My original plan for the new house was to set up my office in a little nook of the kid’s playroom.
Then, I came to my senses. I once caught my two-year-old “tweeting” when I had a separate office. I can only imagine what would happen if they had access to it all of the time. . . .
So, it’s on to plan “B”. My last office was tucked away in the back corner of the house, which worked great. But, I’m actually hoping for my new office to function a little differently, and not be quite so private. I envision the new space to be a place where I can have clients in for presentations, and where someone else can work along side of me on projects, if needed.
Before she ever saw the house, my friend Katie sent me this picture and asked if I had considered getting rid of our dining room in exchange for office space:
I thought it was perfect. Definitely more spacious than my original plan, and right by the front door, which makes it the perfect spot for those visitors that you don’t want to see how the rest of your house “really” looks.
So, here’s the future office of Emily A. Clark Interiors:
So far, I’ve removed the chandelier and have bought one major piece from Craigslist that I’ll be showing you soon.
My thoughts for the space? A big work table, lots of bookcases/storage, and a big light fixture.
This isn’t exactly what I have in mind, but I do love the big table in lieu of a desk, and the neutral color palette. (Image found here.)
As for the dining room, we have a large eat-in area in our kitchen where we can easily all sit. I don’t think we’ll even miss it—until our kids get older. (Don’t worry, I have a plan for then, too).
Sadly, we used our last dining room less than five times. . .
A couple of questions for you. . . Have you given up your dining room for another purpose? If you work as a designer in your home, do you have clients come to your office there, and how does that work?
That’s a great idea! Unfortunately my dining room is between living and family so not near front door although it could be repurposed into office particularly to see clients. Sadly use it infrequently too – Christmas, large get-togethers.
What an amazing window/light in that room! I think it’s a great idea…we don’t have a formal dining room, but I know we would never use it!
Emily, this is fantastic! Yay for great ideas, Katie! I am in the process of creating an office for my own business (so I’m all about the home office right now), too, but it will be in our finished basement…Yours will be much lighter and airier! :) Can’t wait to continue to see the process.
Can’t wait to see how this turns out! Despite my desperately wanting a formal dining room in our home, I love seeing alternative uses for the space!
Hi Emily. I can’t wait to see what you do with this space. You are one of the most talented people I’ve ever seen. Seriously. What a great introduction to your home and your style to have your office off the front door. Hurry and get it done :)
Perfect! I only wish I was neat enough to do the same thing.
A while back there was an article in House Beautiful in which a designer gave the advice that you should design your house around the way you live 360 days a year, not how you live those other five. That advice has stuck with me. He was making a point about guest bedrooms (if you only have visitors a couple weekends a year, it doesn’t make sense to have a room that only serves that one purpose), but I think it applies to your dining room as well. Way to think outside of the box. Can’t wait to see what you do with it!
I think (your project gone be great, like allways). I have a home office… but i don´t have a dinning room, so when i invite some people, we have to get dinner on garden… imagine on winter, eheheh!
Hope that all seems like you wont.
(sorry for my english, i´m portuguese…)
Kiss
Our dining room is now a play room! As much as I love the idea of a dining room, it would sit empty but for a couple times a year! Using the space to fit your needs is best! Great idea!
i cant wait to see what you do with it. the first room into our house is a setting room with a piano and did have our desk but we got rid of it because it was too big and left a horrible first impression. I would love to have an office there for the same reason that you do. I want my kids to not have secret access to a computer I want it to be in a public spot. Any, way I can’t wait to see what you do with it.
I’m excited for you and impressed that you are looking ahead. My family has gone through phases…I used to host family dinners. Now my parents can’t travel so we have gone to them for a few years. Some day I’ll be hosting again I’m sure. Time changes a family…if this is your “forever” house it needs to change too. Can’t wait to see what you do.
We gave up our dining room to make it a casual living room. We hardly ever used the dining room in our last house and as long as we had a large table in our kitchen, we knew we would never miss a dining room. Best decision ever!
Formal dining rooms are of the past. :)Sadly, you can’t buy a house without them today. In our house – I transformed it into a playroom (it was making me twitch having toys, etc., taking over the house! :)
Hi Emily –
I’m doing the exact same thing right now to my ‘formal’ dining room. We used it only for Thanksgiving and I hated that it just felt like wasted space. It makes me feel good that I’ll use it every day once it’s complete.
good idea!! we eliminated our very tiny eat in kitchen for an office in there! best idea i ever made!! we are looking for benches to go on either side of our table. do you mind me asking where you got yours?
Emily,
I think that’s a good idea. Can’t work with kids jumping all around and a big mess of toys. I can’t concentrate like that.
My dining room is actually the kids playroom at the moment. I don’t like that, but it’s the only place right now. Our basement is a bit too cold and humid, so they have all of their toys and a huge playHut tent in the middle of it. I can’t wait to sell this house, so we can find a proper place for their playroom. :-)
xo
Luciane at HomeBunch.com
LOVE the confidence of repurposing rooms, I do. We actually use our dining room every meal because our eat-in kitchen has been repurposed into a playroom that I wouldn’t give up for love or money. When I am able to give that up, we will flip flop and I will find another use for our dining room for sure. What is the point of having big spaces that aren’t used?! Yes, I want to look at my pretty things, but aren’t they that much more awesome when they have a point and we can enjoy them?!
I’m currently trying to figure out how to make our living room into a usable space instead of just a home for my revolving pillow obsession. I’m thinking bookshelves everywhere.
I love your old dining room!!
Anxious to see your new office.
Our dining room get’s a fair amount of use. We like to entertain and I love hosting family dinners. With no children we were able to use a bedroom for an office (just for home use – not business). I love displaying my antique china, silver and glass pieces, etc. too much to give up my dining room. LOL!!
tina
We have a dining room now. If I ever build, though, I’ll allow for a larger eat-in like you have now and skip the dining. There are many better ways we could use the space.
I LOVE this idea. It sets a professional tone when the office is right away for sure. Cant wait to see the end result, I know it will be amazing.
I think it’s a great idea!
Yep!! We had a formal living/dining space in our new home and after a year in the house we sold our “formal” dining room set on Craigslist and turned the space into 1 large living room…… 2 couches, flat screen TV and lots of room to really LIVE in the space! Best thing we ever did!
I could never give up my dining room – we use ours throughout the year for special dinners with family and friends – but in my last house we turned our formal living space into a home office. I am all for turning spaces you don’t use into something that gives you pleasure and daily use. Our new house actually has an extra room that I don’t know what to do with! A fortunate problem, but still a problem.
I love this idea! We changed our eat in kitchen into a casual gathering/tv space and us the dining room for eating. Which also serves as the family office space. I think it is smarter to use rooms the way you need them vs how they were labeled on a floor plan or used by previous owners!
I have a room right off my front door that will become an office like this too — some day — though right now it houses an arcade basketball game. (You’re welcome, husband of mine. Enjoy it while it lasts.)
We’re going to be redoing it soon, so I’m excited to watch as yours comes together!
i love that idea! we did the opposite and turned our living room into our (mine!) office/library. but like you we never use the dining room…so now i am thinking we should have done that! that would allow for more seating in here. oh well…next house. i havent had any clients in here yet..the house is so open they could see everything right away! thank you for taking us through the process of creating your new home! i cannot wait to see what you do!
Love your future home office space and that beautiful window. It’s so bright and airy.
Looking forward to see the finished room. I am so excited!
Jessie
http://www.mixandchic.com
Great plan! We actually chose a house without a formal living room or dining room space. Instead, we got a media room and office. But, if I did have a dining room (and an eat in space), I’d do exactly the same thing! If I don’t use a room much, I tend to repurpose it.
I have been telling my husband how I want to give up the dining room and use it for a library room. We never use it. Its pretty but just is useless.
I can’t wait to see your transformation. Loved that last pic with the big bookshelves.
Megan
We did almost the same thing, but we gave up our “formal” living room in the very front of the house for an office instead. It works perfectly for us because in our old house, we used our “formal” living room….never. The family room is where we spend ALL of our time. Even if we’re entertaining.
I think that the more space you have to spread out the more creative you can be. Especially if you are spending a majority of your time in the space.
Hi Emily,
Sadly we use our living room like you used your dinning room. Since the whole family hangs out in the office we’ve decided when we move into our new home the office is going in the living room. More space with a family of eight. No we don’t work from home but it feels like it when everyone gathers around the computer every night. I wanted a combo office/living-room appeal I Googled Living-room/office and didn’t see anything that I really liked, so I’ll have to come up with something on my own.
Ang.
I think you should use all rooms of your house so if you’re not using the dinning room…go for it. We use ours several times a month and couldn’t live without it but that’s what works for us.
i did the exact same thing…small kids + formal dining = unsused space. i love MY area…and we don’t miss it at all!
In our last home I made our dining room into my studio where I created. It worked, and seeing how we only had one table for the kitchen it was a no brainer for us. My hubby and I like to actually use every room in our home and as long as the kitchen holds a big enough table for family gatherings we don’t really need a formal space. I can’t wait to see your room when it’s done!
Meg
In our last home we had a formal dining room directly off the front hall and across from the formal sitting room. We converted the dining room to an office and added french doors at the entrance from the front hall. We loved it! The french doors were not only beautiful, but functional as well (especially when you need to take a business call and don’t want your client to hear Dora in the background)!
I had a client where we did that in her home- she is a professional photographer and needed a place to meet clients and not worry about the state of the rest of the house. She says sometimes its the only clean room in the house. LOL You can see pics here: http://www.amandacarolathome.com/2011/03/clients-office-before-after.html
Hi Emily,
I worked as an assistant to a busy designer who worked out of her home, a couple years ago. She had turned the formal dining room and living room in the front of the house into her office space. The dining area had a large desk with chairs to meet with clients, and lots of storage behind for fabric samples, etc. The formal living area, opposite had two functional desk areas and a seating area. It worked perfectly! We got so busy we had to move the operation into a commercial space and hire more employees, but working from her home was great! I can’t wait to see what you come up with for your office space, I’m sure it will be fantastic!
I almost didn’t consider our current house because it only had two bedrooms, leaving no space for my office/studio. But once we discovered the large eat-in kitchen, we decided the formal dining room would be better suited for the studio. Only once or twice when we’ve had a crowd have I missed having the extra space, but no one else cared.
Emily– Great idea! Using a large table as a desk (as you showed in one of your photos) and picking guest chairs that could double as host/hostess chairs would be very versatile. This way if you do need to host a larger gathering, you can simply pull in some additional seating, tuck your work things away, and the room can quickly be transformed into a dining area. At least you will be really using this space by making it your office…so smart! Can’t wait to see your new office!
Clr
Great idea! I’m excited to see how it all comes together.
I’m a dining room to home office convert myself. Mine is right off the kitchen, not when you walk through the front door, so it’s okay if it gets a bit messy (which it does, since I share with my hubs and 3 teenagers). It has the best light in the house and i love it. Never looked back from making the change. :)
When we built our house I made sure we didn’t have a “living room” but I actually use our dining room. So my home office is in a spare bedroom. But that you can do with dogs, not kids. Dogs don’t need their own room.
I do like the table idea instead of a desk… looks nicer AND if you need eating space… you can make it happen!
Yes! We use our dining room now as an office as well! We added some french doors for a bit of privacy :) Love it being by the front door for easy access in and out of the house. We use a nice long buffet type piece to hold the printer/fax and all of our files. We have loved it! Because we have a large island in our kitchen and a breakfast nook with a large table that holds 8, we wouldn’t have used a formal dining room anyway! Works great for us!
I am an interior decorator and have only had a client come here once or twice. It was a necessity because I had so many photos of furniture ideas on My Pictures file that I couldn’t print them out to show him :-) Someday when I have a laptop….Well anyway.
I see a way to have both an office and a dining room in your current space. I don’t have a dining room but I don’t think I could give up that beautiful space for an office. Do some rethinking maybe? Or have you turned the corner to a definitive decision to give up the dining room already? Whatever you choose, it’ll be great I’m sure.
So, we actually use our dining room quite frequently so this wouldn’t work for us. But, I say go for it if it fits your lifestyle and totally agree on the private spaces staying private. I am lucky to have a backhouse for my office but even so, I find I meet at Starbucks, etc. b/c there are two twin beds up there in addition to couches and my office area and I feel that is way too “private” to say, have a male fabric rep visit! I think Janell from Isabelle & Max uses her living room as an office. If you use a large conference type table and multipurpose storage I am sure you could still swing the occasional large family dinner at the holidays.
I am happy for you! I’m sure it will be beautiful and i can’t wait to see more pictures. We have a dining room. I don’t think of it as formal. Traditionally furnished for sure but that doesn’t stop us from using it several times a week.
This is a perfect idea for these houses that have the dining room right next to the front entrance (I don’t really like that type of house layout btw) – an office just makes so much more sense for that location!!!
We only have one dining room which is right next to our kitchen and it’s an open space, so we use it all the time. If we had a kitchen dining area, we would use that instead, but we don’t. Filing this away if our second house has a breakfast room AND a dining room!
Emily you are so wise to use this valuable real estate in your home. When I was consulting I often repurposesd formal dining rooms into offices or dens for the family. Most households are more casual and only use the formal dining about twice a year. I knew I would never be a formal gal and opted for a home with out a formal dining room. I have never missed it nor has my family. We have a nice eating area adjacent to my kitchen so it is perfect. Can’t wait to see your lovely project come to fruition. Kathysue
I think it is a great idea!! We don’t use our formal dining area at all and I converted it to a bar with some seating. Kind of like my own mini lounge and I LOVE it! I think your hosue is ther perfect configuration to use yours as an office. I have my office in a portion of my son’s playroom so I can keep an eye on him and also supervise his activities but I don’t have a lot of work to do do don’t really need a seperate space. Sounds like you do and your space will be perfect for you!! Can’t wait to see what you do with it :-)
I never use my DR…..but I am afraid of the clutter as there is no door to shut it off!!!!! Fabric samples everywhere!
Love the idea!!! I have been thinking of doing that to my formal living room… I still want a sofa and coffee table, but I want it to function more as an office space. Right now I use it to paint all of my furniture!
Cant wait to see your new home office:)
We ditched our dining room about a year ago and made ours an office. Best thing we’ve ever done! Seriously, I don’t think anyone in America uses a formal dining room on a regular basis. Way overrated. :)
Hi Emily,
Thanks for the great idea. Can’t wait to see your craigslist purchase and your new office take shape!
I think it’s a perfect idea. We use our dining room as an office in our home. Kids use the computer there too. My kids are now 11 and 14 so it’s nice to have them doing homework and spend time together. My daughter loves to sit in the cozy chair and knit or crochet too! Only problem…. sometimes it’s a little messy when we work on projects. Maybe some french doors would be great so you can close them during those days. :)
Looks like you have a lot of fun ahead of you! I’m looking forward to seeing the final (when is a room ever final?) office space design!
I think I’m always the last to comment, Emily, but I love the idea of you having an office front and center. The inpiration picture is stunning, and I can’t wait to see what your plan will be when the kids get older.
Camille
Emily, Here is a link to my Dining Room/Home Office.
It works out perfectly for my business and for my family.
http://www.theyellowcapecod.com/2011/04/from-dining-room-to-office-in-5-minutes.html
Regards,
Sarah
great plan! can’t wait to see what you do!
I am a “no diningroom” gal, despite my love for glamour: my visions of have a Little House on the Prairie family have trumped this one.
I’ve been thinking of this option for a while now for my home office. You may have convinced me! For some reason, it seems hard to give up the dining room. Not sure why, we don’t use it!! Food for thought for sure!
Lori
http://www.lorimayinteriors.com/blog
Genius! I wanted to make the dining room in our last house a study/formal living space but never did. Now we have a giant play room that houses our computer and office-y stuff. It’s about to get a makeover, too!!!!
Yours is perfect right next to the front door! Can’t wait to see more of your plans.
Love the inspirations…can’t wait to see the Craigslist find and the finished room
Stacy
Let’s see … my “living room” is my studio/office, my “dining room” is my parlor style living room, my mess is still my mess no matter what room it’s in! Have fun creating your space your way.
Hey Emily,
I think you’d like this article I wrote for houzz about repurposing your dining room. It even had one of the same images you used in this post. take a peek!
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/451565/list/8-Ways-to-Rethink-the-Dining-Room
I’m in the middle of doing the exact same thing! We are making use of our eat-in kitchen and I get a craft room/office! I can’t wait to see your craigslist find! I got my desk on CL for $30 and it’s perfect! Now I’m on the hunt for a lighting fixture!
http://mylifeasamrsh.blogspot.com
We have a formal living room and dining room. Originally, the formal living was being used for a playroom. Toys everywhere when a guest comes in was not really what I was going for. We changed spaces with my husband’s office (4th bedroom) with the formal living. So far it has worked out beautifully for 2 years. The dining room is separated from the office by an archway. It is now being used much more for craft projects and coloring. It is still set up as a dining room, but encouraging the kids to do projects there has been really great.
I can’t wait to see what you come up with for your office.
My family is like yours in that we rarely used our dining room, since we eat in the “breakfast room” all the time. A few months ago I started working part time from home, so that I could stay home with my daughter. We decided to transition our dining room into a home office. Only we haven’t had the money to decorate it as such, so right now it is just a room with a computer desk. :) (Ok fine, it’s also a catch-all room since it’s right by the front door! :)) I’d love to see how you make the transition!
I’m not an interior designer, but I am a ‘wannabe’. I did start the classes (and ended up moving 3 times and never resumed due to having another child at 43 yrs old), but the teacher suggested not having clients in your home because a) they can see your home, and if everything isn’t in it’s place, they may form a poor opinion of you as a professional based on the state of your home, and b) if they don’t like the style in which you have decorated your home, they may judge your style based on your home and not your portfolio.
Thanks for your inspiration. I am trying to do the same thing in our home. I found this fabulous traditional/dining hunt board at auction that I want to purchase and trying to make it work for a office. What do you think about putting that where your bookcase is and then put two high bookcases on either side? Like the dining table idea instead of desk so that you could use as eating table if in a pinch. Love reading your blog..thanks!
Thanks for your inspiration. I am trying to do the same thing in our home. I found this fabulous traditional/dining hunt board at auction that I want to purchase and trying to make it work for a office. What do you think about putting that where your bookcase is and then put two high bookcases on either side? Like the dining table idea instead of desk so that you could use as eating table if in a pinch. Love reading your blog..thanks!
My dining room became my son’s playroom as soon as he was able to crawl. I had visions of his climbing up on top of the dining table, and they came true when he was 13 months old. So I moved the dining table into the kitchen/breakfast area, gated it off and turned the DR into a great, open playroom. It’s part of a very open floor plan/living room space, so he is always nearby, and we can go on with what we need to do and not worry about his being out of sight or back in his bedroom unsupervised. I don’t miss my DR at all, and just this week, and I am repainting the play area and making some cool updates.
My dining room became my son’s playroom as soon as he was able to crawl. I had visions of his climbing up on top of the dining table, and they came true when he was 13 months old. So I moved the dining table into the kitchen/breakfast area, gated it off and turned the DR into a great, open playroom. It’s part of a very open floor plan/living room space, so he is always nearby, and we can go on with what we need to do and not worry about his being out of sight or back in his bedroom unsupervised. I don’t miss my DR at all, and just this week, and I am repainting the play area and making some cool updates.
My dining room became my son’s playroom as soon as he was able to crawl. I had visions of his climbing up on top of the dining table, and they came true when he was 13 months old. So I moved the dining table into the kitchen/breakfast area, gated it off and turned the DR into a great, open playroom. It’s part of a very open floor plan/living room space, so he is always nearby, and we can go on with what we need to do and not worry about his being out of sight or back in his bedroom unsupervised. I don’t miss my DR at all, and just this week, and I am repainting the play area and making some cool updates.
My dining room became my son’s playroom as soon as he was able to crawl. I had visions of his climbing up on top of the dining table, and they came true when he was 13 months old. So I moved the dining table into the kitchen/breakfast area, gated it off and turned the DR into a great, open playroom. It’s part of a very open floor plan/living room space, so he is always nearby, and we can go on with what we need to do and not worry about his being out of sight or back in his bedroom unsupervised. I don’t miss my DR at all, and just this week, and I am repainting the play area and making some cool updates.