How to Make a Dual-Purpose Living Room

Define the dual purposes of your living room. Will it double as your office, a play space for the kids or maybe an elegant area for cocktail hour before your dinner parties? Be specific about what you want to accomplish in the room. If your workspace is just for checking email and paying bills, you won't need much more than an unobtrusive desk and some task lighting. If you want to tackle full-blown projects, you'll need room for files, binders, a printer, paper trays and other office supplies.

Set aside separate spaces for specific activities. Never underestimate the power of a room divider. You don't have to use those flimsy accordion dividers, either. Deep, open shelves can separate a reading nook, with books on one side facing a cozy chair and reading lamp, and DVDs or knickknacks on the other facing the main living room. The back of the couch is a divider in its own right and can be used to set aside a corner as a play area.

Select multipurpose pieces. If your living room plans include a bar cart for cocktails and a sideboard for hors d'eouvres, you can easily repurpose these pieces to play a different role for daily living. Keep cocktail glasses and other supplies on the lower shelves of a table or cart and conceal them behind a table skirt. Set a vase of flowers and family photos on the sideboard for a decorative daytime touch. Ottomans can stash toys for playtime while serving as a seat for family movie night. A small laptop desk could slide out of the way as a side table when not in use.

Use the same colors and decorating theme throughout the room to maintain a sense of continuity, even with a dual-purpose area. Paint shelving or room dividers to match the walls to make the separation seem like a natural extension of the room's architecture. Coordinate the other pieces throughout. Match the desk's color and style to the entertainment center and end tables. Upholster your desk chair to match the couch. Tuck toys on one side of the room into the same style of basket used for magazines on the other side.