Sophisticated dining room with a wooden table, matching chairs, beige upholstered seating, a decorative cabinet, and a white fireplace with a framed painting.

Is your dining room gathering dust? While formal dining rooms are making a comeback, many people prefer to ditch the traditional dining room and repurpose that space to better fit their lifestyle and interests. Here are some ideas for what to do with a dining room you don’t use.

Create a Home Library

Whether your kids need a comfortable spot to do their homework or you need a place to catch up on the latest bestseller, creating a home library can be a great way to personalize your home to your unique needs. Wondering how to create a home library that will serve the whole family? In addition to a designing a reading nook with comfortable seating, you might consider keeping the dining room table for completing homework and including plenty of bookcases to display your books.

Turn it Into a Designated Game Room

Is your family obsessed with board games? If you’re playing weekly games of Monopoly or Catan, it might make sense to turn your dining room space into a designated game room where you can gather with friends and family to play. Wondering what to put in a game room? We recommend a dining room table and chairs, bookcases or other shelves to display your games and puzzles, a bar cart if you’re entertaining adult gamers, and additional storage containers if you’re planning to turn the room over to your kids.

Design a Home Office

With more and more people working from home, creating a designated home office space is becoming increasingly important. Wondering where to put a home office? If you aren’t using your dining room, it might make sense to repurpose the space so you can comfortably get your work done. If you need help with the design process, check out our guide to home office design, where we cover everything from how to choose a desk to how to decorate your home office.

Make a Bonus Sitting Room

Has your living room turned exclusively into a television room? If so, it might be time to create a bonus sitting room. During the week, it can be used as a place to get some peace and quiet when your kids or partner are having screen time. On the weekends, it can be a space to sit around and socialize with friends, away from the temptation of the TV. Not sure how to furnish your bonus room? Make sure to have plenty of comfy seating arranged in a way where you can easily entertain. You might also consider a bar cart or wine cabinet, a cocktail ottoman, and fun art groupings on the wall.

If you’re wondering what to do with a dining room you don’t use, we hope you’ll consider these ideas from the interior design experts at Star Furniture & Mattress. Be sure to check out our extensive collection of dining room, home office, and living room furniture so you can make the room of your dreams. In the meantime, check out our interior design blog where we cover everything from home décor trends to how to decorate your home on a budget.