Turning a formal dining room into a practical playroom for my friend convinced me that your home should work for your family. A space that was used only occasionally is now a room the family enjoys every day.
I’m thrilled to share this makeover. When a room sits unused—especially one as central as a formal dining area—it’s an opportunity to transform the home in a way that matches how the family actually lives.
My friend Emily, who lives nearby, had wanted to convert her formal dining room into a playroom for several years. Their house had a formal living room and dining room at the front that were rarely used, while the kids’ toys were crammed into a small nook off the family room. Emily wanted a dedicated, organized space for play where toys wouldn’t spill into the rest of the house.
I always encourage making rooms work for your family’s needs. If rearranging or repurposing a space will improve daily life, it’s worth it.
The plan was to swap functions: the formal living area would become the dining/living space, and the old dining room would become the playroom. This swap freed up square footage that had previously gone unused and gave the children a large, contained area for play.
Previously, the play nook was too small. Toys overflowed into the family room, creating clutter and stress. I photographed the space mid-sort—Emily was busy organizing and clearing out items to donate—and you can see why a larger space was essential.
One bonus of the move: Emily used the opportunity to sort through toys and books and donate a sizeable amount to charity, clearing out clutter just in time for the holidays. A streamlined toy collection means the new playroom can stay organized and functional.
With the clutter gone and the space reassigned, it was time for the transformation—paint, storage, and a few DIY projects to make the room kid-friendly without compromising the overall home aesthetic.
Ta-da—what a change! Emily wanted the new playroom to feel fun and child-focused while still blending with the rest of her home, since it’s visible from the front door. The solution was smart design and clever features that balance utility and style.
To address visibility from the entryway, Emily had the idea to install large sliding barn doors. These allow the playroom to be open when the children are using it and closed when she’s entertaining or prefers the area out of sight—an elegant, practical compromise.
For paint, we chose a soft gray—Clark+Kensington’s Baby Elephant—paired with two accent stripes in Mocha Icing. The combination of cool gray and warm beige ties in with the home’s existing browns and reds, creating a playful yet sophisticated palette that won’t feel juvenile as the kids grow.
We used a piece of artwork as the inspiration for the room’s colors and accessories, pulling elements of gray, brown, blue, and red into a coordinated scheme that feels cohesive with the rest of the house.
For storage, we added locker baskets and galvanized pails to keep toys categorized and easy to access. Attractive storage solutions make it simple for the kids to tidy up and for adults to maintain a neat, welcoming space.
We added labels to the baskets to encourage sorting and quick cleanup—small details that pay off when it comes to everyday organization.
Emily also upcycled scrap wood from the barn doors into photo boards, Mod Podging images of the kids onto the wood to create a warm, personal gallery. These sentimental touches help the room feel like part of the home rather than a separate, purely functional space.
A simple update to their train table made it even more fun: Krylon Chalkboard paint turned the traditional painted landscape into a writable surface, so the kids can draw and change scenes easily.
I also photographed a few extra angles of Emily’s updated dining space. She’s a talented decorator who enjoys hosting, and this rearrangement gives her the best of both worlds: a beautiful entertaining area and a separate, contained playroom that can be closed off when needed.
Building the barn doors was a fun, hands-on project. I brought my tools over and Emily and I worked on the doors in short bursts between preschool drop-offs and pickups. It was a rewarding weekend-and-evening project—just two moms building something practical and beautiful.
We were ecstatic when the doors were finally hung. The hardware made installation straightforward, and adding casters at the bottom helped the doors glide smoothly and stay stable. The finished result is both functional and stylish.
A few days after the remodel, Emily texted me that the change was “literally changing their lives” because all the toys were finally corralled in one place. That’s the real payoff of a project like this: less daily clutter, more calm, and a space designed to support the family’s routine.
Is there a room in your house that could be repurposed to better suit your family? For me, I’m planning to convert a guest bedroom into a dedicated office that still functions as a guest room a few times a year. Thoughtful changes like these make daily life smoother and more enjoyable.