Identity Crisis of a Floorplan

Okay, I told you all about the colors and inspiration I chose for my dining room here.  I lived in it.  I loved it.  I've changed my mind.  It happens.  I've decided to change my dining room into a small sitting/play area and convert my formal living room into a dining room.   I found a fabulous table from Henredon that changed everything. 

The devil's in those details of gold lattice and zebrano inlay paired with ebony wood.

The oval table extends to seat ten and is made of ebony wood with an inlay of zebrano and accents of gold.  Delicious!  We bought it knowing that it would fit only as a six seater in our original dining room but planned to extend it into the living room as needed for larger gatherings.  Initially, it did fit perfectly in the dining room this way.  

But getting together around a dining table with our extended family and sharing food, stories, and time is central to our lives.  So, we opted for a little change.  Why not question the sanctity of space allotment in a floor plan?  Thinking a bit out of the box when it comes to space allocation can help reinvent your home.  Does a hall closet have to be a closet?  If you're short on space, you can remove the doors and transform it into a niche for a desk or artwork.  A utility room can be a playroom and a bedroom can turn into a full blown media room.  Most of us aren't moving out to bigger homes these days, so why not make the most of what we have and let it reflect who we are?

In my case, one benefit was that my old living room furniture from my previous home fits perfectly into the new sitting/play room.  Since we plan to let our little one run loose in that area (and anywhere else he eventually chooses), I won't be too concerned with the wear and tear on these older pieces. 

The new sitting room before my son and his toys get a hold of it.

Placing art and finding the right window treatment are next on the list.  For the dining room itself, I'm looking at hand-painted wall covering from Alpha Workshops.  Wallpaper can be fun when you do it right.  Stay tuned to see what I end up with!

An overall view of the new dining room looking into the sitting room.  See all the blank wall space to be adorned with art and color  I'm still looking for the right covering for a huge window facing out. 

Okay, now our dining room is a sitting room and our formal living is a dining room for ten, and we really spend most of our time in the den.  This specific mix seems to fit us just perfectly!  What unique ways have you found to redistribute space in your home?