{"id":14701,"date":"2020-02-28T09:12:43","date_gmt":"2020-02-28T17:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=14701"},"modified":"2020-11-12T18:05:07","modified_gmt":"2020-11-13T02:05:07","slug":"buyer-what-is-a-keeping-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-is-a-keeping-room\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping Rooms Are Having a Moment: Is One Right for You?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A keeping room. Sounds kind of creepy, right? Actually, a keeping room, or \u201chearth room,\u201d is a centuries-old trend that seems like it could have been designed for modern life.<\/p>\n

The broad definition<\/a> of a keeping room is \u201ca common room (as in a colonial house) usually used for multiple purposes,\u201d and the first one appeared in 1771. In colonial times, houses usually had a fireplace or wood-burning stove in the kitchen that heated the entire house; th room was built onto the kitchen, and the family would sleep there during the winter months to be closer to the heat source.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, with central heating, this space has evolved into an additional common area in a house, usually adjacent to the kitchen. It is also sometimes referred to as a \u201cflex room\u201d or a \u201cfree room\u201d by modern homebuilders. Here\u2019s what you need to know about keeping rooms, including what adding one to your home might look like for you.<\/p>\n

The history of the keeping room<\/h3>\n

Ever noticed how at parties, everyone always congregates in the kitchen? These rooms are a response to that dilemma. In the 18th century, cooking outside over an open fire was common, and families would sit and wait for the cook in a separate building from the house.\u00a0 After evolving into a single-building structure, these rooms were often used for sleeping during the winter in colonial times.<\/p>\n

They have developed over the years into rooms where people can gather to keep the cook company, but stay out from underfoot in the kitchen. Popularized in 18th-century colonial architecture, today you\u2019ll see them in some new construction<\/a> builds as well as in historic homes in the South.<\/p>\n

\""A\"<\/p>\n

What makes a keeping room, a keeping room?<\/h2>\n

There are several criteria a room must meet in order to be considered a keeping room and not just an additional common room.<\/p>\n

First, the room must be adjacent to the kitchen. Size doesn\u2019t matter \u2014 it could seat a couple of people or many people.<\/p>\n

These rooms are also called hearth rooms because there is typically a fireplace as the focal point, a carryover from the original use of the room. There\u2019s also usually seating, such as sofas or comfortable chairs, for guests to perch on while keeping the cook company.<\/p>\n

In colonial times, when the room wasn\u2019t used for keeping warm at night, people would often sew, read, or prep food; today, you can set up board games, a television, video games, or other fun distractions.<\/p>\n

\u201cA keeping room here in the South is a room near the kitchen \u2014 sometimes we call them sitting rooms or eat-in kitchens \u2014 where typically there\u2019s comfortable furniture for people to hang out while someone is cooking in the kitchen,\u201d explains Baton Rouge real estate agent Meagan Cotten<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Old-school idea, modern layout<\/h3>\n

While the idea of a keeping room is somewhat old-fashioned, builders today are giving the room a modern twist. Below is a sample floorplan from Walker Homes<\/a> in Virginia referring to a hearth room.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another floorplan from Murray Custom Homes<\/a> in Lincoln, Nebraska.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a third example, referred to as a \u201cflex room\u201d by Schumacher Homes <\/a>in Canton, Ohio:<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Modern popularity<\/h2>\n

With the overwhelming popularity of open floor plans, keeping rooms are having a moment in modern architecture. The wall between the kitchen and the rest of the house is being knocked down in a lot of homes, so people cooking in the kitchen aren\u2019t isolated from the rest of the family.<\/p>\n

A keeping room gives the people keeping company a comfy place to relax while they socialize with whoever is in the kitchen. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t require a ton of space, so it can be small and cozy as a kind of combination living room and kitchen,\u201d notes Cotten.<\/p>\n

The kitchen is considered by many to be the \u201cheart\u201d of the home, which is why guests often hang out there at parties (after all, it\u2019s usually where the food is, right?). It provides a nice place for your guests to sit while you\u2019re prepping, cooking, or cleaning, so they don\u2019t end up perched on your countertops or standing around. Even if people aren\u2019t keeping you company while you\u2019re cooking, there are often 5- to 10-minute spans of time where you need to be close to what you\u2019re cooking. With a keeping room, you have a nice place to chill while you wait, without being too far away to keep an eye on your dishes.<\/p>\n

These rooms are also a great alternative to a kitchen island or a bar peninsula with stools, which are often uncomfortable. And for day to day, if you don\u2019t allow eating in the family room, it can be a comfortable place to snack instead of sitting at the table.<\/p>\n

Modern keeping rooms come in all shapes and sizes \u2014 some are large enough to accommodate lots of people, and others are more like small nooks with a cushioned bench. And because woodburning stoves aren\u2019t used to heat houses anymore, in the larger iterations of these rooms, many people choose to put in a fireplace to keep the cozy feel. They\u2019re usually decorated in a cozy manner, with warm, rich colors and comfortable furniture and fabrics. Built-ins are also a popular choice, allowing storage for board games, books, and other miscellaneous items.<\/p>\n

In houses that only have a formal living room and no sitting room or den, a keeping room can fill that void, serving as a multipurpose room for the family while keeping the living room reserved for entertaining guests. Smaller rooms can serve as excellent reading nooks while the kitchen is not being used.<\/p>\n

Over the years, many homebuyers converted these rooms into office space, so finding a home with a keeping room left intact can be a special treat. \u201cIf we\u2019re going to list a house and there\u2019s a keeping room, that\u2019s usually the buyer\u2019s favorite trait of the house,\u201d says Cotten.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey usually say, \u2018This is why we love this house. This is the heartbeat of the house.\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Uses<\/h3>\n

While 18th-century keeping rooms were designed with a very specific purpose in mind, modern keeping rooms are open to interpretation! Lots of people choose to keep with the classic idea of a cozy sitting area off the kitchen, but others are going a bit more off the wall.<\/p>\n

These rooms can be a great place to put your good china on display, if you have built-ins made for that purpose or a nice baker\u2019s rack that will fit. Some use it as a crafting room for knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, and so on. It can be used as a mini-library, with bookshelves or built-ins for books and knick-knacks. A game room is another way homeowners set up modern keeping rooms, with a small table and storage space.<\/p>\n

\""A\"<\/p>\n

Home value<\/h2>\n

Keeping rooms can increase your home\u2019s value, in addition to providing a comfortable and versatile space for your family and guests to hang out in. Sometimes the addition will add square footage; other times, it just serves as an added bonus to an already lovely home. If you\u2019re not looking to increase the square footage of your home, sometimes builders can \u201cborrow\u201d space from large kitchens or mudrooms that they can convert into a keeping room with just a few structural changes. This is especially helpful if you have a good amount of dead space that you\u2019re not using.<\/p>\n

Though not seen as a \u201cmust-have\u201d for some, these rooms increase a home\u2019s value in a lot of markets, and are generally viewed by homebuyers as a huge plus. \u201cIt\u2019s almost a luxury these days,\u201d comments Cotten. \u201cIt\u2019s an extra little thing that wasn\u2019t designated, and you can make it into whatever you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is a keeping room right for you?<\/h3>\n

Whether for convenience or comfort, If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen and want a designated space for people to keep you company, or if you entertain a lot and find your guests gathering in the kitchen, then you might want to look for a home that has a keeping room.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t already have one, adding a keeping room can increase the value of your house, and allow you to put a nice personal structural touch on your home. Ask your real estate agent if they have any listings with a keeping room, and you may just find the perfect home with that extra special something that makes your house the best one on the block.<\/p>\n

Header Image Source: (Chalo Garcia \/ Unsplash)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever heard of a keeping room? Check out our in-depth guide to trends, uses, and why a keeping room might be one room in the home of your dreams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":14734,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192,643,638],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-buyers","category-home-tour","category-house-hunting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Is a Keeping Room, and Do You Need One in Your House?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is a keeping room? 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