Morning! How was your weekend?
We had a pretty relaxing couple of days!
Complete with watching the movie Cars at least 3 times, of course… 🙂
Please tell me it is a phase!?!?
Today I thought I’d share some tips about how we created more space in our home.
And no, this didn’t involve adding any rooms or removing any walls. 
As I’ve mentioned before, we love our house.
But it’s tight.
And not “tight” as in cool! Sweet! Awesome!
Tight as in the-walls-are-caving-in-on-me-it’s-so-tight-in-here.
This post could have also been titled “Maternity Leave Gave Me Cabin Fever”. This is because after living here for over a year, it actually took being on maternity leave to know that we were not using our limited space to it’s full potential. Yep, I had cabin fever and I wanted a change!
When we moved in to our home, we set the rooms up the way the people before us did. It just seemed like the natural thing to do.
After spending 3 months being cramped in our “then” family room, we made some changes to the purpose of three rooms in our house. Probably due to the fact that there was a whole extra person in our home. Granted he was only 7 pounds and 20 inches, but he required a lot of STUFF.
Did I ever mention that he spent his first 3 months of life in a swing?
Good grief, those things are BIG.
Did I ever mention that he spent his first 3 months of life in a swing?
Good grief, those things are BIG.
OK- you ready for this?
Seriously y’all, this was life changing for us.
Here is how we pulled off a triple-room-switcheraoo and made our
’50’s ranch home feel bigger without changing anything except furniture!
’50’s ranch home feel bigger without changing anything except furniture!
We turned the Living Room into a Family Room
Turned the Family Room into a Dining Room
Turned the Dining Room into an Office
Whoa!!!! For reals?
Triple-room-switcheraoo!
Now, we now have an eat-in dining room, a family room AND an office!
Just took a little out of the box thinking and some rearranging.
Just took a little out of the box thinking and some rearranging.
OK.You still with me?
Let’s take it from the top!
We had a living room. It was lovely.
Complete with a couch that no one used.
Oh, and no TV.
You know the fastest way to kill a room is with no TV!
Before: Living Room
Before: Living Room
Now: Family Room
We had a family room. It was lovely.
We especially loved that it was attached to the kitchen.
Except it was TINY and we had tons of furniture.
Before: Family Room
Before: Family Room
Now: Dining Room
We had a formal dining room. It was lovely.
Every woman’s dream.
We used it a total of exactly 6 times in two years.
Before: Dining Room
We used it a total of exactly 6 times in two years.
Before: Dining Room
Now: Office
I will be back tomorrow to show you the
details of the never before seen office!
I know you are waiting on the edge of your seat. 🙂
Have you done any switcheroos to your house?
Did maternity leave give you cabin fever?
Did maternity leave give you cabin fever?
Edited- Click here for the home office details
Sharing with:
DIY Show Off, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Suburbs Mama, Rain on a Tin Roof, Between Naps on the Porch,
We didn't switch any rooms, but we switched the staircase to the third floor attic out of my son's room and into the hall way, and then finished off the attic into a much needed media room (kids' hang out) and office for my husband…with some attic space left for storage too. LOVE what you did with your switches!!!
Wow! A Kid's hang out room sounds perfect! Love the idea of using attic space for extra finished space. That may be next at the rate we are going! 🙂
Bravo!!
Thanks!
I totally use my dining room as my office/crafting space. And I just have to clear off the table and it's ready for a huge dinner party! I actually would like to add some storage and maybe a small secretary desk so that I can store everything in there and not keep hauling everything out of the guest bedroom closet. There's got to be a better solution! 🙂
Great post!
Thanks Laura. Maybe a rolling cart that you can store in the closet and just roll the supplies? I don't know. This isn't a perfect solution for me either because I have to keep the office somewhat clean since it's the first room you see when you walk in. I would love a true craft room where I can go wild and let my creative juices flow- and be messy! 🙂
Growing up there were four of us kids in a 1300 square foot house. The largest room in our house was the living room that we were not allowed in. We, and our friends, were crammed into the tiny family room. To this day I get annoyed when I see people waste space like this. My house is 3000 square feet for four people. We utilize every inch. The living room? We use it all the time. Family room….same thing. Bravo for using the space you have.
My mom and dad still have this problem. Their four kids, and their four spouses, and their eight grandkds cram into a tiny dining room while their large family room rarely gets used. Ugh.
Wow. 4 kids must have been so much fun to grow up with! But yes- geesh- 1300 feet?!?!? And not using the living room! So glad you share the same principles as me- I am sure someday there will be space for a formal dining room- but if not- that' ok too- I choose comfort and function! Thanks so much for your note Leah!
LOL I love how you say, not tight as in cool bahaha that's awesome. And yes maternity leave does give you cabin fever or at least wants you to paint your walls and redecorate every 5 minutes because you're always at home looking at your walls! This is a great post! Love how you switched up the rooms 😉
Hugs,
Jamie
You are "tight"- as in cool girlfriend. 🙂 Glad to know I wasn't the only one with cabin fever on maternity leave!
Okay, this is sort of genius! Your "after" photos are simply stunning, and this is making me think that all those homes we've looked at with a "formal dining room" that we don't need…actually are potential office spaces! Way to think outside the box and make it work for you and your family. Brava!
Warmly,
Lauren
The Thinking Closet
Thanks Lauren for your sweet note!
Repurposing rooms to suit your own needs is the best way to go Heather – great job thinking outside the box! We just moved our two sons together into the same bedroom to create an upstairs craft room/office space/homework room. I LOVE it!! So much more functional now!!
Love it! That room sounds amazing and I am sure your boys feel like they are at summer camp every night when they are together!
All these rooms look amazing!!
http://thediaryofarealhousewife.blogspot.com
Thanks so much Jennie!
Rooms are looking awesome and the decoration and design of rooms are marvelous. You really did a great job.
Thanks so much!
OK, I have the same fabric that's in your family room just waiting to become drapes for my bedroom! This seals the deal…we're two peas in a pod…following along now! 🙂
Would you BELIEVE that I made those curtains out of shower curtains?!?! Shhhh… don't tell!! 🙂 I'll trade you for the fabric splurge you did on your dining room chairs!! 🙂 Welcome to SSOM! I am so glad you are here!
Please tell me where you got those shower curtains, I love, love, love them!! I am on search overload looking for the fabric and then I found your blog and there it was!!
I wish so bad that I could help!!! I too was on the hunt for that fabric and finally found the shower curtains on ebay. Sadly they are no longer available (this was about two years ago). However, you can always find the fabric at full price here: http://www.calicocorners.com/product/designer+fabrics+for+the+home/more+fabric+collections/ikat/kalah+blue.do
Beautiful–and where did you get your dining room chandelier?
Thanks Michele! It is from West Elm! They actually just featured it on their blog here: http://blog.westelm.com/2013/10/30/capiz-chandelier-halloween-decor/
I love LOVE your look! Please tell me the paint colors you used in the family room. I"m currently looking for the right "greige" for our home, and really like what you used. THanks!!
Julie- my family room was done in Repose Grey. For all the details- check it out here http://thesouthernstateofmind.blogspot.com/2013/02/fifty-shades-of-grey-novel-about-our.html
Good luck!
You’re definitely a makeover master, Heather. Switching 3 rooms is a big challenge. But looking at the results, I realized it’s a not-so-big-of-a-challenge for you at all. I like the way you transformed each room, particularly turning the kitchen in to an office room. I’m sure no one will ever guess that it’s once a kitchen. | Clayton @ Metroffice.com |
Thanks Clayton! It was definitely a process, but it just took a little engineering and some creativity! Thanks for your note!