Creative Ideas for a USELESS formal living room

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Add built ins and make it a cozy, TV free library/sitting room.

The room that is always clean and does not embarrass you when unexpected company drops in.

This is what I would do. And I would use it as my personal retreat to get away from my family, glass of wine in hand, from time to time.

[Anonymous]

Sewing/Craft room

Murphy-Bed for when guests visits/otherwise an office

An extra bedroom. Most dining rooms, with standing screens, would make a very nice extra bedroom

I would work in the other direction.

Don't try to come-up with ways to fill it. What do you need space for? What end-up there naturally. There is no wrong answer, and you certainly don't need to justify/explain it to anyone. Whatever you use the room for - as mentioned, you can (decoratively) screen-it-off.

[Anonymous]

Our living room is large, but was unused most of the time. We have a piano in there, a seating arrangement in front of the fireplace and a wall with two desks (each desk has a set of doors that can be closed if we are actually using the room to entertain company. Much more useful as a study area for the kids than as a formal living room only.

[Anonymous]

Family rooms are nice - everyone together. BUT, op, depending on the age of your kids, there will come a time when you can use different entertainment corners of the house. Two tv/entertainment/socializing areas - one for kids/teens, one for adults is probably in your future.

[Anonymous]

Will you still need a dining room table for holiday?

I grew up doing my homework on the dining room table. It was the defacto study. You could leave the books there and you only had to clean it for holiday and occasionally when my mom had "club ladies".

Interestingly my kids also do their homework on our dining room table, but it's more because we have a smaller home and the dining room has more space.