Why 7 Families Ditched the Dining Room

Formal dining rooms are starting to go the way of the formal living room—out of service. While many homes have dining rooms, the square footage devoted to them often isn’t justified by the little use most families get out of them. And who wants to waste that much space? Instead of letting an entire room become a black hole for clutter, get inspired by these 7 ways real families have converted their dining spaces.

9 Space-Smart Ways to Fit Two Rooms in One

The diminutive dimensions of your home may have whittled your design dreams down to size, but there’s one way to make the most of your square footage without tearing out your hair or your walls: Fit two distinct rooms into one living space. Multipurpose rooms break down conventional barriers between distinct spaces like the kitchen, office, bedroom, and dining room to create stylish and effortless integrated living spaces. Reveal the hidden depths in the most cramped quarters with inspiration from these 9 elaborately efficient 2-in-1 rooms.

Library Ladders: Reaching New Heights at Home

The library ladder is the perfect example of form meeting function. Not only is it an entirely practical piece, but it also adds a fun design element to any room in the house. With caster wheels on the bottom, and attached to a bar on top, a library ladder can be easily moved without having to worry about it toppling over. Library ladders are handy for providing access to hard-to-reach storage cabinets, saving the hassle of constantly having to look for a step stool. A well-placed library ladder calls to mind the whimsy of “Beauty and the Beast,” where a large library provides a dreamy sanctuary. That same aesthetic attractively translates beyond the traditional library setting and into other spaces like kitchens, closets, hallways, and kids’ rooms. See for yourself as you admire our collection of lovely ladder-equipped interiors.