The One Room HGTV's Nate Berkus And Jeremiah Brent Are Both Over

Celebrity designers can work their magic to make outdated spaces feel fresh — but even some of HGTV's finest have a room of the house they're tired of trying to make happen. Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent are no exception. The married designer duo is known for adding warmth and personality to their design projects, helping people find a balance between functionality and flair in their homes.

So maybe it's no surprise to hear that a room they're both over is the formal dining room. In much of their design content, including Berkus' Instagram and their show "The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project," the designers note that the formal dining room feels like an unnecessary remnant of a bygone era. In one particular episode of the show, they help the owners of a gorgeous 1920s home refresh the space, giving the formal dining room a modern spin while still maintaining the character and beauty of Tudor decor.

In the episode, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent meet with a family who is grateful that their Tudor home has remained in such good condition over the years, but aren't sure that the formal dining room will get much use. As Berkus puts it on the show, "[The dining room] has a formality to it that seems outdated for a modern lifestyle."

The family Berkus and Brent is helping isn't alone. While dining rooms were a staple of many households for centuries, the practice of eating in a separate room closed off from the kitchen (and the chaos of the rest of the household!) isn't part of everyday life for many families now. Today, more people are accustomed to kicking off the day in the breakfast nook, gathering with the whole crew at a round kitchen table, or doing some homework on the kitchen island stools while munching on a quick dinner. Life is less formal and more on the go, making stuffy dining rooms a thing of the past.

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent suggest that instead of letting a gorgeous room sit underutilized, families like the one on the show can rework the space. In the episode, the design duo expands the doorways between the dining room, living room, and kitchen, making the entire space more open and functional. In the process, they maintain key design elements, such as the home's original wooden trim, keeping the room's timeless charm while still adapting it to a more modern lifestyle.

On his Instagram, Berkus offers other creative uses for unused dining rooms, especially if you're already content with the size of your kitchen or aren't a big entertainer. Given the somewhat enclosed nature of the room, it can be a great space for a home office or library, a room for crafting or other indoor hobbies, or even a guest room. He also notes that you can use tons of design tricks to keep the space multi-purpose, such as building the room around an expandable dining table that can double as a desk. This allows you to maximize the room's utility while still keeping the dining room option available when you want it.