A dining room bookshelf inspired me to write an article about a room that serves multiple purposes. I recently downsized my house and had no place in the house for bookshelves other than the dining room. Given the size of the rest of the room, the location of the doors, closets and windows (and the function of the room), the beloved bookshelf would have been intimidating and unwieldy elsewhere. After that, searching the internet made me feel better, and I found many examples of gorgeous bookshelves in the dining room.

From a yin-yang perspective, the ideal is to have a separate space for each activity. We usually don’t want to see conflicting activities and intentions if possible. For years I’ve pointed out that having a home office in your bedroom can be a conflict of interest. Well, everything about the bedroom should signal rest and relaxation. But a home office (one with a desk, computer, and filing cabinet) can be overly stimulating and counterproductive. Conversely, having a home office in your bedroom can make you sleepy.

Still, many people cannot afford separate spaces. Is it bad to have a cat condo and a “cat room” with a feeding table in the same room as an exercise bike and far infrared sauna? Is it bad to have an altar and meditation spot in the guest bedroom?

When my casual dining room becomes part of a larger kitchen, no Even when entertaining guests, the preparation of food goes hand in hand with its consumption, so there is no conflict at all.

now, People who live in studio apartments have long grappled with this problem. The sofa becomes a roll-out bed at night, and all activities take place in the same room, except for the bathroom. there is. To do so, and to signal another space, the back of the sofa can be the boundary of one space. You don’t need to put rows of plants or anything that can disrupt a room and make it look smaller than it actually is. . This is a priority for small spaces regardless of the number of activity spots.

In summary, you can use a combination room most of the time without worry, especially if you live alone or don’t have a partner or housemate trying to do conflicting things in the room you share. If you’re trying to sleep in and your partner is on the phone or computer in the corner of the room, it’s a recipe for tension and problems. Even if they are quiet, the glow of a laptop screen can disrupt other people’s sleep cycles.

Any activity or combination of activities can be experienced in one room, as long as you coordinate the space with the ideal colors and elements. And it’s perfectly fine to combine a study with an exercise room, or a meditation with a craft room, as in a few examples, as long as it doesn’t block light, ventilation, or easy access and create clutter.

Author: Carter Diamond

Company: Feng Shui Solutions ®

From the Architecture & Design blog series