Room of the Day: Goodbye, Formal Dining; Hello, Books and Toys
A family trades in a wasted space for a comfortable room to read, play and hang out in
“So many of my clients and even my own family are not using their formal dining rooms these days,” says interior designer Cynthia Soda. “A lot of us eat more casually, and unless you entertain a lot, the space can be a big waste.” In this home, the family didn’t even have a formal dining set, and the room had become a catchall for toys. They wanted a comfortable space where they could hang out, play with their kids and read instead of prepping for a formal dinner party that was never going to happen.
Soda wanted to make the most of every inch in the 12-by-10-foot room. The shelves line two sides, and a built-in bench wraps the wall between them.
She recommends taking inventory of everything you want to store and display before planning your shelves, paying particular attention to what you want to conceal. In this case, board games, toys and lots of Lego sets are hiding behind closed doors and drawers beneath the built-in shelving and bench seat.
She also knew it was crucial to find a good woodworker who could make her vision come to life. Brent Colclough of Colclo Custom Woodworking installed everything she’d drawn with only a few small revisions.
She recommends taking inventory of everything you want to store and display before planning your shelves, paying particular attention to what you want to conceal. In this case, board games, toys and lots of Lego sets are hiding behind closed doors and drawers beneath the built-in shelving and bench seat.
She also knew it was crucial to find a good woodworker who could make her vision come to life. Brent Colclough of Colclo Custom Woodworking installed everything she’d drawn with only a few small revisions.
Soda also advises planning for the outlets, light switches and thermostats. In this case, she was able to place a Nest thermostat (not visible) just below one of the shelves, in a spot where it can still read the temperature properly. “Planning out millwork like this is often like a puzzle,” she says.
She added cabinet boxes within the composition to make the shelves more interesting. “My clients can have fun with these; for example, they can paint them different colors if they ever get bored.” For now, there’s already plenty of color from the family photos, books and favorite accessories. “I like to spread family photos out rather than grouping them so that each one can be appreciated,” she says.
The room is open not only to the hallway but also to the family room, so she chose colors that complemented and coordinated with that room. The accent wall adds contrast to the white millwork.
Paint: Street Chic (accent wall) and Chantilly Lace (millwork), Benjamin Moore
She added cabinet boxes within the composition to make the shelves more interesting. “My clients can have fun with these; for example, they can paint them different colors if they ever get bored.” For now, there’s already plenty of color from the family photos, books and favorite accessories. “I like to spread family photos out rather than grouping them so that each one can be appreciated,” she says.
The room is open not only to the hallway but also to the family room, so she chose colors that complemented and coordinated with that room. The accent wall adds contrast to the white millwork.
Paint: Street Chic (accent wall) and Chantilly Lace (millwork), Benjamin Moore
The adjacent entryway was also part of the project. The applied millwork is new, as are the storage bench and lighting. “Again, I wanted to play with scale in here,” Soda says. Rather than going up the standard 36 inches with the wainscoting, she extended it to 7 feet high. A geometric light fixture has a playful relationship with the cylindrical crystal chandelier in the new reading room.
Tell us: Have you given up your formal dining room for another use? Please share with us in the Comments section.
Wall paint: Museum Piece, Benjamin Moore
More: How to Bring Out Your Home’s Character With Trim
Tell us: Have you given up your formal dining room for another use? Please share with us in the Comments section.
Wall paint: Museum Piece, Benjamin Moore
More: How to Bring Out Your Home’s Character With Trim
Room at a Glance
What happens here: Reading, visiting, board games and Lego play
Location: Toronto
Size: 120 square feet (11 square meters)
Designer: Cynthia Soda of Soda Pop Design
The room is right off the entry, which Soda also refreshed. “I used a round rug because it invites you into the space more than sharp corners would have,” she says. “It also meant that we could push the seating area out toward the entry just a little bit to invite people in.”
Her clients knew they wanted two comfy chairs, a big ottoman, and shelves and cabinets for lots of storage. They also loved the idea of a statement chandelier. “I like to play with scale, and this chandelier is great because it’s bigger than anyone would expect,” she says. “Even though attaching all of the little crystals was painstaking, it was worth it.”
Chandelier: Niche Decor; chairs: DwellStudio; rug and pillows: Loloi Rugs; ottoman: Elte