How to use an odd room

[DawnM]

So, in our new house, there is a room that was not furnished and I think maybe it was meant to be a formal LR area, but let me describe it and hopefully you will understand.

When you walk into the house, to the right is a large archway, it leads to a room.   That room has a large archway on the other side of the room leading to an office and another wall has a set of french doors leading to the room off the kitchen.

So, it is a room with three large entrances on 3 sides.   The only solid wall is on the front side where the windows are.

This is a major pass through room and so it needs to flow through easily.   

DH's solution is to leave it empty......🙄  Um, NO!

I am trying to be creative and have it a useable room, but plenty of space to not have to zig zag through furniture.

One thought I had was 4 club chairs with a round coffee table in the middle, and center everything so it is easy to walk around.   But that is all I can come up with.   

Thoughts?

[Katy]

Wait, did I miss that your offer was accepted? 
 

I’ve seen people do a conversional grouping like you describe OR make it a music room, possibly with a baby grand piano and a smaller sofa or love seat to the side. 

[MEmama]

I would wait until you've lived there awhile to see what kind of space you are missing or could use. I certainly wouldn't furnish a room without a clear vision, just because it's there.

[Bootsie]

I might put a nice writing desk in front of the window, depending upon how I was going to use the office.  

Or, I would place a couple of nice reading chairs by the window, along with a table that could be pulled out into the center of the room for card games or extra dining space if needed.  

[klmama]

Your club chairs in the center sounds fine.  If you have one, a grand piano would work, too.

[Innisfree]

4 minutes ago, MEmama said:

would wait until you've lived there awhile to see what kind of space you are missing or could use.

This makes a lot of sense, if you don’t need the space to accommodate furniture you already own.

There are doors interrupting three walls, and windows on the fourth, right? And it’s outside an office area? How much actual wall space is there? I’d be tempted, if there’s a good bit of wall space, to turn the room into a library. Floor to ceiling bookshelves on the walls, a couple of comfortable reading chairs, and a library table in front of the window.

[Carol in Cal.]

It sounds like if someone used the office for private work it might have been a meeting room for client meetings.  Or possibly a waiting room for clients about to go into the office.  

If you’re not going to use it that way, I would then ask, how will you use the office?  And I’d let that question guide the answer to the original one.

[Clemsondana]

I'd definitely see how you live in the house.  It could be used as a place for quiet conversation of the main living room has a TV or it's an open floorplan house.  It could be an exercise room, especially if your family does easily stored things like yoga or kettle bell work (you might not want to look at bulky exercise equipment, or you might...).  You could put a table and storage and use it for games and puzzles.  The person that my kid takes music lessons from has a music room -  a couch, a piano, a few shelves and several music stands.  

[almondbutterandjelly]

If it were me, I would put a table and chairs there, for board games and puzzles.  

[Beth S]

We would (need to) line all the walls with bookcases! 
Laughing that it may end up being a staging area, as you unbox things.

But definitely, just wait to see how your needs unfold.
(I'm truly amazed that you were able to find/buy a house so smoothly!)

[Laura Corin]

Easy chairs and a coffee table near the window with book cases either side? But I agree with pp to wait until you see how the house works. 

[Ali in OR]

The space I would want is a reading space. I would put a super comfy chair with an ottoman in front of the window so I have great light for reading, plus a little side table and a reading lamp on a stand. Then I would figure out how many/which walls make the most sense for nice, presentable bookcases, possibly built-in. Maybe have a second chair or small sofa if it fits and if I want anyone else in my little paradise.

[Bambam]

It's a library!!!
I would put some bookshelves against the non-door and non-window walls. Put a comfy chair in front of any windows. 
Maybe a little table and chair in the middle if anyone would want to sit and maybe take notes from a book - or maybe just more comfortable sitting in a regular table/chair combo. 

LOL! Now I go back and read other suggestions, and it seems several of us want to do the same thing! I've done this in my  formal dining room. 

Edited July 5, 2023 by Bambam

[Lecka]

Maybe it would be a fun place to put seasonal decorations!

 

 

[Acorn]

Lego table and toy shelf for your youngest since it sounds like this room is off the kitchen.

[wisdomandtreasures]

Book shelves against the wall with no doors. Comfy chairs in the two corners between the doors. 

[SHP]

3 hours ago, perky said:

If it were me, I would put a table and chairs there, for board games and puzzles.  

Depending on the size of the room and what my family likes I would be tempted to make a game room with Foosball and other games. In the spirit of bored teens do weird things, I may just leave random things and see what turns out. I had one who found a package of rare earth magnets and would spend hours throwing them at door hinges so for that one I might put magnetic targets randomly on walls in a game room.

3 hours ago, MEmama said:

I would wait until you've lived there awhile to see what kind of space you are missing or could use. I certainly wouldn't furnish a room without a clear vision, just because it's there.

This is usually what I do in almost every room when moving to a new place. 

[happypamama]

3 hours ago, MEmama said:

I would wait until you've lived there awhile to see what kind of space you are missing or could use. I certainly wouldn't furnish a room without a clear vision, just because it's there.

Thisssssss.

I live in an 1830s farmhouse with some odd rooms.  Living here for a while before deciding how to use them was really helpful.  For instance, the front half of our first floor has three rooms (the back half is kitchen/dining/bath/laundry), none of which have a clear purpose.  One is large and takes up the east half of the front, and the other two are smaller and comprise the west half.  It took a while to decide whether the larger room should be a large -- but kind of awkward for flow -- living room, or if one of the smaller rooms should be a living room in a den style.  Should one of the larger rooms be a schoolroom and later office, or should a smaller one?  What we ended up settling on is what developed after a few years when we knew what we wished we had.  So I wouldn't furnish it in any particular way yet.

[DawnM]

So, just to be clear, there are NO walls that are clear to put bookshelves up against, three walls have huge archways or French doors, and the 4th has large windows.   There is some wall space on each side of the archways, which I guess could have thin bookshelves on each side.   

This is the first room you see as you enter the house and you must walk through it to get to the other areas, so I want it to be appealing.   It won't be a playroom or have toys or football tables or games......it would look odd to have that as the first thing you see as you enter the house AND we don't keep that stuff neat and tidy all the time and that would stress me out.   And it definitely won't work as a storage area for holiday items.

It is a formal type room.   Not sure it would be good as a library as there aren't really spaces to put the shelves.    I think it is meant to be a formal living room, but things will need to be carefully placed.

A piano would be nice, but we don't have one and probably won't get one.   I considered making it the formal dining room as the sideboard doesn't have a hutch so it wouldn't need to go high up.   It could probably fit where the windows are.   But you would need to navigate walking around the table to get anywhere.   Then I thought of using the dining room as a formal living room as it has walls to put shelving and such.   

But those of you who said to wait are probably right.....it certainly doesn't need to be figured out yet.

And the idea of two chairs and a coffee table might work and not be too intrusive.   There is room in a corner for a Christmas tree on the other side of the room.   I wish I had a good picture of it to show you, but I don't.

[SHP]

4 minutes ago, DawnM said:

So, just to be clear, there are NO walls that are clear to put bookshelves up against, three walls have huge archways or French doors, and the 4th has large windows.   There is some wall space on each side of the archways, which I guess could have thin bookshelves on each side.   

This is the first room you see as you enter the house and you must walk through it to get to the other areas, so I want it to be appealing.   It won't be a playroom or have toys or football tables or games......it would look odd to have that as the first thing you see as you enter the house AND we don't keep that stuff neat and tidy all the time and that would stress me out.   And it definitely won't work as a storage area for holiday items.

It is a formal type room.   Not sure it would be good as a library as there aren't really spaces to put the shelves.    I think it is meant to be a formal living room, but things will need to be carefully placed.

A piano would be nice, but we don't have one and probably won't get one.   I considered making it the formal dining room as the sideboard doesn't have a hutch so it wouldn't need to go high up.   It could probably fit where the windows are.   But you would need to navigate walking around the table to get anywhere.   Then I thought of using the dining room as a formal living room as it has walls to put shelving and such.   

But those of you who said to wait are probably right.....it certainly doesn't need to be figured out yet.

And the idea of two chairs and a coffee table might work and not be too intrusive.   There is room in a corner for a Christmas tree on the other side of the room.   I wish I had a good picture of it to show you, but I don't.

It sounds like you are describing a reception room, maybe think of it like that? 

 

Note: Reception room =/= mudroom. 

[wintermom]

I've seen people use space like this to place a round decorative pedestal table, the height of a round dining table. You can have seasonal decorations or fresh flowers on it, or during social gatherings you can place drinks and/or snacks on the table. If there is space to have some seating against the windows, that would be nice, too.

 

Edited July 5, 2023 by wintermom

[DawnM]

10 minutes ago, SHP said:

It sounds like you are describing a reception room, maybe think of it like that? 

 

Note: Reception room =/= mudroom. 

No, it is definitely an actual room.  Typically a mudroom is off the back door and has areas for shoes and isn't very large.   This is an actual room, not sure of the dimensions, but probably 12x12????  I am not great with figuring out dimensions.   

Since it is the first room seen when you walk in, I want it to look nice/adult/welcoming.   

My husband does work from home but he does not have clients come to the house, so we don't need a reception area.

[DawnM]

12 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I've seen people use space like this to place a round decorative pedestal table, the height of a round dining table. You can have seasonal decorations or fresh flowers on it, or during social gatherings you can place drinks and/or snacks on the table. If there is space to have some seating against the windows, that would be nice, too.

 

We have something like that right now in the foyer.   This is an actual room to the right of the foyer.   

[DawnM]

 

Maybe this crude drawing will explain better?  This is the layout for the first floor.   It is very crude and to to scale but it gives you an idea of what I mean.

[SHP]

46 minutes ago, DawnM said:

No, it is definitely an actual room.  Typically a mudroom is off the back door and has areas for shoes and isn't very large.   This is an actual room, not sure of the dimensions, but probably 12x12????  I am not great with figuring out dimensions.   

Since it is the first room seen when you walk in, I want it to look nice/adult/welcoming.   

My husband does work from home but he does not have clients come to the house, so we don't need a reception area.

Yiu are describing a reception room.

 

Mudrooms are much different.

[SHP]

38 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

Maybe this crude drawing will explain better?  This is the layout for the first floor.   It is very crude and to to scale but it gives you an idea of what I mean.

Yep, looks like a reception room

[Annie G]

Definitely a reception room. A couple of chairs and a small coffe table or side table, and some seasonal decorations. Not a tree, but you could do some holiday decoration in there. It would be a nice retreat for reading, but would also be great when someone comes by and you don’t want to invite them into the main living areas.  For us that would be the former neighbor who comes at Christmas and brings us cookies, or the service folks who need a place to wait while I get my checkbook, or any casual guest who is not staying long. Like a mom coming to pick A up for a play date, a friend dropping by to pick up some hand me down clothes, etc.

[LaughingCat]

Interesting -- I had never heard the name "reception room" for what I would call a "formal living room" -- but based on Google it is the same thing -- "a room in a house where people can sit together"

We had a formal living room growing up (most families did) and one of my good friends did more recently for many years-- I would not be willing to give up a room to be only that since we would literally never use it.  However, I can certainly see that a room such as you have described might be difficult to use for anything else (using it as a dining room does sound like a good idea -- if workable for set up/take down as well as passing through the room).   

 

[wintermom]

48 minutes ago, Annie G said:

Definitely a reception room. A couple of chairs and a small coffe table or side table, and some seasonal decorations. Not a tree, but you could do some holiday decoration in there. It would be a nice retreat for reading, but would also be great when someone comes by and you don’t want to invite them into the main living areas.  For us that would be the former neighbor who comes at Christmas and brings us cookies, or the service folks who need a place to wait while I get my checkbook, or any casual guest who is not staying long. Like a mom coming to pick A up for a play date, a friend dropping by to pick up some hand me down clothes, etc.

Just going down a bunny trail - do people take off their shoes/boots to enter a reception room? Perhaps the climate and customs are very different, but in some countires (like mine) people take off their shoes before entering a home - even if just going into a "reception room.' Then I would wonder what the difference between a "living room" and reception room would actually be? 

Edited July 5, 2023 by wintermom

[Lecka]

Maybe a chaise lounge would have a low enough profile to go below a window?  I think they can be fun.  
 

I like this look…. But maybe a table could have holiday place settings and a holiday centerpiece? My aunt has a totally unused (unless she hosts something to use this room/table) room and table, that always looks beautiful, and she does this.  She also puts lights as part of the holiday centerpiece at Christmas for sure.  
 

However her room is just an extra room you see on one side as you enter the house, it has arches to the front entrance and a hallway, and two walls, and it’s not walked through to get places, so I don’t know if that would work as well.  
 

I think I have seen a room like this with this function with a Western theme, with leather chairs and a wagon wheel table, and some kind of Western style chandelier.  Surprisingly it worked (it was in Texas). 
 

It makes me think maybe a light fixture could be a focal point?  Maybe then other things could be smaller to allow the use as a walk-through.

 

In this house — the owners 100% entered through the garage into the kitchen, so it wasn’t a room they needed to walk through to move around the house.  

[lmrich]

I would let it be my dining room. Yes, you will have to walk around the table, but,  if you can make the  table  smaller (take leaves out) that might work. I say formal dining room, because then you could use that room still to have quiet conversations in, etc.. If you have already a formal dining room, could that be more easily transformed into a playroom or workout room? 

[LaughingCat]

Just now, lmrich said:

I would let it be my dining room. Yes, you will have to walk around the table, but,  if you can make the  table  smaller (take leaves out) that might work. I say formal dining room, because then you could use that room still to have quiet conversations in, etc.. If you have already a formal dining room, could that be more easily transformed into a playroom or workout room? 

One of my friends had their dining room table in what was really a very big entry way -- because it was normally used more as a pass through they got one of those old fashioned dining room tables that dropped all the way down. 

Of course this also only really works if you use the dining table more occasionally (I loved the idea so much I got a table like it when we moved to our current house -- but we used our table every day, and I wasn't willing to drop it down and put it up every day so ended up switching to a more normal table).

[Loesje22000]

I don’t think I would fill the middle of a walk through room. I maybe would add some plants in corners for cozyness, I would look for a bright but warm lighting plan, and maybe (depending on size) I would put 1-2 chairs with a small table before the window as reading / crochet / knitting corner. 
 

 

[Annie G]

9 minutes ago, wintermom said:

Just going down a bunny trail - do people take off their shoes/boots to enter a reception room? Perhaps the climate and customs are very different, but in some countires (like mine) people take off their shoes before entering a home - even if just going into a "reception room.' Then I would wonder what the difference between a "living room" and reception room would actually be? 

In my area, wearing shoes indoors varies. I usually look at who answers the door to see if they’re wearing shoes.  Or just offer to remove mine. 
 

A reception room is nice if you have the space because it means a quick visitor doesn’t interrupt family members enjoying the main family room. For instance, I’m probably under a quilt, reading or watching tv, or napping, eating, or whatever… and if dh answers the door to pay the gutter cleaner or something it doesn’t interrupt me.  

[SHP]

1 hour ago, Annie G said:

In my area, wearing shoes indoors varies. I usually look at who answers the door to see if they’re wearing shoes.  Or just offer to remove mine. 
 

A reception room is nice if you have the space because it means a quick visitor doesn’t interrupt family members enjoying the main family room. For instance, I’m probably under a quilt, reading or watching tv, or napping, eating, or whatever… and if dh answers the door to pay the gutter cleaner or something it doesn’t interrupt me.  

Yes this. Shoe removal varies widely.

a reception room was explained to me as a place to greet unexpected and/or uninvited guests or people you do not want to entertain. You are being polite by inviting them inside to hear why they are at your door, but the room usually is only sparsely furnished (maybe a single small chair next to a coat rack and umbrella stand) and doesn't invite someone to linger for long periods of time. It also preserves the privacy and minimizes disruptions to the rest of the household. 

[SHP]

2 hours ago, LaughingCat said:

Interesting -- I had never heard the name "reception room" for what I would call a "formal living room" -- but based on Google it is the same thing -- "a room in a house where people can sit together"

We had a formal living room growing up (most families did) and one of my good friends did more recently for many years-- I would not be willing to give up a room to be only that since we would literally never use it.  However, I can certainly see that a room such as you have described might be difficult to use for anything else (using it as a dining room does sound like a good idea -- if workable for set up/take down as well as passing through the room).   

 

Here a formal living room would be a parlor. Completely different use. It could be a regional thing. Here in superficially polite land a reception room meets that cultural requirement. 

[DawnM]

2 hours ago, lmrich said:

I would let it be my dining room. Yes, you will have to walk around the table, but,  if you can make the  table  smaller (take leaves out) that might work. I say formal dining room, because then you could use that room still to have quiet conversations in, etc.. If you have already a formal dining room, could that be more easily transformed into a playroom or workout room? 

The dining room is to the left when you walk in and very open, so I wouldn't want anything that got messy easily.   If I do the swap, I would prob put the DR in the "reception room" and let the actual dining room be a formal LR.

I guess I will have to play around with it.

[footballmom]

I like the idea of a chaise lounge, or maybe an upholstered bench with rounded arms at each end - I will look and see if I can find a picture. That with a small writing desk and rug if it’s hardwood floors  could be a simple room, mostly open and easy flow through. You could maybe even look into turning the French doors into pocket French doors to give yourself more floor and wall space 

[footballmom]

[Tap]

It definitely seems intended for a grand piano or pedestal table with club chairs by the window. Is the room photographed in the orig posting? Or do you know if this floor plan has a name. If it does, the name of the room combined with a search on Houzz may give you some ideas. Alternative search for reception room or music room. 

[KSera]

5 hours ago, DawnM said:

 

Maybe this crude drawing will explain better?  This is the layout for the first floor.   It is very crude and to to scale but it gives you an idea of what I mean.

It seems to me it would be possible to arrange living room type furniture such that there was still a direct path from the hallway  through to the opening to the great room if you wanted to go that way. In my thinking, it would be fine if you needed to walk around the furniture to get to the office door, because you wouldn’t likely have any guests coming in the front door to head directly to the office. That would be a room for people who live there and doesn’t have to be in a convenient path from the front door. Without seeing the room to get a better idea of scale, it would be hard to suggest a specific arrangement. 

 

[DawnM]

1 hour ago, Tap said:

It definitely seems intended for a grand piano or pedestal table with club chairs by the window. Is the room photographed in the orig posting? Or do you know if this floor plan has a name. If it does, the name of the room combined with a search on Houzz may give you some ideas. Alternative search for reception room or music room. 

I dont' think I have a photo, but let me look and see what is in the original photo I posted.   DH has video but no still photos he says.

[ktgrok]

3 hours ago, DawnM said:

The dining room is to the left when you walk in and very open, so I wouldn't want anything that got messy easily.   If I do the swap, I would prob put the DR in the "reception room" and let the actual dining room be a formal LR.

I guess I will have to play around with it.

Looking at it, that is what I would do. Plus, that way the great room is not right off the formal living room. If people come over unexpectedly, say you need to invite a salesperson in or whatever,  and you have a mess in the great room, you don't want them seeing that. So having your formal living room NOT be open to the great room make sense. But if they are going into the dining room, well, you probably expected them and had time to prepare and clean up. 

[Tap]

1 hour ago, DawnM said:

I dont' think I have a photo, but let me look and see what is in the original photo I posted.   DH has video but no still photos he says.

Not sure if I was clear. Is there a photo from the sellers listing that shows how they were using it?

Edited July 6, 2023 by Tap

[Clarita]

I use mine as a playroom. Prior to having kids it was the music room. 

I've also seen people do it where one or two of the doorways are kind of blocked, especially when it's going to a room that has another way in. like there kind of is a couch in front of the path of walking but there is a few feet of space to walk around it. 

[easypeasy]

I'd wait and give it some time as mentioned above... but...

I'd buy a poker/game table, add some sliders to the bottom (assuming the room has wood flooring) and slide it close to the windows when not in use, but pull it out for game nights when needed. We love playing board games/cards/puzzles and I hate that we don't have a space for a dedicated table like that. So. That's what *I'd* do with the space. 😄

[Arcadia]

13 hours ago, DawnM said:

So, just to be clear, there are NO walls that are clear to put bookshelves up against, three walls have huge archways or French doors, and the 4th has large windows.  

I would put a long cushioned bench near the windows and use that as a comfy spot for getting my dose of sunshine.  I would definitely treat that room as a reception room for guest. I may put a magazine stand coffee table if I am going to be lounging there often. 

[Laura Corin]

13 hours ago, SHP said:

Yep, looks like a reception room

Interesting.  In the UK, reception room is any kind of room that is not for sleeping, cooking or washing, as in this listing, which has 3 reception rooms

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/64957919/?search_identifier=5376a20d-b4e4-4624-b9b0-56f8af89bba9

[DawnM]

10 hours ago, Tap said:

Not sure if I was clear. Is there a photo from the sellers listing that shows how they were using it?

NO!   They had 3 photos in their listing.   And one of those photos was of the staircase.   Seriously, it was awful.

And the room is currently empty, so I don't know how it was used.

[TexasProud]

5 minutes ago, DawnM said:

NO!   They had 3 photos in their listing.   And one of those photos was of the staircase.   Seriously, it was awful.

And the room is currently empty, so I don't know how it was used.

I know you really want to figure it out. And I totally get the fact that it is the first thing that guests see, so you feel pressure to figure it out.  However, I am echoing all of the advice to wait.  Live in the house for 6 months to a year and see how it feels like it should be used.  There is no real rush (other than your own comfort level).  So you can fill it with something that really makes sense rather than rushing and putting something there and then in a couple of years replacing it with what truly works. It will save you money in the long run.