Help me convert formal dining room to guest/lounge room
I need help converting the formal dining room into a guest room. The room initially was my son's play and therapy room hence the colors. Right now it's mainly empty except when my brother is visiting and we throw an air mattress on the floor. I rarely have overnight guests and prefer not to lose the natural sunlight so I'd rather not close it off with doors. The room opens up to the entry way and the kitchen. The air mattress has seen better years and keeps deflating, plus it looks tacky during the day.
I saw this tan twin trundle bed on Amazon and am debating pulling the plug. This was the room can be a lounge area when not being used as a bedroom. Ideally I would have loved a Murphy bed but it's out of my budget ($1K max). I also would like help picking out decor to make the room flow so I am attaching pictures of the living room which opens up to the entry way as well. I know my living room needs some more color coordination but I'd like to work with what I have for now. I'm open to changing paint colors.
Thanks in advance!
Comments (33)
Flo Mac
5 years agoShirokirio
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Can someone help me decorate my formal living room?
Comments (32)Nosoccermom, I'm actually sitting in the room now and had to move one of the chairs to the other side of the sofa because I couldn't see the tv from either one. I am not at all comfortable. However, I didn't buy these chairs to be comfortable and sat on for hours at a time. They are just for our office and are rarely used. I don't know how much time we'd spend in here if I had to sit on this chair. (Yes, I could sit on the couch with my husband but like oakleyok said, we like having our own space). My husband also was concerned that it's not really set up for interaction with the chairs there since everyone seems to be looking at the tv, not at eachother. He's still hoping for a sofa and loveseat or the sectional. I feel like the room has definitely opened up like this but if we're not comfortable watching tv, we will rarely sit in here - sad but true. I am at a stand still. I like the look but not for tv or talking. Maybe it can just look pretty. :) To answer your question, we do use it for watching tv. I'd say DH spends about 25% of his tv watching time in here and my oldest spends an hour or two after school in here reading or watching tv. I don't come in here on my own. I prefer the family room because it's off the kitchen and I can see everything that's going on if I am cooking/getting a snack for the kids or any of the other million things I have to do in there. I also hate looking at the old furniture in here and that will hopefully be solved soon. To answer the question about the sectional size, it was 120 inches long and 84 inches on the chaise side. So 10 feet by 7. The room is 19 x 12. The sectional would actually give me a little bit more room than the couch and loveseat that is presently in the room. It would take up much more room than a couch and 2 chairs....See MoreWould you buy a home without a formal dining room?
Comments (52)@Debbie Downer; I'm designing a 1650 sqft 3 bed 2 bath open concept house on stilts with no DR, and have given a lot of consideration to what I should do with my art. My design has a front door that opens into a large foyer with high ceilings and recessed lighting, flanked by two bedrooms, a bathroom, and an interior staircase (leading down to the garage below). While designing, it occurred to me that the walls of this foyer will be an excellent opportunity to create a small home art gallery and hang some beautiful pieces. To complement the concept, I also designed a small alcove in the foyer with a single shelf (meant for visitors to temporarily place their purse and car keys) that will add an artistic vibe. The wall of the alcove will be adorned with mother of pearl tile behind a framed oil painting lit up by a single puck or pendant light hanging above the shelf. The space below the shelf is intended for a tall floor vase or sculpture. The foyer/gallery will lead directly into the open great room (to the right, south) and kitchen (to the left, north). The open concept will be covered by a vaulted ceiling and recessed lighting, with the south wall essentially being all glass to let in the light. To make up for no dining room, I have designed a covered lanai off of the great room's south wall (opposite the kitchen), which can be used for outdoor dining. This lanai will be accessed through double sliding glass doors intended to open up the space even more. The kitchen will have a huge island (8'×4') with artistically designed wood legs giving it the appearance of a table. A table cloth, a centerpiece, and a properly set "table" will dress this space up enough to pass as a formal dining area should I ever want it to be. I don't generally cook for large numbers, but when I do, I like to clean as I go, leaving behind a small mess that is easy enough to dispose of before sitting down to eat. Beyond the great room and kitchen, I have designed a master suite (the bedroom is separated from the great room by a wall with a built-in double-sided fireplace and double-sided book shelf). The wall separating the master suite from the great room is another great space for art in both the great room and the master suite. With the symmetry and proper lighting, the interior of the house, itself, will be a piece of art. And the best thing about this house is that every square foot of it will be used every single day. I won't be staring at a bunch of unused space that might only get attention on special occasions. And I won't be heating it, either....See MoreBlank Slate - Help me decorate my formal Living/Dining Room (pics
Comments (6)Now I understand where you are headed. My suggestions will not be matchy matchy and are pretty eclectic in nature. So, hopefully you will get some ideas you may not have thought about. Let's start with the DR. Drapes: I like dramatic so, if the rug has bronze that would be my first choice though there is nothing wrong with gold. I like plain simple drapes. I think drapes like blacksplashes should not be a focal point of a room when you have other beautiful things going. They should help frame the room like the color on the walls do. You may not need pinch pleated drapes. It would save you money not to have the pinch pleats. You need to decide if you want to run them from ceiling to floor or with a rod (I saw some beautiful rods at Calico Corner's. I think JCP carries Kirsch hardware also) above the window not from the ceiling. Dining table: I notice most people select wood to use with oriental rugs. I am working with a designer for my family room and breakfast nook and he just taught me a good lesson: Print rug-glass table, solid rug-wood table. He said you want to show off the beauty of the rug at all times from every direction. They do make some very large glass tables that you can use with 2 wooden pedestals for support or a great square base. If you are having a lot of guests for dinner like Christmas than you can add a folding table and use the same table cloth. This is just a suggestion. You can use wood but I always like to share new knowledge when I learn something. I still like crystal for chandeliers in dining rooms. In this case I would use crystal with some funky lamp shades to add a little fun into the room. You may find these at Home Goods or on line. I would try leopard for shades. It's hard to visualize if this will work without actually seeing it in person. Maybe someone will photoshop. Do you know the size of the table you want to use? I also think you may be able to find dining room chairs on ebay or a used furniture store that might be in decent condition or you can buy them new. Remember the chair wood does not need to match the wood of the table. There is more interest created when they don't. Here is another idea for chairs: you can used entirely different ones for the head of the table. Actually, I am pretty good at decorating eclectically. My friends are always looking for my eye. The designer I am working with always says to me "what do you need me for". Well, he is a great buffer between me and my BF whom I share my new home with. He has made my life so much more easier and is worth every penny. I am also learning alot about decorating from him....See MoreHelp with totally new kitchen layout utilizing formal dining room
Comments (46)Agree with MG, beautiful drawings Sena! Very creative and a lot of very thoughtful details. I do think a dining table works better with this layout and it's nice to see that getting ride of the pony wall behind the sink helps a bit with the narrowness of Morning Room. I actually already have a bench with the farmhouse table:) It lives slid under the table on the side closest to the kitchen unless in use. I also like the efficiency of this layout. With all of the options that have been discussed and drawn it's become clear that I need to prioritize my wants to help me choose. I've since found a few pictures with kitchen cabinets extending into rooms with different ceiling heights and I'm surprised I'm OK with the look. So, any thoughts on my variations above of MG's plan with either an extended or second island? This plan seems to get me the most elements I want with the sacrifice of countertop space. I was inspired by drjay71's kitchen from the Finished Kitchens Blog:http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/2010/06/drjay71s-kitchen.html...See MoreShirokirio
5 years agoShirokirio
5 years agoI'm digging this daybed as another option... could go with my traditional theme...
katinparadise
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
Irene Morresey
5 years agoTarget might be worth looking at, make it so it's a reading lounge, guest room. Nice big art, floor lamp. Add colourful accessories like mustard or coral and bring it into your lounge as well, I'd paint it similar to your lounge so it all flows
Shirokirio
5 years agokatinparadise- this is what's on the other side of the wall. I sometimes use it as my reading book but can't quite figure out the swivel chair placement.
Shirokirio
5 years agoSo am going with this daybed from Target for ease of return just in case... wondering about decor to tie everything in from comforters to window drapes? Also not sure about wall color. The entry hallway is BM palladian blue, living room is BM eternity and I have a grey color in the kitchen...
Shirokirio
5 years agoI might do these French doors instead of the ones with window panes and keep them open when there are no guests. They are $180 at Home Depot whereas the glass ones start at $500. My son broke someone else's glass French doors so this might be a safe bet for now.
katinparadise
5 years agoNot sure gray would work with the carpet. But it's hard to tell the exact color of the carpet on the monitor. The daybed with the back is nice since it's easier to sit and relax on as well. The Palladian Blue is a really pretty color and could work with beige or gray. As far as a comforter for the day bed, I would go with a simple quilt in a color as close to the day bed as possible so it resembles a cushion instead of looking like a comforter. Something like this.
https://www.target.com/p/moroccan-quilt-set-city-scene-168/-/A-51193736?preselect=51165132#lnk=sametab Then you can add color with throw pillows.
I would keep drapes close to the wall color and be sure they're blackout. Target has some very well priced drapes as well.
Your chair is nice and looks very comfy. I like the artwork as well and it would make a great jumping off point for accent colors.
If you put the daybed on the same wall as the bed is currently, the chair should be fine in the existing corner. A sketch of the room showing measurements as well as window and door placement would help.
thinkdesignlive
5 years agoShirokirio
5 years agoIn the meantime, maybe I can get help with the master bedroom drapes? Wall color is SW sleepy blue. I know I need two drapes for each window... I don't know if I should just get another pair and call it a day or if another color/style drape might work best.
katinparadise
5 years ago
Manon Floreat
5 years agoI agree that your drapery work well in your room, which is very pretty. I love your bed spread! If you don't want to buy another pair, consider styling what you have similar to the below - where the top runs across the width of the window.
J. Hirsch Interior Design Portfolio · More Info
Your room looks quite spacious. If you wanted to you could incorporate a seating area in there with a bench at the foot and maybe an armchair with table. Here's the concept. Pretty dreamy isn't it?
New England Family Style House with an Eclectic Twist · More InfoManon Floreat
5 years agoBack to the guest/lounge room. Since the room won't be used that often for overnight guests, I am wondering if a sofa (hide-a-bed) wouldn't work well in this room. Daybeds aren't the best for sitting, but are great for lounging and depending on the mattress are quite comfortable for sleeping. A sofa bed would give you the lounge functionality, but also accommodate the occasional over-nighter.
I found a couple in the $600 range. At that price point you'd have enough left over for paint, some privacy curtains. Maybe even enough for some sheets, bed pillows and a comforter. What do you think?
Forsan Nuvella Queen Sofa Sleeper, Sand · More Info
Duke Love Seat Bed, Ocean Blue · More Info
J J
5 years agoShirokirio
5 years agoThe daybed is here! I put both the beige and gray to a vote with my family members and the gray won. The key deciding factor was it won't show sticky fingerprints or juice spills since my son is still in a very messy stage.
I'll get the gray quilt that katinparadise suggested. Any ideas on paint? Or just cover the chalk wall with the yellow?
katinparadise
5 years agoShirokirio
5 years agoHere's the progress thus far... my brother's been crashing there so I'm not able to do much else for now as far as painting goes... will probably paint in the Spring. Any other ideas to finish the room off in the interim? Artwork suggestions too for above the daybed as I'm going to take down the alphabets decal.
Shirokirio
5 years agofelizlady
5 years agoManon Floreat
5 years agoShirokirio
5 years agoManon Floreat
5 years agoSorry, Shiro. I meant what is the length of the red line below (between wall that the daybed is on and the opening to the foyer)?
Shirokirio
5 years agokatinparadise
5 years agoI would pull it away from the side wall a bit for some breathing room. It would be nice to add a small table to set a drink or book. Something like a C table is lightweight and easy to move around where you need it. This is nice because it's on wheels and can easily be moved around.
Manon Floreat
5 years agoI'd center the daybed on the wall then. And since you want to use the room for reading, maybe put a long-ish and low book case on the wall where the monitor is. Top it with art and a lamp. The lamp will be good for reading.
When you have time, you could re-evaluate the window coverings. The panels are a bit short. Perhaps add a contrasting border trim to lengthen them? I think I might retire the lacy curtains.
Shirokirio
5 years ago
RedRyder
5 years ago
Laura Hill
5 years agoManon Floreat
5 years agoHi, shirokiro.
The trim option are almost limitless. It looks like your curtains are in the gray family, so I'd probably stick with a fabric that features gray. Here are some examples:
A fabric that incorporate other colors could help inform your wall color. This one for example would allow for a variety of shades of blue, gray and white.
Manon Floreat