I am not familiar with the term "keeping room" but have seen in on GW occasionally. Here's a definition--is it correct?

Here is a link that might be useful: keeping room defn.

We will have a gathering room off our kitchen, but the house isn't built yet.

There are some pics online that I love of cozy seating in kitchens:

Florantha- Sounds right to me :)

I always think of a keeping room as being smaller than a family room. Just a settee/loveseat or a few chairs, pulled up to the fire. If it's too big, it's just another living room. There's usually room for a table and chairs for dining, too.

Beaglesdoitbetter- Cute name! Thanks for the pictures. They're both very cozy and that's the feeling I'm trying to achieve. Comfy, cozy, curl up and read a book. I have a nice living room, for TV and conversation, but I love a small area to sit in the kitchen...but it has to be comfortable. There are already so many hard surfaces in a kitchen, that I think upholstered pieces are a nice (and welcome) change.

Design by Charles Faudree. This was described as a keeping room next to the kitchen. Very cozy looking.

another design

I think there's a connection between this thread and some of the responses to my query about kitchen bookshelves...

Here is a link that might be useful: threads about large bookshelf in kitchen

We have a kitchen/keeping room. The specifics are different than you describe as there is no fireplace or dining table. It works for us to have casual seating at the end of the kitchen and a small TV (that is rarely turned on). The dimensions of the connected rooms are 14' x 13' (kitchen) and 13' x 13 (Keeping Room).

Kitchen toward the keeping room looking north:

Kitchen toward Keeping Room looking south:

Keeping Room unfinished:

Judithva...love that first dark picture you posted.

This has certainly been a helpful thread for me as I thought a "keeping room" was like a root cellar/pantry combo. Boy was I wrong...glad to get educated. So let me get this straight...it is a small room off the kitchen, usually with a fireplace and can have an eating table. I have an area off my kitchen that I call a kitchenette...my pantries are there and an antique ice box and a dinette set...is that essentially a keeping room?

vampiressrn, that is a favorite of mine too, I love almost anything that the designer, Charles Faudree does.

Here in my area of Virginia, a keeping room is a small area, roomy enough just for a couple of chairs or a small love seat type couch, with a small table, often there is a fireplace included in the design. It is not large enough to be considered a typical family room. And for me, if it includes bookcases, all the better. Very cozy :)

I guess that's what I have, though I never called it that. :-) I don;t have one good pic. Here are a couple of angles, at various states of evolution.

We are planning something similar. We will begin building as soon as our current house sells.

The "keeping" room won't be huge at 12'deep by 22' wide. There will be a fireplace in the middle with dining area to the right of the fireplace and a small sitting area to the left. We will probably mount a flat screen on the fireplace.

Our family room will be adjacent and slightly open to the kitchen and will be a much larger 20 x 22 space for larger gatherings.

I am hoping the smaller area will be where the kids will hang out and do homework, watch tv, while I'm preparing dinner.

Homeagain- That sounds nice :)

Keeping rooms (to me) seem to be a place to eat and a place to sit, usually with a fireplace, so a little different than a nook or breakfast room.

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful pictures! I'm getting lots of good ideas. It's so much fun to see what other people are doing in their homes!

Per Lavendar...Keeping rooms (to me) seem to be a place to eat and a place to sit, usually with a fireplace, so a little different than a nook or breakfast room...

I guess since I don't have a fireplace, mine is a breakfast nook. I used to call it a kitchenette so just looked that up and found that term to be completely wrong. Thanks for this thread so I can get my terminology correct.

Now that we have that all straightened out, here are some inspiration pictures for you.

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My mom has a keeping room in her small (about 1400 sq. ft.) patio home. It's right off her kitchen and many people put a small table for eating and then a chair or 2 for relaxing. The fireplace option was offered in this room. The kitchen has a snack bar adjoing the keeping room. Since she is a widow and has a small dining room, she turned the keeping room into a family room of sorts (she just didn't need a third place to eat). She didn't want the fireplace and put her beautiful oak entertainment unit (it's really more of a bookcase/display case with a tv) on the wall the fireplace would have been on. Then she has a chambray love seat and her comfy reading chair. She put a lovely braided rug in there and has warm maple tables. It's really a homey room and a great use of the space. I'm sorry I don't have pics :(

Flwrs- It sounds like a charming room :)

Vamp- If you want a technical definition, I'm sure there's more information available on google. Great inspiration pics, especially all the blue and white china! Some beautiful fireplaces, too.

vampiressrn what a great inspiration pic! I want that blue room w/ the white cabinet and all those blue dishes!

Thanks for drawing in all these great pix, Lavender Lass. I remember an item from a tour long ago that might, or might not, help you pull together the feeling you want. Beyond being similar to our family/breakfast rooms, they were also where the family lived during the coldest parts of the winter, when it was too hard or expensive, frequently literally impossible, to keep the rest of the house livable. A big reason why they were accessed off the kitchens.

The room you're describing sounds wonderful, and I'm looking forward to seeing your own pictures.

I love having the family over to my kitchen and family
room. Fun place to be.
~boxerpups

Mix and Match

Granite Large

Burrows Ridge

Estates

Blue Modular

I have something like this... We moved our kitchen location to the original central LR/DR area in our 1956 ranch house. There's a long brick hearth wall with a fireplace at one end of the room. We have a little cozy seating area there with two chairs. The new LR and DR area is adjacent but down a step, so feels somewhat separate.

I LOVE this space. It's where I sit to drink my coffee in the morning while DH makes his breakfast and DD gets ready for school. It's where I sit to chat with visiting friends (if we're not at the kitchen island.) And having a fire burning in the kitchen is just wonderfully cheerful. Highly recommended!!!

Stacey

beaglesdoitbetter - a bench like in that first photo you posted would be perfect in my kitchen!

Thanks for sharing.

Cathy

Have your seen Sarah Richardson's farmhouse kitchen? She put in 2 chairs with a little table. I love how she created a little sitting area.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sarah Richardson's farmhouse kitchen