What Do You Do With a Liminal Homework Nook?

Interior Designer: Dina Holland Interiors / Photograph by Jessica Delaney

The Problem

When they moved into their new Dover abode, the homeowners weren’t sure what to make of the room off the kitchen, which had another doorway to the formal living room. “The previous owners had used it as a homework area with built-in desks, and there was pantry storage for glassware above,” says interior designer Dina Holland. “It was largely a pass-through, a hodgepodge-y space that didn’t know what it wanted to be.”

The Solution

The family didn’t need a study area, but they did need a place where they and their guests could kick back with a cocktail or a glass of wine. Holland understood the assignment, sealing the doorway to the living room to create a lounge area off the kitchen inspired by the Back Bay hot spot Contessa. Outfitted with a fully stocked bar that runs the length of one wall, the room was painted with Sherwin-Williams’s “Deep Maroon,” which created an enveloping feel, says Holland, who selected gold hardware and beige-, brown-, and gray-streaked Mascavo marble for the countertop. For seating, the designer added brown velvet chairs oriented toward the windows overlooking the backyard, accented with colorful Manuel Canovas throw pillows. “I encourage people to think creatively about how they use spaces in their homes,” she says. “Just because a room is defined one way doesn’t mean that’s what it always has to be.”