Keeping room

A keeping room is a room or informal living space adjacent to a kitchen where family and guests can gather while meals are being prepared.

Keeping rooms have their origins in the 18th-century colonial United States, when they were also known as "hearth rooms".^[1][2][3] They allowed family members to enjoy the heat of the fireplace—the warmest area in the house—while staying out of the cook's way.^[3][4][5] Keeping rooms were areas for family members to sew, do household chores, read, play games, or simply stay warm during winter.^[1][2] They first appeared in New England, but were also featured in homes in the Southern United States.^[1]

In recent years, keeping rooms have experienced a revival in new home construction.^[1][5] Due to the modern availability of central heating, keeping rooms' purpose has shifted to focus more on entertaining and socializing.^[2][3]

Keeping rooms are considered distinct from dens and family rooms in that dens are secluded areas, while family rooms are not necessarily next to the kitchen and usually feature a television.^[1][2] They are typically smaller areas intended for two to four people.^[2]

The décor of keeping rooms emphasizes coziness and comfort, such as with rugs, pillows, and cushions.^[1][3] Modern keeping rooms may also feature a fireplace, like their historical equivalents.^[1][5] In the absence of a separate room, designers can create the feel of a keeping room by adding seating and tables to the kitchen.^[3] Some open-concept kitchens flow into a dining room or other space that can be used as a keeping room.^[1]

The term "keeping room" was used among Scotch-Irish immigrants in Georgia and the Carolinas to designate a parlor where a family's best furniture and other items such as silver and porcelain were kept. This usage was revived among interior decorators in the 1930s.^[6][7]

• Inglenook