34 Types of Rooms in a House: Room Descriptions & Images

There are more types of rooms in a house than you think. From the kitchen to unique home theatre rooms, you may be surprised at how many options there are.

If you are in the middle of a home renovation, buying a new home, or simply want to know how many different rooms there are in a house, you’ve come to the right place. Here are 34 different types of rooms for you to explore, no matter the type of house you have.

34 Types of Rooms You Will Find in A House

Some of these room types may be more unique than others- many others are a given in any standard house, such as a bathroom or bedroom. No matter the case, here are 34 types of rooms you will find in a house!

1. Foyer

If you are looking to make a good impression for your houseguests, having a beautiful and inviting foyer is a good place to start. The foyer of the home is usually located directly after you enter, and is also referred to as an entryway among many other alternative names.

This space in your home is all about welcoming, no matter who is entering the door. It could be your relatives, old friends, or even you. Having an inviting and open foyer is a wonderful feature to any home.

These spaces are also often known as vestibules, hallways, and more. Not every home will have a foyer, but if you happen to have one or have the ability to dedicate the space directly attached to your front door as a foyer, it can be a wonderful entrance feature to any home.

2. Living Room

Living rooms are trickier to define than you think. For example, living rooms may also be known as family rooms, especially if your home only has one large gathering room in the house. However, living rooms, when placed beside family rooms, are often the more formal of the two.

While every homeowner will set up their home differently, a living room is often a more formal seating area perfect for displaying nice pieces of furniture, artwork, or other sentimental items. Living rooms are good for gathering and chat, but not ideal for large groups of children.

Some living rooms may have a fireplace or other focal points, and many homeowners use the phrase living room synonymously with family rooms. This means that a living room may include an entertainment system or other reason for gathering, but often living rooms are a more formal living space.

3. Dining Room

Not every home will have a formal dining room, but this space is built for hosting and seating the whole family. A dining room is never complete without a proper dining table, sized to fit the dining room itself.

Dining rooms are made for eating in, and therefore most dining rooms are located directly off of your home’s kitchen. They can also be near your main living space, or even located within your kitchen, though dining rooms attached to your kitchen often have a different name.

Formal dining rooms are often furnished with a lighting fixture or other feature to separate the room from the rest of the house. Your dining room may also be something that you create yourself, with furniture placement or other room dividers.

4. Kitchen

A necessary and very popular room in the home has to be the kitchen. This is where you and your family will cook, prepare meals, and have a great deal of storage for your various dishes, kitchen gadgets, and pots and pans.

While a kitchen can be as grand as the rest of your home, there is no real definition for what needs to be included in a kitchen. For example, a kitchen often can include a fridge, stove, and sink, but it may not include much else.

Kitchen cabinets and cupboards are often a necessary feature in any modern kitchen, along with countertops or kitchen islands. You may also have a kitchen with a breakfast nook or dining area included as part of the kitchen square footage.

5. Pantry

A pantry is not always a separate room in your home, but it’s often refers to food storage. This food storage area is often attached to or located in your home’s central kitchen, as food storage is most necessary in the room where you cook.

Some pantries can have a door and room to walk in and move around in. However, most of the time, the phrase pantry often refers to a cupboard or separate storage area that isn’t a full room. So long as it has shelves and space for your dry pantry goods, it qualifies as a pantry.

6. Bathroom or Washroom

Another necessary and very important room to have in a house is a bathroom or washroom. Homes are listed or otherwise classified based on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms they have, making the bathroom a sought after room in a home.

Bathrooms have a few key features in order to qualify as a bathroom. They must have a toilet, sink, and often a tub or shower. Homes can have full wash rooms with all of these things, including separate tubs and showers, or they can qualify as a half baths.

A half bath is is often only a toilet and a sink, usually located in certain areas of the house, depending on your layout. These areas can include high traffic areas, such as off of the kitchen or living room. Wherever a bathroom will be most utilized is where a bathroom should be installed!

7. Home Office or Den

A home office or den is a room in your home that is often converted from a bedroom or other unused room in your house. You can choose what space in your home qualifies as a home office, and most homeowners build their office or den from there.

The size of a bedroom closet or overall square footage of a bedroom may be a huge factor in determining what room you choose as a home office. You need less space for a desk than you need for a queen-size bed, so many homeowners will convert their extra bedroom into an office.

Home offices and dens have a variety of uses, but they are primarily used as an area for a computer, craft workspace, or other work-based activity. Not every home has room for an office or den, but it may be a priority for you as a working homeowner.

8. Bedroom

A bedroom is another necessary room in any home. This is a space where you sleep, get dressed, and otherwise retreat to at the end of the day. A home is classified by its bedrooms and bathrooms, meaning a bedroom is a high priority for most homeowners.

Bedrooms are also ideal for homeowners with children, especially young children who need to be put down for naps. Having the option to close the door and allow less sound or disturbance into the bedroom can be a necessity.

Some apartments or homes are studios, which means that they don’t have a bedroom in them. The living space or living room is often also a person’s bedroom. This setup may not work for large families, but studio apartments are popular in big cities.

9. Master Bedroom

A master bedroom is always classified as the largest bedroom in the home, or perhaps the most centrally located bedroom. It is often the bedroom most sought after by homeowners, and can sometimes have a bathroom attached to it.

Master bedrooms are often bedrooms with features or other exciting layouts to set them apart from the other bedrooms in a home. For example, some master bedrooms have access to an outdoor living space, such as a deck or patio.

You will ultimately determine what master bedroom works best for you as a homeowner; no matter the square footage or layout, the master of the house chooses which bedroom will be theirs!

10. Master Bathroom / Ensuite Bath

Master bathrooms or ensuite bathrooms are designed to be connected directly to a master bedroom or bedroom that may have use of an attached bath. Ensuite is just another word for “attached” or directly beside the bedroom suite.

You will know your master bedroom has a master bathroom if there is another door in your bedroom that leads to a bathroom. This bathroom is often grand and spa-like, or otherwise accommodates two people. Double sinks and vanities are popular in ensuite bathrooms.

Some of these bathrooms also have master closets attached to them in some way, but this isn’t always the case. Every home is different, but a master bathroom isn’t complete without an attached master bedroom!

11. Guest Room

A guest room is any other bedroom in your home that isn’t occupied by you, the homeowner. A guest room can be anything you say it is, but it should have adequate guest accommodations, such as a bed and space to place a suitcase.

Guest rooms can be combined with a den or other room, so long as there is a place to sleep with a closing door. Guest rooms can even be nice enough to include an ensuite or bathroom nearby, but this is not always the case.

Even a living room can qualify as a guest room, though your guests will most likely not agree with this. It is nice to have a separate bedroom space for your guests, including a bedframe or pull-out couch in the room. A closet would also be a bonus!

12. Theatre and Media Room

A theater and media room isn’t a usual addition to the average home. It is often located in an extra room in a larger square foot home, and it involves seating for a larger group of people as well as a large viewing screen or television.

The idea of a home theater or media room comes from the desire gather as a group and watch a movie or play video games from the comfort of your own home rather than venturing out. Theater rooms often have a specific type of reclining seat, or many comfortable couches.

You may find a projector in a theater and media room, perfect for displaying films on a large blank wall or screen. Media rooms also rarely have windows, or these windows are covered so that light does not disrupt your viewing experience.

13. Closet / Walk-in Closet

Closets are necessary in any home, both for getting dressed before work as well as just overall storage. Walk-in closets are a luxury in many homes, and sometimes are not found at all, or only found in a master bedroom.

A closet can have a regular door, but many closets often have a door set up on a rolling track so that it can be rolled aside or closed at your leisure. Closets often have a rod to hang clothes on, or sometimes even built-in shelves.

Most closets are found in bedrooms, and bedrooms are only classified as such if they have a closet in them. There are even coat closets or hall closets that can be located throughout the home, often near the entryway, but this is not always a guarantee.

14. Family Room

A family room is one of the most popular rooms in any home. It has a very loose definition and location depending on the layout of your house, but it is more often than not a social or familial gathering space that doesn’t have any formal use.

More often than not, homeowners will place couches, sectionals, or recliners in this area, along with coffee tables, TV stands, and of course TVs or entertainment systems. This is a room for discussion and free time, and there needs to be ample space for the whole family.

Family rooms are often a focal points in a home, sometimes complete with fireplaces or other standout features like windows or architectural interests. No matter what, this spacing should feel comfortable and inviting, often comprising a great deal of your home’s overall square footage- much like a living room.

15. Indoor Pool, Hot tub, or Spa Room

If you are lucky enough to have an indoor pool, hot tub, or spa room in your home, you’re among only a small percentage of homeowners! While pools and hot tubs are a popular feature in many backyards or outdoor areas, indoor pools and spa rooms aren’t common.

However, indoor pools are a wonderful luxury to have, especially if you live in a colder climate. Having the option to swim or hot tub in a climate controlled environment can be very beneficial to many homeowners.

These rooms often require extreme ventilation or other ways of combating moisture. Indoor pools, hot tubs, and spas are also sometimes located near the backyard as part of an enclosed patio space.

16. Art Room and Gallery

If you are an aspiring artist, having an art room and gallery space may be a must for your home. Also known as studios, these spaces are often separated from the rest of the house, though this is not always the case.

Art rooms usually have space to paint or otherwise create your specialty, whether it be portraits or sculptures. Art galleries are a more formal space in your home, as this is where your art is displayed and properly appreciated.

These rooms are not standard in most homes, and many homeowners can use hallways or other feature walls in their home to display art or pictures in a gallery format. Get creative, and you may be surprised by the art room you can create in a standard home!

17. Mud Room

Located right off or beside a popular entrance and exit point in a home, a mud room is designed to get dirty. Mud rooms are built as storage areas or gathering places for your outerwear, primarily shoes. The idea of a mud room is simple: take off your dirty shoes and clothes so that you don’t track dirt through the rest of the house!

Mud rooms and laundry rooms are often combined for this purpose. This way, you can simply deposit your wet or dirty articles of clothing into a washer, ready to be cleaned. Many mud rooms often have hooks or storage solutions for frequently worn shoes and jackets.

Mud rooms aren’t a guarantee in every home, though it can be useful to create a sort of makeshift mud room in a foyer or off of a garage. This way, the rest of your home remains clean!

18. Workshop

Much like an office, a workshop is a dedicated work space for whatever hobby or home project you have going on. Workshops often imply more hands-on activities than an office is equipped to handle, including woodworking, painting, and other crafts.

Workshops are often separate shed spaces found in your backyard or attached to your home, or many homeowners will convert their home garage into a workshop. Any place that will allow for some level of mess or chaos is welcome to be used as a workshop!

Many homeowners also want their workshop to have electricity so that they can use power tools or other electronics. Having a floor material that is easy to clean is also a plus.

19. Laundry Room

Built for cleaning clothes and other fabrics in your home, a laundry room is a great space for any homeowner, especially one with many clothing needs. Laundry rooms come equipped with a washer and a dryer, and often include some shelving or other storage solutions.

Laundry rooms are not a guarantee in a home, but sometimes you will have one that may even include a handwashing basin or sink and counter space perfect for folding or ironing clothes. A laundry room can also be a simple closet, or can be combined with other rooms in your home such as a mudroom or utility room.

20. Basement

Basements are located beneath your main living area or home, usually accessed by interior stairs. Basements are often used for additional storage or utility rooms, such as laundry, but this is not always the case.

Basements can come completed and furnished with walls, carpeting, and electricity, and these underground spaces often add a great deal of square footage to your home. Basements are perfect for utilizing as additional living space, should you need it.

Basements can also come simply furnished, with cement or cinderblock walls and no windows. However, daylight basements exist, and many homeowners have the ability of furnishing and completing their basements in order to rent them out as additional living spaces.

21. Garage

Garages are built for storing your car or other motorized vehicles when not in use. Usually complete with a moving door that opens and closes at the click of a button, garages are often a necessary addition to homes- especially homes that deal with the snow or ice.

Having a garage often means that there is less insulation present in the walls and floor of this space. As it is an extension of the outside of your home, garages are meant to be protected storage areas for your car or other household goods that aren’t temperature sensitive. Garages also come in many sizes, often categorized by the number of cars (ie, one car garage, two car garage, etc).

Garages are not a guarantee to every home, but they are a highly sought after feature. Having the option to park your car in an enclosed environment is useful, and having the extra square footage to use as a workshop can also be helpful!

22. Man Cave or She Shed

Man caves or she sheds have gained popularity in recent decades given the apparently separate needs of husbands and wives. While not every homeowner or couple will find a man cave or a she shed necessary, these rooms are designed to be retreats for either gender, a place that is made for men or women exclusively.

For example, many man caves can be found in basements or garages, rooms that aren’t readily accessed by the rest of the household. A man cave may include an entertainment center or other hobbies that don’t interest other members of the household, such as billiards, darts, and more.

A she shed is similar- it is a room designed for the women of the house and is often oriented around crafting or other hobbies. No matter your interest, a man cave or she shed is essentially just a gendered workspace or hang-out spot.

23. Loft or Attic

Lofts or attics are located above your main living space, and even above your second story should you have a two-story home. These spaces can be finished and furnished, often used as additional living areas, or they can be used as incomplete storage areas.

Lofts or attics can be accessed via stairwell or a pull-down ladder, often hidden in the ceiling. These areas may be useful as workshops or offices, should they be fully completed and properly insulated.

24. Wine Cellar

If you have a home with a wine cellar, chances are you’re a big fan of wine! This is not a common room in a home, but it can be a room that is easily created should you have the square footage for it.

A wine cellar is perfect for fermenting wine or otherwise storing your wine collection. Wine cellars often have specific shelves or designs that are built to house many bottles of wine- often hundreds. These cellars are also not made with windows, as UV exposure can damage an aging bottle of wine.

Your wine cellar may also have wine fridges in it so that you can properly chill certain varieties of wine that like to be cold. You can use this area simply as storage for your bottles, or take the time to furnish it to your heart’s content!

25. Sun Room

Sun rooms are rooms classified by the large amount of windows they have. These rooms may also be positioned in your home’s layout with the sun in mind, facing either East or West to maximize sun exposure.

A sun room isn’t very common in a house, but it is a special room to have. It is designed to promote the growth of plants or other living things, and many homeowners enjoy relaxing in sun rooms given the ample amount of natural light. Sun rooms are also often enclosed porches or patio areas.

26. Home Library

 

While home libraries are often combined with offices or living rooms, having a separate and dedicated library in your own home can feel like a luxury. These rooms are filled with books and shelves for those books, and sometimes may include seating or desk space.

27. Rec Room

Rec rooms are another type of versatile room in a home, often dedicated to physical recreation. This could include home gym equipment, arcade games, or other activities such as billiards or darts. A rec room is whatever you make of it, but it is usually a larger room so that it can accommodate a wide variety of activities.

28. Music Room

Music rooms are ideal for a budding musician or anyone who has a passion for music. These rooms are often outfitted with extra insulation or soundproofing to promote acoustics or stop sound from leaking out into the rest of the house.

Music rooms are also usually built with electronics for recording and mixing your own music, and can include all of your musical instruments so that you have a dedicated playing space.

29. Storage Room

Storage rooms can be anything from a closet to a dedicated bedroom built for storing things. Storage rooms are perfect for holding things you don’t use on a daily basis, such as decorations, hardware or tools, cleaning supplies, sentimental items, and extra bedding or linens.

Given the wide variety of things that homeowners store, a storage room can be any size or located anywhere in your home, including the garage. Some homeowners even set up outbuildings or sheds on their property to house things that they wish to store for long periods of time.

30. Playroom or Toys Room

If you have children, having a dedicated playroom or toy room may be valuable for your home. Playrooms or toy rooms are exactly how they sound: they are rooms built for your child to safely and efficiently play.

These rooms are often centrally located so that parents can keep a close eye on their children, and there is usually ample room for toys and games. There is also usually carpeting or other softer surfaces so that children can play without getting injured should they fall down.

31. Gaming Room

Gaming rooms are similar to rec rooms or theatre rooms, depending on the type of games you play. For example, if you are an avid video game player, you will want a gaming room complete with a media center or computer system, and this room should have very little light or windows.

Other gaming rooms can include tables perfect for puzzles or other table top games, and some gaming rooms have foosball or billiards tables. Whatever hobby or activity you prefer, you can no doubt build a gaming room to suit your needs!

32. Nursery

Nurseries are a very important room in your home should you have an infant or very young child. A nursery is often built in a standard bedroom, and this bedroom will likely be your child’s bedroom for the entirety of their young lives.

Nurseries don’t need to be very big, but often need space to house a crib and some sort of chair for a parent to sit in. Many homeowners take special care painting and decorating this room before a new baby is due.

33. Utility Room

Similar to a storage room or a laundry room, a utility room is built for housing your various utilities, including your hot water heater, breaker panel, cleaning supplies, and more. It can be a dedicated area of your home, or combined with other rooms in your house such as your garage.

A utility room often includes household appliances such vacuums and mops, and it isn’t a room that sees a lot of traffic. It is ideal for keeping cleaning chemicals in as well as rags or other cleaning supplies as well.

34. Sauna Room

Sauna rooms aren’t common in many homes, but if you have one, it’s hard to miss. Often behind a closed door, this room is built out of teak or other wood and includes a central sauna heater. These rooms are designed for relaxation and spa-like retreat, and can be built as either a hot, dry sauna, or a wet, steam sauna.

Final Thoughts

Homes are just as unique as the people who live in them. While your home won’t have all 34 of these rooms, you no doubt have a favorite spot in your house. Enjoy this list of types of rooms in a house, and get inspired by how many different options there truly are!