We’re back answering another follower question!

But first, we want to share that the follower with the curtain question from last week (click here to read Vol. 1) reached out to say she is in “love, love, love” with our recommendation. How awesome is that?!? It was an incredibly sweet email that brought us some true sunshine.

We have received tons more questions following last week’s blog post. And we promise we’re gonna get to them all. Maybe you want to subscribe to our blog…so you don’t miss out? The little “Subscribe to the Gray Oak Studio Blog” in the column on the right will do the trick. Wink, wink, smile.

For today, we’re answering just one question because it’s a very, very, very long answer. Enjoy.

Question: I have this terribly ugly and random room in the front of my house (don’t judge). It’s small (15x13) and has a staircase on one side and a gigantic piano on the other!! We have plans of getting rid of the piano (it’s kind of broken). Soooo...what do I do with this room? I’m assuming this would have been the dining room back in the day but we don’t need a dining room...so what do we “need?” I have been thinking about this for years...without any inspiration! 🤪 I’m willing to can everything and start fresh but don’t know how to begin!

We love this question because it’s incredibly relatable. In New England, we have many Cape Cod and Colonial style homes with a small room at the front of the house for a formal dining room. Many home owners either don’t want a formal dining room or the home has been renovated in such a way that a different space is the dedicated dining area. So, what happens to that “bonus” space…that’s not incredibly big.

First, let’s look at some photos of the space.

Gray Oak Studio - April Free Designer for a Day - Bonus Room Makeover

Gray Oak Studio - April Designer for a Day - Living Room Transformation

Let’s talk through the positives of this room (always a great starting point). Whenever we approach a full room transformation, we want to call out all the positives to make sure we keep them in mind as we design. The windows look big and new and there’s great natural light. There are no weird/funky soffits or peculiar angles to hide or work around. It’s essentially a box, which is a wonderful (straightforward) room to decorate.

The next stop on our process is finding a purpose for the room - how will this family use the room? We asked some follow-up questions and decided that this will be an adult space…of some kind…where kids are welcome (aka nothing too precious). The “adult hangout” is the #1 answer of all our clients when we dig for the best use of their extra room. We are currently working on two of these type rooms! One is a Poker Room (!) and one is a Meditation Library (we chose this name…our clients graciously went with it). Other common ideas for an adult hangout space are a study, a faux sunroom (like a sunroom…not an actual sunroom), and a morning coffee and newspaper room (casual living room with no TV).

Next, let’s talk about any trade work we’ll want to recommend. First, this room needs some overhead light. It’s looking like there are zero ceiling lights. We recommend 4 recessed lights and an optional center light fixture. The highly technical mockup below shows the general idea (the lights are all too close together…but you get the general idea). The importance of a properly lit a room cannot be under estimated! It makes the room feel much bigger.

Gray Oak Studio - Free April Designer for a Day

Next, we need a fresh coat of paint on these walls. The homeowner told us that the color palette in the rest of the house is gray, beige and navy (love it). So we recommend a super light greige for this room to really amplify the lovely natural light. Something like one of these guys - all by Benjamin Moore.

Now it gets fun. We’re gonna to show you three ways to furnish this room!

Option 1 - Faux Sunroom

We just love these cozy, coastal vibes. This feels like the perfect spot for tea and a magazine…as if anyone has time for that while they’re parenting/homeschooling/cleaning/working/worrying/eating too much ice cream. But, you can imagine how lovely it would be to sip Chai and read Architectural Digest (or US Weekly) here.

Gray Oak Studio - Coastal Style Faux Sunroom

All of the prices in this entire post below are the “full price”, but almost all the items are currently ON SALE. Be sure to click through to the website to see ongoing discounted prices and promotion codes.

Sofa - $900

Armchair - Price varies by fabric selection

Coffee Table - $450

Side Table - $200

Rug - Price varies by size

Light Fixture - $99

Floor Lamp - $130

Faux Fiddle Leaf Fig - Price varies by size

Basket with Handles - Price varies by size

Navy Pillow Cover - $30

Candle in Brass Bowl - $40

Small faux potted plant - $20

Option 2 - Elevated Living Room

Next! A slightly elevated, but still casual and kid-friendly…when they’re invited…living room. This would be a morning coffee room or an afternoon book room or a glass of wine in a room with no TV.