Sitting rooms located off the master bedroom make peaceful retreats when used. But when they are not, they become wasted square footage.

“I think just the name ‘sitting room’ has a bad stigma,” said Niki VanEch, of VanEch Studio. “Clients typically think they want the chaise and look of relaxation, but rarely do the spaces planned out that way get used. If well thought-out, these spaces can give a high return on the square footage.”