I’ve spent the week refreshing our main floor for spring—adding flowers, swapping out a few pillow covers, and rearranging small touches that make the space feel lighter. As I refreshed the room, I kept thinking about renaming our little living room the “keeping room.”
Doesn’t that sound more inviting? I first learned the term years ago, and it perfectly describes how we use this space and why we renovated our main floor the way we did.
Below I’ll share some of my recent spring updates, including affordable pillow covers and a practical idea for the dining bench—keep reading for photos and details.
PS I keep a collection of my favorite spring decor in my Amazon storefront and update my Spring Shop with finds I love.
A small keeping room for spring, and every season
Homes & Gardens defines a keeping room as “a small, cozy space off the kitchen for guests, family, and friends to relax and socialize before dinner is ready to be served. A room connected to the kitchen so the host isn’t cut off while cooking — but separate enough to keep a bit of the kitchen chaos at bay.”
The term “keeping room” reflects the idea of keeping the household together in one warm, comfortable spot—and I love that sentiment.
In winter we’re naturally drawn here for the fire. I enjoy sitting with a cup of coffee, watching the flames and enjoying the quiet. Historically, keeping rooms were near the hearth and served as the family gathering place during cold months for conversation, play, and daily life.
But a keeping room works beautifully in spring, too. This small room continues to draw us in year-round.
In warmer months we open the doors for coastal breezes or step out onto the tiny porch to watch sunrises and sunsets. It’s where we sit before and after meals, where grandkids and pets play at our feet—a place that keeps family close.
Small rooms encourage closeness, but they also invite lingering. Because this space is next to the kitchen and dining area, it naturally becomes the hub where people gather and stay connected.
Swapped the kitchen and dining room
When we renovated the main floor, we didn’t add square footage. Instead, we reconfigured the existing footprint to make three small rooms feel connected and practical while preserving each room’s character.
We swapped the kitchen and dining room to improve traffic flow and added thoughtful details that make the layout work wonderfully for family life while still feeling cozy for two. The kitchen reveal and renovation floor plan show those decisions in detail.
Added seating and storage in small spaces
One renovation addition was a bench seat in the dining area that doubles as seating and storage—simple and effective.
Our bench cushion started as a DIY no-sew solution to bridge the gap until we had a custom cushion made. It’s held up well for years. I swap covers by wrapping different blankets around the cushion depending on the season. For spring I used a tasseled tablecloth as a quick, washable cover and loved the look and practicality—especially handy when grandkids visit.
Created visual connections
With the dining and living rooms more visually connected, I enjoy mixing pillow patterns and colors between the spaces. It makes the whole area feel cohesive while each seating area still feels intimate.
For spring I picked up several affordable pillow covers—florals and block prints with striped ruffle trim—that layer nicely with existing pillows. They feel fresh for the season but versatile enough to use year-round.
Designed flexibility between rooms
Because the rooms flow into one another, family members can move easily between spaces while enjoying different conversations. The layout also allows us to expand seating or set up extra tables across the connected areas for games, meals, or gatherings.
Now our main floor can function as one larger room or as two or three cozy areas with distinct purposes. The renovation made our small home feel larger and more functional without adding on.
If you’d like more renovation details, I’ve shared videos about our kitchen decisions in my HomeBody membership and may add more content to answer questions and show additional details.
