Making the Most of the Space in Your Home

Friends come by to visit you, not your house. Your home can be a flexible extension and reflection of your lifestyle and personality, not a fixed collection of rooms that can only be used for their originally-intended purpose.

If space is limited, consider making some rooms do double duty. Here are some tips for thinking differently and making the most of the space in your home:

• If you don’t put on formal dinner parties, consider turning an unused dining room into a home office. When friends come over for an meal, cushions around a coffee table in front of the fireplace can become an informal ‘dining room.’

• Repurpose furniture into special ‘rooms.’ A drop-front secretary with shelves, drawers and a work surface can turn your living room into a craft center by day but can be closed up for entertaining in the evening.

• Many people regard their bedroom as a sanctuary and retreat. Consider adding built-in or freestanding shelves and an easy chair with a floor lamp to turn one corner of your bedroom into a quiet ‘library.’