Space Swap

What do you do with a little-used living room? Recently, I was working on a project for a client with a large family and a small dining room with an adjacent rarely used, oversized living room. Short of excluding half the clan during any given holiday (clearly not an option for those hoping for functional families), the client had been toying with the idea of swapping their two main spaces, using the dining space as the living room and vice versa.

Having lived in the house for a dozen years, the homeowners were very hesitant about flipping the rooms, finding it challenging to envision the spaces differently than where they had been for so many years. That’s where a designer with objective eyes and design vision can be of great service.

So how did we get there? In the living room, there was a fireplace that saw little kindling since the room was so underutilized. But it seemed obvious that the fireplace could serve as a dramatic backdrop during festive family gatherings and holiday dinners.

To complement the warm atmosphere created by having a fireplace-appointed dining room, we decided to bring a greater level of visual interest to the space. A coffered ceiling created height and aesthetic appeal, and two columns atop a half wall separated the adjoining rooms without closing them off from one another. We kept the client’s large breakfront and dining table (which now can keep in its extra leaf due to the additional area). The dining chairs were reupholstered, a faux finish applied to the walls, and lighting upgraded to include recessed lights and a stunning crystal chandelier. To make the fireplace an even more striking focal point, the mantelpiece was painted with a faux finish and resurfaced with marble mosaics.

In the living room, which would need a more formal look to coordinate with the new dining room, we reupholstered the client’s antique sofa and reupholstered a wing chair formerly placed in another area of the house. A pair of slipper chairs brought additional interest to the room’s inherent focal point, a beautiful bay window.

Throughout the process, our goal was to treat both rooms as a whole yet give each its own individuality. To achieve this, we created a color scheme that would play well together and kept area rugs in each of the respective rooms. To continue the integrated theme, we purchased two ottomans in coordinating fabrics that can be used for additional seating at either the dining table or in the living room, without overpowering the spaces or cluttering either room. The result? Two much more functional—and fashionable—spaces and one satisfied family.


Alice Silverman, president and founder of Creative Interiors, a full-service design firm based in North Salem, has decorated and designed home environments for more then 35 years.