Christopher Lowell, a one-time TV design personality, once said, “If you can dance in a room, there’s not enough furniture in it.” I must admit, I’ve used that line a time or two. It humorously and succinctly describes how rooms that are not correctly furnished feel more like the set of Dancing with the Stars, rather than a cover shot from Architectural Digest.
One often overlooked area is the Breakfast Room. Many times I have seen spaces too large for just a table. Yet, time and time again I walk into these large kitchens and the client has parked a small table in the middle of the large room. My solution? Move the table to one end and add a pair of club chairs and an ottoman. Now you have a breakfast room and a keeping room.
Another area that is underutilized in many homes is the Study. Nine out of ten homes will have a large executive desk in the middle of the room with no room for additional guest chairs. Move the desk to one end of the room to create the work zone and leave the other end open for two chairs and an ottoman–perfect for gentlemen to socialize before or after dinner.
View an example of reclaiming unused space from my portfolio.
What areas in your home are lying unused and waiting to become wonderful? Look and see if you can create new rooms from unused spaces in your home.