In an effort to create a more functional living space for our growing family, we recently moved our master bedroom to a much smaller room.
Then we transformed our previous master bedroom into a cozy farmhouse den our whole family now enjoys on a daily basis!
This mini-renovation took roughly 36 hours and resulted in a fantastic spot for family game nights, movie marathons, afternoon naps, or just curling up with a good book.
Watch the Full Video Tour of Our Den!
Click here if you can’t see the video below. But be sure to come back and check out the before/after pictures below!
What do you think?
Compared to a traditional livingroom, this bedroom-turned-den is on the small side. However, since it’s our SECOND living area, the smaller size really doesn’t matter for us.
We are thrilled with our second living area — and the fact that we created this space so quickly with almost no out-of-pocket expense!
Check out the Before / After Photos:
The photos below should give you a pretty good feel for how this space transitioned from our master bedroom to a cozy den…
As you can see by the photos below, we took the closet doors off but kept the organizing system inplace (thanks to an extended-arm TV mount).
And if you look down the hallway, you’ll see our new master bedroom! 🙂
I used some extra fabric to sew a slipcover for my Grandma’s chair, and to make a handful of pillows.
And also we added legs to an antique game board for a fun farmhouse coffee table (the legs fold up for easy storage).
A Few Notes:
- I fully admit that not everything in this space really “works” or “matches”. Please keep in mind that we transformed this space in 36 hours, without leaving our home, with virtually zero out-of-pocket expense! We used what we had in the house. Eventually, I will most likely swap out some furniture and decor, but for now, we are just THRILLED with this new super-functional space in our home!
- The paint color is NOT different — I’m not sure why it looks so different in the before pictures. It’s Antique White.
- We plan to install a small ceiling fan instead of the chandelier — but electrical work didn’t make the cut for our 36-hour reno!
- I plan to add curtains to the closet opening but the fabric stores aren’t open and I didn’t have scraps big enough to fit this space.
- This is our SECOND living space. I know it’s smaller than some living spaces, but we do have another living area too. Think of this sort of like a basement family room or kids’ hang-out space.
My Favorite Things About Our New Den:
- We now have a second living area for our family to spend time in! This has been especially helpful with ALL of us home ALL the time these past 6 weeks. One child can be reading or working on homework while other kids are playing a game. Or the kids can be in one space while the adults are in another!
- This space doubles as a guest bedroom (something we haven’t had since James was born). As I mention in the video, the loveseat pulls out into a bed, and the corner couch is SUPER comfortable for sleeping. I moved our air mattresses and extra bedding into the den closet, so we’re ready for overnight guests once the quarantine is lifted!
- The new den is a very private space. If someone wants to watch a movie or take a nap in the middle of the day, we just pull the shades, close the door, and it’s super dark and quiet in the den. It’s also a great space when one child has a few friends over. They can do their own thing with friends without other siblings butting in.
- It’s so cozy! I know, I’ve said this a bunch already — but it really is such a cozy space! Our previous living room (picture below) was so big and open, with 5 different entrances to different rooms in our home. It was very awkward to arrange furniture, and people were always walking through the space to get to another space. There was zero privacy. Our new den is exactly the opposite — smaller, cozier, more practical for smaller groups, more private, etc. etc.
So… what did we do with our old living room?
I’ll share all the details next week — but I will tell you it’s TOTALLY different. There is no living room furniture in that space anymore, and (surprise, surprise) the new space is SO much more functional for our family’s current needs.
Product Links:
Almost everything in this space was handmade or purchased from thrift stores or garage sales YEARS ago. Below, I’ve included a few links to items you can actually still buy!
NOTE: the only things I actually purchased to complete our den were the TV Mount and the Rug… and I used a gift card for the rug.
- Ikea Sectional Sofa (the Ektorp line with a white slipcover)
- TV Mount
- Room Darkening Shades
- Area Rug (it was 70% off on clearance)
- Foldable Hairpin Table Legs for coffee table
More Farmhouse Video Tours:
- Our Tiny Master Bedroom
- Our Girls’ Farmhouse Bedroom
- Our Boys’ Farmhouse Bedroom
- Our Cozy Farmhouse Reading Nook
I know it’s not “normal” or traditional to turn the master bedroom into a den — but it feels like the best and simplest solution for our family’s current needs.
If we want to change things up again in a few months or years, we will!
Kathryn Bechen says
Hi Andrea, Your new den/family room is just adorable and what a well-thought-out labor of love for your whole family to enjoy! You and Dave do a nice job with all-things-home and as a former school teacher and organizer myself I am sure you are doing your very best to homeschool during this time too, giving it your “all” like you do everything else. Feeling frazzled with homeschooling “all of a sudden” would be normal for anyone, I would think. Kudos and much happiness to your cute family and shine on! xx
Andrea says
thanks so much Kathryn!
Kim says
I am soooooooooooooooooooo curious as to how you are utilizing the old living room and the old “eat in” kitchen area. I love this creative “thinking outside the box.”
Years ago, we opened up a wall of a bedroom next to our living area and made it a dining room. When we talked about with people first (big mistake) they thought it would ruin the resale value of the home. (We can slap the wall back up if need be.) We did it anyway and it has been fabulous!!!!! So much more room. We can even put an additional table end to end with our rectangular dining room table and seat 14 people all at the same table. So unifying for large get-togethers.
We are not to serve our homes. Our homes are to serve us and our needs. People need to experiment. Furniture can always be put back if it doesn’t work out. Give it a try! Be creative.
Andrea says
come back on Monday and you’ll get the full tour of our new living room / dining room!
and yes, I’m 100% an advocate for setting up our homes to SERVE OUR CURRENT SEASON OF LIFE! We can always change things back later!
Marva says
I love your new den! Your family is going to enjoy this for many years. My newly retired husband thought it was unnecessary when I turned our extra main floor bedroom into a den last fall so he’d have a warmer place to hang out in the winter than the basement family room. He hasn’t sat down in the basement ever since!
Andrea says
Thanks Marva! We are already enjoying that space soooo much! And such a funny story about your hubby — glad you created such a nice space for him!
Christina says
Love it! Thanks for sharing!
Andrea says
Thank you!!
Debbie says
It looks great and it does look cozy! I can’t wait to see the living room.
Andrea says
Thanks — check back next week for the living room!
Maria says
It is lovely your space. But can you explain what is the meaning of the word den? Iam courious, that is all!
Maria
Andrea says
a “den” is a small living room –> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Den_(room)
Natalia says
The new space is so cozy, I would want to spend my entire day in there! Lucky guests
And I am so curious to see the livingroom! Do we have to wait a full week??
Andrea says
thanks Natalia! And yes, you need to wait a full week. I don’t have the time to make that many videos all at once!
Karen says
Your gameboard has Crokinole on the reverse side! How fun! That was my first thought when I saw the pocket nets in the corner.
Julia Irvin says
I am all for using spaces in unconventional ways for the sake of meeting my family’s current needs! Great job!!
Andrea says
Thanks — I agree with you too!
Margaret Hruschka says
I love this. The notion of really digging into what your family uses a space for and making your house work for your life instead of sticking to what is standard is such an excellent thought. At some point, I’d love to read more in depth about how you and your family thought about how you use your space and the decision to revamp like this.
Andrea says
Thanks Margaret!
Dave and I have been talking about doing this sort of thing for years already… we just couldn’t do it until we had an extra bedroom. Now that the kids are old enough to share bedrooms (without babies waking up all night long) we have the extra room we needed to create the den area.
I think Dave and I both consistently think about how to craft a home that best serves our family at our current period of life. This means we move furniture around A LOT — but also means we get the maximum benefit from the space inside our home!
Carolyn says
AllI can say, Andrea, is that you And your husband are amazing! No grass grows under your feet!!
Andrea says
haha — thanks 🙂
Kim says
I love it! Your style is my favorite!
Andrea says
Thanks so much 🙂
JJ says
That does look cozy. Sometimes a change of scenery livens things up. The table legs are such a great idea–very innovative!!!
Andrea says
yes, the change of scenery is great (the kids love it!) and the table legs were a great find for us too!
JoAnn C. says
Wow such a great transformation! It does look charming and cozy. Thanks for sharing your before and after photos, Andrea. I can’t wait to see what the former family/living room looks like now.
Andrea says
Thanks! I can’t wait to continue sharing more updates
Marlene says
I especially like the coffee table. We used to have a game table like that so it also brings back memories. Well done on the entire project. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the transformations!
Margaret says
Very nice. Reminds me of the Use What You Have decorating books, which always give me ideas. My front “bedroom” has gone through several complete changes in the 16 years I’ve lived in my house: bedroom, library, home office, rathole, and finally, and probably permanently, dog room with crates and grooming area. Keeping the mindset that no room’s function is set in stone is so freeing.
One thing–when you move behind the camera you become almost inaudible. i’m not tech-savvy enough to make suggestions, but perhaps another reader could.
Andrea says
Thanks Margaret. And yes, I did realize the sound issue after I was already pretty far into creating the video 🙁 I know what I need to do differently next time though 🙂
Janet says
The home we lived in when our children were growing up was not large. Over the course of 35 years living there every room was used in various ways. Our smallest bedroom was a den the last years we lived there. This brought back nice memories! You are right about the coziness and it was warmer in the MI winter. As your children grow needs are different. Enjoy your den now and change if your needs change.
Leslie says
Andrea, your old master bedroom must be larger than I thought. You have put in a great deal of work to accomplish this! I’m always surprised when I see new farmhouse decorations pop up. Did you have some of them in storage? I’ll have to check our thrift stores when this virus is over.
Andrea says
It’s not a huge room but still good size room (roughly 14′ x 12′ — 170 square feet).
And no, I only have 1 smaller bin of “extra” decorations in our basement. However, I have lots of farmhouse decor throughout the house. I simply “rearrange” and repurpose whenever we switch up our rooms like this. The bookcase (and decor) was from our living room, the door was from our bedroom, the old window was in the former nursery, the shutters were used in our office as decoration, the white shelf was in the landing area, the ladder was used outside, etc. etc.
I rarely buy more but rather repurpose what we have in a “fresh” way so our spaces feel updated without any extra cost!
Andrea says
Thank you, Janet! Yes, it is very cozy and warm in here (also cool in the summer as it’s right under a huge tree!)
Micayla says
Love the transformation posts! Is the couch in the den the one from the living room? If so, what is in the living room now?
Andrea says
good question — I updated the end of the post a bit… but I’ll share all those details next week!
Jennifer Mason says
This space is amazing and I love that you repurposed from what you already had. With 4 kids I am sure this will get much use and appreciation for a separate space.
Andrea says
Thank you, Jennifer! And yes, we are already getting much use out of this “new” space!
Linda says
Outstanding transformation, Andrea! Both of your “new” rooms are beautiful and serve your family well.
Andrea says
thanks so much, Linda!