How many different rooms in a house can there be? We’re putting the finishing touches on our basement renovation at the moment, and now we are left with an unexpected problem. What do we do with the extra room?
This led to a lengthy conversation about what are the different types of rooms in a house and how many are there. It turns out there are quite a few, and within that, there are different names for all of them. Here are all the different rooms in a house. At last count, we were closing in on 80 when we accounted for variations on certain rooms!
80+ Different Rooms in a House
Basement
Let’s start from the bottom and work our way up! Depending on where you are in the country, a basement can be a host of different things. But essentially, it’s below ground.
Let’s see all of the many rooms in a house you can have in a basement. We will start with some of the more desirable ones and then move on. Here are the possible rooms in a finished basement. Many of these are a bonus if you are buying your first home others on this list are great for your dream house.
Wine Cellar
I think every wine drinker has a dream of converting that space in the basement into a beautiful wine cellar. A strong upgrade from a wine rack, a wine cellar is typically a dark room where you store your wine collection and let it improve with age.
Alternates to this could be a rum room, gin palace, scotch room, or cigar room.
Man Cave
The man cave is one of the rooms in a house that can take on a whole bunch of different connotations. It can be an old couch and a tv in an unfinished basement, or it can be something much more elaborate. We’ve seen some that are truly amazing. Some are complete with theatre chairs and a bar.
Basically, it is a place where the guys go. It could be a garage or something in the attic. But the cave in man cave implies underground. Giving it a Bat Cave feel to the space. I can honestly say from the time I got in my own home, I wanted one of these, it’s a must-have in our dream house.
Woman Cave
A woman cave (or she cave) is a place where the lady or ladies of the house can get together to escape. It is starting to gain popularity, while the guys want to have their own space, so do the ladies. This is a by far nicer area where the ladies can go and get away from the rest of the family and enjoy their friends or just some solitude.
Craft Room
A craft room is a separate small room in your house where you can go and do crafts, DIY projects, and other things you do for a creative outlet. It can be a space that is truly inspiring and full of supplies and projects to do. This is a great one for escaping and letting your creativity flow you can often convert storage rooms into one of these types of rooms.
Game Room
Game rooms are becoming one of the more popular rooms in a house. A game room is one that can have a few names, billiards room, poker room, playroom (if you have a young family).
Basically, a game room is a place where you go to play one or a variety of different games such as a billiards table, ping pong table, pinball machine, and in some rare instances a bowling alley.
Yes, a bowling alley can be in a game room! Put that one on your home essentials checklist for your next house.
Media Room
Also known as a movie theater room or a movie room, this is where you go to watch movies and sporting events. It often has theater seating, a large-screen tv, and, if you are really lucky, this movie popcorn machine.
Bar
The bar is where you store your alcohol, glasses for drinking. This is sometimes its own room, but it’s often part of a different room. It can be a wet bar, which is a bar that has a sink and water hook up, or a dry bar which is one without running water.
Cellar
The cellar is a type of catchall for a basement. It can mean the whole basement, or it can mean the part of the house that is on the bottom. This can take the form of a storage room or just an empty space in the house.
Utility room
A utility room is one of the most versatile rooms in a house. Not only does it house all of the utilities for a house, but it can also be used as a storage room. Utility rooms often have a utility sink in them, which makes them ideal for laundry machines (washer and dryer).
Additionally, utility rooms can be used to store cleaning supplies, holiday decorations, and other items that are not used on a daily basis. As a result, a utility room is an essential part of any well-organized home.
Exercise Room or Gym
The extra room in the basement is often converted to a gym (and the treadmill gets converted into a clothes rack). There are a lot of ways to build a home gym, but knowing that there are options, you can have are vast! This can be a small room with a few things, or a larger room to accommodate more movement.
Mechanical Room
A mechanical room is where you store all of the machines that keep your house running. Things like the furnace, hot water tank, HVAC, well pump, and central vacuum.
These all are located in one room so that you can place them out of the way but still have easy access to them when needed. Mechanical rooms are also good places for extra stuff, so they can double as a storage room.
Guest Bedroom
A guest bedroom is often one of the rooms in a house with an extra bed for guests. If it’s like ours, it’s used once a year when you have guests. I’m sure you will use it more than we did.
In all fairness, the guest bedroom is a good place to have a spare bedroom and extra space for things that aren’t being used in another room, and it’s always good to have a spare bed available for when you need it.
Cold Room
A cold room is a room that typically doesn’t have any insulation and is used as storage for food and preserves. It’s usually tucked away in the back of an existing room. It’s another useful one of those storage rooms as it can have multiple purposes.
Crawl Space
Under the floor of some basements, there is a crawl space, or if you don’t have a basement, your house may only have a crawl space; this is where ducting can pass through or other wires and essential items in the house. This can be nice as it gives the basement floor some leeway for when there is flooding.
Safe Room
What is a safe room in a house? A safe room is the ultimate refuge, a secure and impregnable shelter that can withstand anything from devastating hurricanes to home invasions. It’s an ingenious way to keep you and your loved ones protected in times of uncertainty or danger – providing peace-of-mind even when Mother Nature rears her head.
Laundry Room
The laundry room is a place where laundry is done. You will usually find laundry detergent, bleach, or other laundry-related products there. Laundry rooms provide an area that is separate from other parts of the house, which makes laundry easier and faster for busy homeowners.
Laundry rooms are also often set up with laundry hampers and laundry lines so that you can air-dry your clothes. Some laundry rooms will have a place to fold laundry, but this depends on the size of the room or how many people live in the house.
A good laundry room is an important type of room because they provide an area for dirty laundry to be sorted, cleaned, and put away. It also acts as a great storage room for all of your cleaning supplies.
Main Floor Rooms
I would bet you if you had to think of all the potential rooms in a house that you could have on the main floor would floor you! Really bad pun, sorry. Here are all the possible rooms you can have on the main floor. These are some of the more common rooms in a house.
Entrance Hall
These rooms in a house are also known as the front landing, front door, entryway, foyer, or atrium, the entrance hall is where you will welcome your guests and take their coats. There is usually a place to sit and a closet to store coats and outside garments. Out of all of the rooms in a house, this is important because it’s the first impression your guests will have when they walk in.
Kitchen
The kitchen is the lifeblood of any house. It’s where the family gathers and where food is prepared. The size of the kitchen can vary, but its function is to prepare and serve food. Here is a list of kitchen essentials you will need for a house.
Family Room
What is a family room? A family room is a room in a family home that is used for entertaining guests.
The family room may also be used as the dining and living rooms, or it could have its own separate location from these other areas of the house.
There are many different functions of family rooms: places to gather with friends and family members to share conversation; an area where parents can tuck in children before bedtime; it can also be a family’s place to watch TV or movies. It’s a multi-functional entertaining room.
The family room is typically located on the main floor of the house, but this may not always be true if there are other rooms on that level.
Family rooms generally have large furniture such as couches and comfortable chairs for family members to gather.
Den
If you are wondering what is a den in a house? Dens are great spaces for reading and watching TV. They can also be used as playrooms, but the size doesn’t matter much since there aren’t many den furniture pieces to place in them. You could even use these small rooms as an entertainment space or family room if desired!
Living Room
A living room is a common space in a house where people relax and socialize. Living rooms are usually off of the kitchen and serve as a place where the family can gather and relax. There is often multiple pieces of furniture including a tv. The den, living room, and family room are all often used interchangeably.
Learn more about the difference in Den vs. Living Room vs. Family Room
Master Bedroom
This is a crown jewel of the bedrooms. It is by far the place you want to check out first when you are looking at houses online, and it is that area of your home that is uniquely yours. They often have an en suite bathroom that is 2 to 4 pieces. Often this bedroom is separate from the others or on the second floor of the house. Here is a list of bedroom essentials to help you plan out a bedroom renovation.
Related: How Tall is a Two Story House
Master Bathroom
Often called an en suite bathroom, this is a bathroom that is joined to the master bedroom and typically only has access via the master bedroom. Make sure to use our bathroom essentials checklist, so you have everything for this room.
Walk-in Closet
A walk-in closet is a room that houses all of your clothing and your old wedding dress that, for some reason, you hold onto for memories sake but likely will never look at again. Just kidding. Walk-in closets are a great addition to any bedroom and a must for many when building new houses.
Water Closet
This is a room that houses only a toilet. It’s got many names, toilet room, lavatory, powder room, water closets are seen in England with the WC above them to identify them . The distinction of a water closet is that there is no sink, or bathtub, only a toilet.
Bedroom
This is… well come on, if you don’t know what a bedroom is, it’s likely you aren’t from Earth. Just in case the internet reaches outer space, a bedroom is a room where there is a bed for sleeping and often a place to store clothes.
Guest room
Guest rooms are one of the most important rooms in a home. It functions as both a guest room and guest bath, sometimes even doubling as a nursery for young families.
A guest room should have some spare bedding or extra pillows available, if not an entire second set. The design should blend well with every other space in the house (using colors and textures throughout) while still being special enough for guests who come over unannounced or stay for extended periods of time.
Home Office
Home offices are more and more common as people transition to working at home. They can vary in size and usually have a computer printer and desk of some kind.
Fun fact, this is the room you will spend the majority of your life in if you work from home!
2 Piece Bathroom
A 2-piece bathroom consists of a toilet and a sink. It’s sometimes referred to as a powder room. A powder room is a two-piece bathroom suite and are often located on the first floor of the house so guests can access them.
3 Piece Bathroom
The difference between a 2-piece and a 3-piece bathroom is that there is a bathtub or shower in the 3-piece bathroom.
Dining room
The dining room is the place where you eat with your family. This room is located in the center of a house. It’s where you would usually eat your meals and it’s also where people entertain guests.
Large homes, such as mansions, are known to have two dining rooms, one dining room for the family and a more formal dining room meant for entertaining guests.
Dining rooms are seen less and less in new home builds, often giving way to the great room. Dining rooms are typically characterized by a larger table to gather around for eating and are considered the more formal dining option in the house.
Of course, you could always ditch the dining room, and convert it, here’s what to do with an unused dining room.
Keeping Room
The keeping room is a cozy, comfortable space near the kitchen where guests can hang out while their hosts prepare food. This area was used as an informal living room during colonial times when homes did not have any other heating options, but it no longer requires this because we have central heaters that keep our homes warm all year round!
Great Room
A great room is a combination of several rooms in a house. It is a combination of a kitchen, dining room, entryway, and living room. This open floor concept is great for hosting people and is a nice layout for families for when meals are being prepared, the people in the kitchen can still be a part of the conversations going on.
You can read more about the difference between a great room vs. a living room here.
Reading Nook
This can be part of a room or its own little separate space. Often found as an addition to the bedroom or living rooms, reading nooks are a great additional part of a room and are characterized by a special reading chair and special lighting.
Meditation Room
There are many different types of meditation rooms, but they all have one thing in common: a meditation room provides a place for you to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and focus on your inner peace. While some people prefer a simple space with nothing more than a comfortable chair or mat, others may prefer a more elaborate setup with candles, incense, and soothing music.
Regardless of your preference, the key is to create a space that promotes relaxation and allows you to clear your mind. If you find yourself struggling to meditate, consider visiting a local yoga studio or retirement community to see what types of meditation rooms they offer. You may be surprised at how effective a simple change of scenery can be.
Music Room
A music room is a place you can retreat to and listen to your favorite music and enjoy your favorite albums in peace. Music rooms are perfect for audiophiles and music lovers alike. They are often sound proof and have great speakers and headphones.
Study room
A study is a room in a house that is set aside for quiet reflection and deep diving on a topic. It is usually furnished with a desk, chair, and shelves for books and other materials. A study can be a very calming space, and it is often used as a place to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
When you are in your study, you can focus on your work without distraction. This can help you to be more productive and to produce better work. In addition, the peace and quiet of the study can help you to think more clearly and creatively. For these reasons, the study is an essential part of many people’s homes.
Recording Studio
If you are a serious musician, then you will have a dedicated recording studio in place. This will typically have egg carton-looking soundproofing on the walls. Special sound dampening acoustic tiles and a soundboard. These rooms are typically found in recording artists’ homes or people that record music or spoken word for a living.
Library
A library is a room in a house where people can go to read books or use computers. Libraries usually have shelves with books on them, and some libraries have comfortable chairs for people to sit in while they read. Most libraries are very quiet so that people can concentrate on reading.
Book lovers must have a place to put all of their different books. Whether you are a book collector or just an avid reader, a room-dedicated library is a great addition to any home.
Study
A study is one of the most important rooms in a house. Typically located at the back of the home, away from noise and distractions, a study can serve many different purposes. It is the ideal space for deep diving into a particular topic, whether it be academic research or personal introspection.
It can include everything from a desk, to bookshelves full of reading materials, to cozy armchairs perfect for long hours of reflection. Moreover, a well-outfitted study can help to spark creativity and encourage innovative thinking.
So whether you are looking to dive deep into your next project or simply ponder life’s great questions, look no further than the humble study: a quiet and contemplative sanctuary meant for both learning and soul-searching.
Butlers Pantry
This is a serving quarters area where you can prep food before bringing it out. It also serves as a clean-up area where the host can clean up after a meal without being seen. For more see our post: Butlers Pantry vs. Walk-in Pantry to learn the differences.
Pantry
There are pantries, and then there are pantries. This place for storying food has evolved from a small closet to full functioning rooms where all of the dry food goods are kept as well as appliances. Some are large enough to house a separate fridge and freezer so that the main refrigerator can keep the current items while the pantry fridge keeps the items that lay in wait.
Mudroom
Generally, a mudroom is an entryway from the garage or the outside. It’s a drop zone where the family enters and takes off their coats and shoes. There is usually a closet or hooks for the clothing. Find more about what a mudroom is here.
Hallway
Settle an argument; we disagree on whether a hallway is a room. I say it is. It has doors and walls with flooring, and by my definition, that makes a room. Of course, it’s all in the way you look at it.
Front Closet
This can be a small area or a full walk-in room to keep your guest’s jackets when they arrive. The size of this area will depend on the size of the house.
Cleaning Supply Closet
This is a little room for storing your cleaning supplies such as the vacuum, mop, bucket, cleaning gloves, and all of your other items on your cleaning supplies checklist.
Keeping room
This room is off of the kitchen in larger homes and serves as a place for guests to sit and visit while the hosts prepare the meal. A keeping room is not as formal as a living room and provides the hosts the ways and means of keeping in the conversation while preparing the food for the evening.
Sitting Room
This room is off of the entryway and is where people would sit and visit before moving to the living room. A sitting room is characterized by a couch and two armchairs and is much smaller than a living room.
Drawing room
A drawing room is a smaller room designed for entertaining. It is a room where people can relax and enjoy themselves. Drawing rooms are usually furnished with comfortable furniture, like a couch or armchair. drawing room
Drawing rooms may also have their own small bar, like a lounge area for drinking coffee or tea with others while sitting on couches.
Sunroom
This can be called a solarium or conservatory. The sunroom is typically characterized by a large number of windows and glass walls, allowing for maximum sun. The roof can also be all or partial glass allowing for more sunlight access.
Solarium
A solarium is usually south facing on a house so that they get lots of sunlight. Because of this they are often used as greenhouses or areas to grow plants.
Spare room or Storage room
If you have other rooms on your main floor that don’t fit any description, this is typically what you would call it. The spare room can serve a multitude of purposes and be a multi-functional room such as a spare bedroom/office/study. It’s also where you can store the items that you need to keep but don’t necessarily use on a regular basis.
Darkroom
More of another specialty type of room, this is meant for the lost art of processing photos. They were once a very big thing to have in a room, but with the advent of digital photography, you see less and less of these. Still, for photo enthusiasts, this is a cool room to have.
Aviary
For all of you bird lovers, this is a room dedicated to your birds where they can stay in their cages or fly around freely, you choose.
Rooms Above Upstairs
If you have more than a second floor then you can have these bonus rooms. Often they are places in newer houses that are designed for a purpose, while older homes can be renovated to fit one or more of these.
Loft
What is a loft? It used to be that room at the top of the house. But now, with “loft apartments,” they have this fancy sound to them. A loft is an elevated area that generally has a slanted roof and no walls. While most people consider a loft to be a type of attic, it can also be an open area that has direct access to read or hang out.
Attic
An attic is where the top floor meets the beams of the house. It is accessible through a ladder in the ceiling and can be an open area or split into rooms for it to be used as an extra room.
Playroom
These are rooms that exist in the loft, attic, or bonus space, often seen as an above floor in the garage.
Bonus Space
This is when you have an area above an attached garage that you can access. It can be converted into a variety of different rooms but often just stays as a bonus room area, changing purposes over time as your needs evolve.
Rooms of a House Outside
I debated adding these to the list, but they are a part of the house in their own unique way and should be included as many houses have one or more of these.
Deck
A deck is typically off the back or side of the house and serves as an outdoor hosting area for the family or entertaining guests.
Front Porch
A front porch is a great place. This would also include a wrap-around front porch that you see on many ranch-style houses.
Portico
A portico is a small front porch derived from the Italian word portico.
Garage
The garage is where you would store your cars but is often used as the dumping ground where people place items that have no place in the house but cannot part with. This space is often used to store seasonal items as well. An attached garage is one that is attached to the house, whereas a detached garage is one that is a stand-alone garage.
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a place where gardeners can prep their garden items or use them to grow their plants and produce.
Garden
While not a room, the garden can be the backyard, but in North America, it is where you have your plants and grow your herbs and seasonal vegetables.
Fire Pit Area
This area is like the outdoor living room. It has a fire pit in the middle and is surrounded by chairs for people to gather around.
Gazebo
A gazebo is a room that can be a part of the deck, adjoined to the house, or a stand-alone structure. It can be screened in or open depending on where it is located.
Screened in porch
A screened porch is a room that can be joined to the house or separate from it. It is an area that people use to be outside but are not bothered by the bugs. The screening allows the breeze to flow through while keeping the bugs and animals out.
Shed
A shed is a standalone structure that people use to put various tools and yard items in. It can range in sizes and has been made from a variety of materials, from wood to using sea cans.
Wood Shop
A woodshop is where woodworkers keep all of their woodworking tools and create woodworking projects. The size can vary depending on the structure. It is often a separate part of the garage or a garage add-on; sometimes, it is a stand-alone structure.
Wood Shed
This is a structure that houses wood for the winter months to provide heat to the house via a wood-burning stove.
Work Shop
Much like a woodshop but for all types of mechanical tools, and gives you space to tinker on things and repair items like motors and other mechanical things.
She Shed
Best for last! A she shed is an outdoor she that is designed for the lady of the house to make her own. It can be used to relax, do crafts, create, write, or anything else that you would like to do in your own private and very separate space.
If you are looking at a larger house make sure to grab our house cleaning checklist, it has everything you will need to do to keep your house looking clean.
Final Thoughts on the Different Rooms in a House
As you can see, there are a lot of different types of rooms you can have in a house. From the basics and more common rooms in a house (kitchen, living room bedroom) all the way to the eccentric (aviary and recording studio), there is no shortage of specialty rooms you can find in a home.
Related:
House vs Home: What is the difference?