What's the next room to go? (Mart: new home, buyer, theater)

[lhafer]

Formal living rooms have seem to go by the way side for the most part in many floor plans (except for big houses where having both formals add up the square footage). What do you think the next room to go would be? Formal dining room in lieu of larger breakfast area? Study in lieu of something else since the need to a true "computer" is transitioning to laptops/tablets/iPads and these just don't take up that much space?

I have both a formal dining room and a dedicated office. We have never in the 7+ years we've owned a home used our formal dining room. It was a play room in our old house. In our current house it has a wall piano, a buffet table where I keep my craft supplies, an art bin where my kids do their arts and crafts, and a small breakfast area table in there. Our study has wall mounted desks (2 total) from the container store and a large couch.

[Schumacher713]

I asked my realtor about formal dining rooms. In mid to high end homes they are wanted. I am not so sure about smaller houses. I personally think it is a waste, but then again I am a single guy. I have never used my dining room either.

[hendersj31]

I agree that in a smaller home there can be better uses for the square footage. I also see Schumachers point of view since he is single and doesn't really benefit from one unless he wants to cook and invite people over.

But I love my dining room. We have a table that seats 12 and fill it often with family and friends. It is nice to have an area away from the noise\mess of the kitchen to eat and converse with others.

[Jack Lance]

With open floor plans in houses, Great rooms, and open work spaces (honeycombs ,cubicles, ect). it appears the concept of the room itself is on the wane. Bed rooms and bathrooms may become the only walled in private areas in the homes of the future.. And oh ya Garages

[PedroMartinez]

I really wish I didn't have a formal dining room. For most people, it's wasted space.

In my home, it would look weird if I used it for anything else. Additionally, my wife loves having a room with expensive furniture that never gets used.

If I could have designed my house, I would have shifted the kitchen into the dining room, tripled the size of my pantry and added more room to the breakfast area (where all meals, even when guests are over, are had).

I have contemplated adding French doors and turning it into a music room, but the location in the house wouldn't make much sense to have it there. I would do a study\library, but that would be almost as pointless as the dining room but with more to dust. (My current library is my Kindle).

[NTexas2010]

We bought our house and had the option to have a downstairs suite in lieu of a study. Since we wanted a study, we did that and put french doors on what would have been the dining room (located off the entryway where studies are often found anyway). Personally I feel like formal dining rooms are going out in 4000 sq ft and under homes in lieu of larger kitchen/breakfast room/living room areas (4000 sq ft and up still have room for a dining room - gotta fill that space somehow). People get a nice big center island with an overhang or a raised bar top, coupled with bar stools and a kitchen table and chairs - you now have seating for 8-12 people. I think it partly has to do with the "open" concept as opposed to the 80s/90s modular design, as well as the fact that the kitchen/living room space is now the new "gathering room".

We're 25 and I feel represent the younger end of the home buyer demographic; we found the thought of a dining room to be nice but unnecessary when you're talking about getting the most out of your square footage.

Media rooms, on the other hand, at least in the burbs, are becoming a staple in most home designs. We actually converted ours into a flex space / extra bedroom.

[NTexas2010]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

I have contemplated adding French doors and turning it into a music room, but the location in the house wouldn't make much sense to have it there. I would do a study\library, but that would be almost as pointless as the dining room but with more to dust. (My current library is my Kindle).

So we opted to keep the study but my wife scolds me for shutting myself in there to do "work" aka watch college football. I've sat in there maybe a dozen times in 6 months; hopefully one day I'll get some utility out of the desk/office chair we have in there.

[NTexas2010]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

I have contemplated adding French doors and turning it into a music room, but the location in the house wouldn't make much sense to have it there. I would do a study\library, but that would be almost as pointless as the dining room but with more to dust. (My current library is my Kindle).

Not sure if either of these are your cup of tea, but you could look at turning it into an exercise room, media room, or something to that end, and either leave it open or add doors to it. Also depending upon the size / proximity to a half or full bathroom, you could turn it into a downstairs suite. I forgot to mention the 2nd bedroom downstairs (assuming a 1.5 or 2 story house) is also a fairly prevalent sighting in new homes.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by NTexas2010

Not sure if either of these are your cup of tea, but you could look at turning it into an exercise room, media room, or something to that end, and either leave it open or add doors to it. Also depending upon the size / proximity to a half or full bathroom, you could turn it into a downstairs suite. I forgot to mention the 2nd bedroom downstairs (assuming a 1.5 or 2 story house) is also a fairly prevalent sighting in new homes.

We have a dedicated home theater upstairs and, honestly, an exercise room would receive about the same amount of real use as the dining room. Prior to marriage, at my first home, the dining room made a very nice and well used gym.

Since our guest room upstairs gets used about twice a year, having another downstairs would be a waste. BTW, my parents live 15 minutes away in a one story home, so they won't be visiting with stair issues.

I think that if we were to change it from a dining room either a study/library or music room would be the best candidate, but it just wouldn't be worth the investment to swap it over.

[NTexas2010]

Btw, great thread - I love the topic of outdated formal living spaces (no sarcasm, seriously). Conservatories, anyone?