LR into a DR! Hardly anyone uses a formal DR anymore. With the larger space, you could do so much more decorating. And isn’t that the room with the wall of china and glassware? Haven’t heard of the concept of a keeping room, but seems to me, it would fit your lifestyle much more. If you do decide, to keep the DR as is, what about a corner china cabinet? I have that in my house. Love your blog! So much great info!
If you’ve always wanted a dining room with a fireplace, go for it! You know better than anyone how the spaces in your home are used and it sounds like a keeping room would be perfect for you, just beside the kitchen.
We never watch regular tv but have a lovely “den” tv room in one of the rooms upstairs for when guests come. It was the 4th bedroom but now is our den. I don’t like the look of a tv in a living room so it worked well doing that. I think trading rooms would be great, Susan. Now I have a question that you may dislike – but have you considered maybe tearing out those shelves to make more room for the dining room buffet? Shelves are nice in home offices/ libraries but they are busy and disruptive in any other space. That’s what I’d consider doing in that space. They’re not great looking though I know they hold a lot for you, but isn’t a good design element there. Just b/c it’s there doesn’t mean it has to stay. Just my humble opinion. No offense, of course.
I agree with Michele. I would remove the book shelves to allow your formal buffet and mirror to hang on that wall. I would look into purchasing two dressers/chests that match your dining room suite. You could hang some nice artwork above them. Even putting glass doors on those bookshelves would not dress them up enough for your formal dining room.
If you did switch the living room with the dining room, I would have two nice upholstered chairs facing each other in front of the fireplace.
How fun to have options! Whatever you end up doing, I’m sure it will be beautiful! Looking forward to how you handle this dilemma!
Just a couple thoughts. I know people that have swapped the way they use rooms and it’s worked. BUT….it would seem odd to have all that lovely china storage area in a reading/keeping room rather than in the area where your dinning table and buffet are. I would miss a living room, and it could be made to be a casual living room rather than “formal”. Trust me, there will come a day when your grandsons are teenagers, that they will want their own play space (movie room) and the adults would prefer to be seperate for talking or playing cards or games. Just my thought. It’s true my husband and I spend most of our time in our family room, but because it is smaller, when we have more than one couple we often sit and visit in our living room. If you move to the Doll House permanently one day, you will no doubt make other friends besides your family and you might want to have a book club in or some ladies group and entertaining in a living room would seem more comfortable and large enough. Just a few thoughts.
Go crazy and change it up!! Nothing says you can’t change your mind and redo it again later, especially if you find you don’t like it when you move it. Or just move the dining room table in there for the time being and see if it is what you really want! Nothing like actually moving it and watching the room take shape to see if it is what you really want.
I have a dining room with a fireplace at the end that I’ve turned into a keeping room. I like it. It was supposed to be a really long living room, but the views were better from the ‘dining’ room; so I switched it out. Not sorry.
We recently moved and downsized a bit to a house that doesn’t have a formal dining room, so I did turn the living room into our dining room! I have room for my large table and china cabinet, and it has a fireplace. We wouldn’t have used that room as a living room as we have a very large family room with an 83″ TV, so my husband is always in that room. We also have an area in our kitchen for a smaller table, and that’s where we have casual meals and do puzzles. I think it’s a great idea for your dining room, especially since you probably won’t use that room otherwise.
I did exactly that! In my previous house, the dining room was much smaller than the living room. When we did some renovation, we turned the living room into a dining room and hung a pretty chandelier. It had better light than the old dining room and a better view outside. The old dining room became my office. It was smaller and cozy and we installed a glass pocket door between that room and the kitchen. On one end of the room were French doors that led to a porch. We had a clerestory window installed on one wall, which gave us more light but still had privacy. I never regretted switching rooms!
Do it, or at least try it! It really seems to me that a large dining room and a keeping room would work great for you! You have such beautiful dining room furniture in Georgia. Can’t wait to see what you decide.
I would most definitely turn the living room into dining room. You tablescape all the time. You like to create dining spaces. It would make a beautiful dining room. You would love filling the built-in shelves with decorative objects and books about decorating. With a comfortable seat and beautiful lamp. I think it’s a wonderful idea!
Susan I think flipping those rooms is a great idea. Since you’ve always wanted a fireplace in the dining room now is your chance. It’s okay to do things differently when you move into a new place. In fact you should! This year I downsized from my house to a condo after I renovated and am so happy I did some things different. By the way, I’m just curious what is keeping you from moving full time to the Doll House. If that is too personal forgive me for asking.
Susan I think it is a no brainer! It is your house and you love a large dining room! You could put all your china and collectibles in there and make the dining room a keeping room or library? A small electric fireplace would make it extra cozy.
Susan, my mother made just such a change. The more spacious “new” dining room was a success in so many ways. The former dining room became a sitting room. She enjoyed a retreat for reading, crosswords, and music. I agree with the suggestion to move your current table into the potential dining room…live with that change for a bit.
I look forward to what you ultimately decide because I’ve loved everything you’ve done to both homes! My only thought would be that I’ve never seen a home in which the front/guest entrance into the home opens directly into the dining room. I think I’d make the living room “less formal” making it into your “cozy keeping room” with the fireplace. If you ultimately decide to keep your more formal dining set, have you considered removing some of the shelving in the present dining room or expanding the area a few feet into the back yard and moving the window in the process? It may be that you’d find you’d use your living room more once your grandsons are adults and “conversation” in comfortable seating after dining trumps tv and games.
I say try it! Your beautiful mirror and chandelier deserve a place to be seen. I’ve always thought a fireplace in a dining room would be so cozy. Would you have space for a Christmas tree? I also love the idea of a keeping room. I think your shelves are perfect for your china and also a great place for cookbooks. It’s your home and you know how you want to live in it. Go for it!
It is so true that everyone uses their space differently. We downsized to our current home 8 years ago and the design is not the same as our traditional 2 story was. The previous owners used the larger formal living room as the dining room as they entertained often and formally. The smaller dining room was used as an office. We switched them back as our gatherings are informal and include primarily family and grandkids. However, the living room collects dust as we never use it. We have a large great room and a basement casual room for games and TV. Our daughter in New England uses every inch of her space as the cost of real estate in the city does not allow many people to have duplicate spaces. I think your idea sounds great and I love the idea of a “Keeping room”. It sounds so cozy and perfect for reading. I look forward to your decision!
Why not switch out the rooms? I think your “living room” will be perfect for a dining room. Having the warmth of a fire will enhance the meal. Then you can have a small “keeping room.”
Do it! Nothing is nicer than having a luxurious dining room with a fireplace! You can still use the built in cabinets in the keeping room but put solid doors on the bottom and glass or no doors on the top to store books, games and decor. Comfy dining chairs are a must in a great dining room. I have nice chairs, but they aren’t very comfortable so everyone is ready to move when the meal is finished. In our outdoor living area we have comfy chairs and people are happy to linger at the table. Have you made the decision to sell yet?
I would definitely make the living room into a dining room. Having a fire when you are having family dinners would be wonderful and so cozy!! And think what you could do for Christmas!! In two of our homes we had a living room and a family room but since it was just the two of us we turned the living room into a dining room which worked out great. We still had a TV in the family room but also a nice big dining room for family dinners. I think your idea of making the dining room a sitting room is great too. I would love to have a reading snug but don’t have a good place for it.
Why care what the room was originally “called” on some blueprint? I obviously don’t really know you, but from your lovely blog it is obvious you love being able to have a large, functioning dining room — to decorate, to change for seasons and events, to serve family and friends! And you love the idea of a cozy reading room for yourself. I say switch them, don’t look back and thoroughly enjoy both rooms more. Sounds like a great idea to me.
One more comment – you have got to find a place for that magnificent mirror in the Georgia house dining room!!
I turned a living room into a dining room and love it! We have an older home and added a large den, office and new laundry room a few years ago. Once we had the den, I knew I wanted to make a dining room out of my previous living room. My house had a small dining space on one end of the kitchen. We still maintain a small round table for 4 in that space for everyday meals. But I love having a large dining room. Are the shelves in your living room enough to accommodate your china? I also agree with the other commenter that maybe you could consider taking the shelving out of your current dining area to give more space. Plus, it would give you a wall to put a buffet on. Lots to consider but you do have options. I really like the idea of making your living room the dining room and using the other space as a keeping room. You could then use your snack bar/counter for everyday meals. Good luck deciding what to do. Can’t wait to find out how this turns out! I know it will be great!!
Your living room would make a beautiful dining room!
Susan, I absolutely love your idea and think you should go for it!! Both the dining room and keeping room will be stunning under your beautiful designs.
I know a woman who did this quite successfully, and I considered it in my last house before we downsized to our current home. Dining rooms can often by a bit tight while living rooms can be so large as to not feel “cozy.” I vote for cozy every time.
I have three family members who use power wheelchairs. We have had Christmas morning brunch here, and several dinners. After the first of these, I started thinking about swapping my Living and dining rooms, which are next to each other. After careful measuring, we found that the furniture would not fit. The LR being larger, would have to keep several pieces, and we would not gain enough space to make it worth the effort.
Sounds like a great idea. I think I would also put some of your special china pieces on the bookshelves in the current LR and the rest of it in a buffet/china cabinet. I’d put the books in the “keeping room” to have a cozy keeping room/library.
I think I would do this too. The dining room would be large enough to have large, upholstered & comfortable chairs to encourage lingering and visiting. And it should be large enough to have your buffet and maybe an additional china cabinet. It won’t be long before the grandsons will disappear into the basement with their girlfriends, etc. That leaves the current dining room to be used as a sitting room; I’d leave the bookshelves in place and fill the shelves with my books. I know it would be where I would spend most of my time!
I would go for it!!! I can envision your living room as a dining room, especially with that fireplace!!! You seem to have other spaces to gather for TV watching, card playing, puzzle building. With your talent and that space, I think you could transform it into a room where you would create many family memories for years to come!!
Many years ago we switched our LR and DR. The dining area was small and we actually used it a lot for family gatherings several times a month. We rarely used the living room. So I turned the dining room into a sitting room and it was perfect. Just a small sofa and two comfy chairs, a little wine bar and a few side tables. We already had a large TV room that we used primarily. Then about 8 years ago we did a whole house renovation and decided to stick with a large dining room and small sitting room format. It is a bit unconventional to have a large dining area these days, but even as empty nesters we still use ours a lot and can comfortably seat 12-14. We’ve squeezed in many more for a more “cozy” experience!
I changed my living room into my dining room. The living room was right next to the family room & it didn’t make sense to have two couches so close to each other. My dining room was small so I made that into an office. Even tho the dining room is farther from the kitchen it still works. Now I can have the table & the eight chairs always ready. Works for me.
I think swapping rooms wins! I read all the comments and I agree. But…. I do like the suggestion to move the dining furniture into the living room for a while before making a final decision and see if after time you are still loving the change.
We have two rooms ‘behind’ our kitchen and I automatically assumed the fireplace would be in the living room. That said, now when you open the front door you’re looking into the dining room lol. I later realized the front door should open to the living room but the furniture is waaay too much to move. We use our dining room every single day. We cozy around the fireplace in the winter. I’ve probably got it all wrong but it works for us. Can’t wait to see your dining room redux and how lucky are you to already have China storage in your keeping room!
I did it, Susan! In our current cottage home, you walk in and there’s a tiny foyer. The former LR was on the right, and the dining area was set within the great room/kitchen to the left. I couldn’t figure out how to arrange what I had for DR furniture in that great room, so my realtor and I played with the DR furniture in the LR in its current configuration. I have a fireplace in the now DR, and I placed two cushioned chairs flanking a buffet, making it a place to sit and read also. There’s a small bookcase behind one of those chairs, which is just next to the fireplace. It works great. No turning back.
In my great room, I bought a traditional DR set that has a gateleg table that is mostly used as a small breakfast seating area with both sides (legs) down, but has the capability of opening to seat six. We just use two chairs there unless we have company.
I say play with the layout, you may love it.
Of course you want the keeping room. Put solid doors on the bottom of your shelving and swap out the books for your more decorative or seasonal china pieces. Then be sure your counter seating is very comfy, and you have seating for 4 people to gather in your keeping room. Your dining area seems more important to you, and you might have room for a couple of chairs by the fireplace. (Do consider lighting for your photos.)
We did that a few years ago. We knocked the wall between the kitchen& the old dining room to make the kitchen bigger. Then we made the living room the dining room. We have a family room & never used the living room, it has worked out well!!!!!
While there is so little furniture to move, try swapping rooms and making changes the are easy to undo. (meaning NOT moving windows or NOT removing those bookshelves) Just to get a bit more sense of how the two rooms would feel. Also, how great would that fireplace be for all the upcoming seasonal and holiday tablescapes! I can already picture the turkey tureen with a roaring fire behind him
Having a fireplace in the dining room is a fantastic idea!
Our TV is in the den. We spend most of time in the living room though. We benefit from seeing the living room fireplace from the dining area. I’m looking forward to fireplace season.
We use our dining room as an office. We put two window paned doors in the doorway.
I think moving the rooms would be brilliant! When my son was sick, we moved him into the dining room, moved the dining room into the living room, and moved the piano into the little back room that nobody knows what it was originally for. I absolutely loved being able to see the fire from the dinner table, and I really didn’t want to move it back when the time came. I say go for it! It sounds like it would work much better for the way you actually live. (And thanks as always for the party!) Hope you have a great week!
You should try swapping the rooms! You can always switch back if you don’t love it! And add a gas fireplace to your keeping room for good measure!
I think it is a great idea. You actually could make the dining room into a combination keeping room and butler’s pantry, since you have all your china stored on the shelves.
I have a very small house so we converted the garage into a family room. That left me with a small living room which I call my parlor and where I have my piano. It could hold a formal dining table and hutch easily. We are always in the FR and the kitchen has dine-in room for a table. I like the suggestions of moving your table into the living room just to visualize because having a fireplace in the dining area sounds wonderful for decorating.
I have a friend who “swapped” her living room and dining room and was very happy with the arrangement.
Susan, what you have done to the Doll House is amazing. I would not move the DR. Too many times when rooms are repurposed they look like they’re “repurposed” and something is always a little off. As for the current DR space I’m afraid it may be too cluttered if you add the furniture pieces you are considering. I like a serene space for dining and would not care to look at all the dish collections in the room as it is. I’d find another space for the dishes and change the shelving space maybe even take it out and drywall the area.
Definitely I would make living room the dining room. Dining room would be perfect for keeping room. I’ve seen this look and it’s beautiful.
I’m one for using every room in the house as often as possible.
I designed a house once where we did what you’ve thought about. The living room was large. We would have to design two conversations areas to keep it intimate. But in fact, she rarely entertained large groups. She preferred smaller gatherings. One decently sized living room would be enough since she already had a lovely family room. But her favorite thing was to have people over for dinner. Most of those evenings were spent sitting at table. Both rooms had fireplaces. So, we flipped the dining room and the living room.
On one end of the new dining room we created a quasi sitting room/library.
We added handsome book shelves with nice traditional moulding around the fireplace. There were two beautiful love seats, comfortable upholstered chairs, side tables for cocktails, warm lighting, nice lamps, etc. You could easily go in there for a cozy read. The other end was the dining space that allowed for a significantly sized dining table and a gorgeous china cabinet and buffet. The owner was pleased because the room ended up being used quite often. People like gathering in that room for cocktails. When at table the bookish library space and fireplace on the other end made the room very comfortable and inviting.
In your case, I think a keeping room would work very well, being open to the kitchen, especially since you already have the basement for movies, fun and games. You could add a small round table for enjoying tea or coffee, etc. You could keep the china where it is, maybe adding nice, family friendly cabinet doors, or even move it to the current living room (if room could be made to accommodate it), and remove the existing shelves for more space. Many options. I’d say go for it! Your family and friends would very likely love being cosy in a warm, pretty space near the kitchen. As they say, the kitchen is the heart the home and people just like being there.
move the rooms around. current living room has space for a sofa and chairs at other end. I would put doors on all shelving.
I absolutely agree with everybody that you should do it. You can always change it again later. Things to think about are lighting over the table, what will people see first when they come in the front door, and where will you put your Christmas tree? I love the idea of a keeping room, I’ve always wanted something like that. Instead of glassing in those shelves, you could put books on them and get appropriate display pieces for the larger new dining area. Go for it! There’s nobody that says rooms have to be defined, think about the times you change a bedroom to an office.
We did that in a house we had years ago. We made the living room into the dining room and had a small couch and even a small TV in what was the dining room. I loved it and we wound up using both the rooms more.
I agree with the ladies that would take out the built in shelves and leave the rooms in that beautiful cottage as they are.
I say go for it! Just start with moving the dining table and chairs in there and live with it like that for a bit. You will get a better idea of how it would look and function. If you don’t like it, move it back, no big deal. If you like it then add the buffet you want. Otherwise, it always be in the back of your mind.
I believe in lots of family time. As such we did something different. People will add on a bedroom or a family room but we built on a dining room! We have big family dinners for every birthday celebration. Never regret it. We have a smaller living room and it works for us. But we spend hours around our dining room table. Eating and playing games. I love it and hope it lives on in the family’s memories for a long long time!!
We did this at our old house because a friend had done it and we thought it was a great idea. There was more room for people to move around and it made us choose to linger and visit longer.
I love the idea of turning the living room into a dining room instead. Why couldn’t you then turn the old dining room into a cozy den/sitting room?
Whatever you do, I know it will be beautiful! When we bought our house years ago, the dining room was pretty small so I suggested to my husband that we flip it with the living room since we also have a family room, but we never did. For us, it’s been a good decision in hindsight as while I love having a dining room and dishes, we don’t really host much – my parents still host holidays and most of the family is up to a 2 hour drive away, so we visit them. Now we enjoy TV, movies and reading in the living room, and use our family room/great room for relaxing and reading by the fireplace since the TV isn’t as good in there. We also have a finished basement with another TV where my husband entertains his friends, and a nice deck with an outdoor bar + TV in the summer, plus a kitchen table and peninsula with counter stools, so we have lots of options for lounging and eating. I still decorate our dining room and use it for a buffet service or seating on the rare occasions we have family over, if we don’t eat in the kitchen. I really like the idea from the reader who suggested moving your table in the living room for starters to see how it feels! Can’t wait to see what you do no matter what you decide!
Yes we did turn our living room into a large dining room. It had wood floors, a brick fireplace and bookcases where I stored dishes on the bottom two shelves behind cafe curtains I made. We loved that dining room, the space, the gatherings and it was super fun to decorate. I loved having a formal space for my pretties and a larger table for laying out projects. We actually left the original small dining area as a breakfast room because we still had children at home so we built a new living and proper entrance to use for entertaining, reading, the Christmas Tree and gatherings. I LOVE the idea of a keeping room, ALWAYS wanted one. Such a charming feature. We moved one year ago today and in part bought this home for its large, formal dining room…I still have all my pretties. your room is a perfect space for a dining room and you should go for it.
Do it, Susan! It makes perfect sense. AND, you’ve always wanted a dining room with bookshelves, so between the fireplace, the bookshelves and the wallspace, you could make it a fantastic dining room. My first thought as I started to read your post was, oh, then she could make her current dining room a keeping room! Haha. As I read more, that’s exactly what you said. And it could be so cozy. I actually like this idea very much and think it could work well for you. And as you said, you spend most of your living room time in the movie room, so I don’t really see a downside. Can’t wait to see what you decide!
In one of my houses I used the living room as the dining room and loved it. Much better use of the space. I say go for it.