;). The terms “living room” and “drawing room” were often used interchangeably in the world of interior design, but now there are even more terms for the social spaces of a home: “family room,” “den,” “study” and “great room” have sprung up … We have French doors that can shut off the living room, which we planned to insure some extra peace and quiet from the tv and the kids when needed. We love orderly home as much as the next person, but there is such a thing as … It all depends on how you live. Well, we're not formal people so we didn't set it up that way. This lovely design was done by studio Leslie Cotter Interiors. One living room (ours is a great room) works best for us. 5 Inspiring Bedroom Makeovers With A Small Budget, Bring Spring Into Your Home And Let The Freshness Envelop It, 10 Tips for the Prettiest Easter Brunch Ever, How to Remove and Install a Bathroom Faucet, DIY Heart Stamped Pillow Cover With A Potato, DIY Banner For Birthday or With Your Favorite Inspirational Phrase, How to Decorate a Kids’ Bedroom: Easy Ideas for Every Style, 50 Ways to Leave Your Old Home Decor Ideas Behind, The Best Weber Grills Will Make Summer Cooking Great – Guide and Reviews 2021, Patio Conversation Sets Can Make Your Outdoor Space More User-Friendly, The Main Differences Between A Living Room And A Family Room, A Farmhouse-Style Tiny Home With The Most Charming And Welcoming Interior, How To Melt Crayons And Make Unique And Beautiful Decorations. Before making your decision, look at the ceiling height to determine how that will affect the feel of the rooms. While I can hear the t.v. (Must come from having a father who when he'd be over for a party would reach for the remote and turn it on, right in the middle of people having their party conversations. The biggest problem right now is the furniture we have in it and that is being worked on. Copyright © 2008-2021 - All Rights Reserved. The living room is the most spacious room of the house and is usually at the heart of the house, occupying the front portion. Pushing the envelope can be invigorating, while crossing the line can be disastrous. If you have the luxury of two living areas, one is usually a formal living room or lounge room, reserved for reading, relaxing and entertaining. We've decided to open the wall to the garage with large french doors and make it a rec/family room. It is important to design for the environment in which the building/space will be located. In the space where two armchairs and a side table might sit, you can easily fit a second sofa that makes room for three or four (or more) guests instead of just two. And I LOVE having couch seating "in" the kitchen. It's just wasted space. Do You Need a Formal Living Room or a More Casual Space? I like having the larger room when we have company. We have two rooms, a family room that opens out on to our back patio where our grill is. The room was original to the 1926 home, with 4 sets of French doors along one long wall that opened onto a patio, and the entrance from the hall in the center of the other long side. We have 3 children 11, 8, and 5, who will get bigger and so will their friends and my father will be moving in with us, as he is lonely since my mother passed. I like having two. This is an example by Le Belle Maison Interiors of how such a setup could look like when paired with a traditional design. I've had both before, and while somewhat useful, this works so much better for our lifestyle. Do You Really Need A Formal Dining Room? The kids are grown, so it's just my dh and myself. Before the remodel, I had to hide the remote! In the back of the room we have a table and two chairs, like a game table. Give just as much thought to placing living room accessories as you do the furniture. This article will guide you through tactful methods of converting a formal living space into a productive living space that you and your family will be able to enjoy day to day. Carve out a cozy tete-a-tete area where two people can have a quiet chat and not feel totally exposed to the whole room. In fact I hesitated to post b/c I have two other areas of my 1st floor where I can find quiet. Room Decor. Required fields are marked *, Copyright © 2008-2021 - All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy and Disclosure Update Privacy Settings. Living Room Accessories . {{!gwi}}From house plans{{!gwi}}From house plans{{!gwi}}From house plans. Sometimes it’s connected to the dining room. My large space is tied in with the kitchen area so it is unavailable for showing until around Thanksgiving when I hope to be close enough to complete to post pictures. Stefan is the owner of Homedit.com – he started the site back in November 2008, from his passion for interior design and decorations and since then the site went from being a simple blog to one of the most popular home design websites on the web right now. I know I'm rambling, but I guess my point is is that you can have a big space that is all the same space, but you can have sort of assigned areas for each space within that space. This combo allows for more flexibility and versatility. Our LR/DR is currently full of uncomfortable furniture so it is wasted real estate. In terms of design, it’s well-known that living rooms almost always include an entertainment center, TV, sometimes even a computer. A hobby room, an office space, a library, children’s play area, a billiard room and a bar, an exercise room and a craft room are few of the options available. I would open the two with good sized French doors, maybe with sidelights, if you can come up with a good furniture arrangement for that. I think that I would rather have one large space than two pretty small living rooms. Having a plan for the arrangement is a good idea, too, as it looks like you're considering, since you might use this remodeling time to add a FP or window if needed. Check out chas architects for more inspiration and inspiring projects. Across from the couch, we put a small TV in the base cabinet on the peninsula, so that we can watch the news with our breakfast and coffee before work, but it's behind a door where visitors do not see it. My husband watches sports every night and I like to watch the news and a movie. I, personally, cannot stand to see a TV in a socializing area. I only pop in here when I have time b/c I enjoy this forum and look forward to working on my home. Yes, we have a large formal living room in that it is always ready for visitors, we use it a lot and in fact having a large family gathering next week too so even guest room will be used too. I am still confused though:) What to do, what to do....?It is all about priorities right? It is however a part of an open floor plan area and the sofa table acts as a divider. Having Rock Band in one room and Wii in the other is also quite useful for parties. The only furniture in that room are two desk chairs. Owls4me do you ever wish for a quiet space? My DD1 is off to college in several weeks so I wonder if we'll rattle around in our house.HTH Owls. This wonderfully spacious living room is perfectly suited for casual and friendly meetings and entertaining guests in general. The kitchen and family room open into one another, so this is very convenient. Maybe even window seats under the front windows. Both the living room and the family room are two important areas in a house. ;). We like to entertain and wanted a comfortable room for us to enjoy hanging out with family and friends. We designed our addition to work for now and the future. We've all been there before: standing in the middle of an empty room, scratching our heads to figure out how to best place the furniture. But they also have plenty of storage and a more or less classical layout. I think when your kids are kids you may think two rooms are great, but when they're grown, you will wish you had spent every minute together. One thing is that when we designed our house, we designed the auxillary bedrooms to be larger so that they have plenty of room to play upstairs and we keep the TV in the boys room. The media wall is thus one of the possible focal points but can also go unnoticed if the space is used for other activities that don’t involve it. A good rule to follow for those pursuing a more traditional living set-up, as opposed to an Airstream, is that for every one bedroom, you need to provide places for two people to sit in the dining area and living area. ;^D. A family room is more informal and often serves as a multipurpose space. Love it! I would LOVE to hear from people what they like about one big room or don't... and the same for those of you who have two living areas. Do people gravitate to the lighter room, or the kitchen more? Also, what activities do older kids like to do in your home that need a separate same from the family - besides TV and Video games? A bench + chair. By continuing to browse this site or use this app, I agree the Houzz group may use cookies and similar technologies to improve its products and services, serve me relevant content and to personalise my experience. My cabinets arrived yesterday! Looking at your room, I see an opportunity to make the front area into a library. It's not so nice that we're afraid to use it, and we do almost every day! I am not a fan of a little door mat right when you walk in someone's home. The fireplace is one of the focal points along with the TV mounted just above it. LOL. Also, there’s no TV in here. It was a narrow room, given its length. If you choose to not have a TV in the room, there are other ways to add interest to the room. If you are like most homeowners, your formal living room is useful for one primary thing: accumulating dust. We enjoyed, it too when the kids were small. I am wondering how you all use your formal living rooms. Originally, formal living rooms were spaces in which special guests were entertained. My uncle had a huuuge (formal) living room, but wider than half its length. Also, family rooms often feature a door that leads directly into the garden or courtyard, terrace, etc. Our home is split bedrooms, so even with guests there is a guestroom and bathroom on the other end of the house from the master suite. It was kind of like sitting in an airport or something, lol. Home Office. As you can see, this room also has large windows and a really nice view of the trees and the greenery outside. We have two living rooms (had teenagers when building). Just because a room is long, doesn’t mean you need to fill it all with furniture. kjmama, I'm sorry I haven't responded to your questions. A spacious living room with two large end tables on opposite sides of the room and a third smaller one tucked into the corner near the built-ins. Then you won’t be cramming a small table in the kitchen but would easily get a table and settee in the new opened up room. Our piano is also in this space and DD2 plays about an hour each day. Variety is the spice of your color scheme but you don't live in the Big Top so avoid jarring clashes when colorizing your whole home. This gives my DS room ro set up his trains, my DD room to pull out her large dollhouse, me room to set up my Wii fit board, and all of us room to Wii bowl! I have never understood having two living rooms right next to each other. You might check into installing double pocket doors so you could have the best of both worlds. Hi - We are trying to decide if we should take down the wall between our 2 living rooms, to make it 30x16. I would consider an opening between the two rooms with large pocket doors, if that is a possibility. That way there would only be one rug. As for the accent details, they are often decorated with artwork and other less-personalized elements. Kitchen. This is probably … Our lr was formal, though. In your case I would open up the medium sized kitchen into the dining room, if you can, to make one large space. Focal Point Furniture Arrangement. As the price of sound systems and televisions went down, they appeared in several rooms and no longer did the family need to gather in the living room for entertainment. Need floor tile help for odd shaped bathroom!! Thanks for all the thoughtsBird lover - how come you needed 2 rooms when your kids were at home? It’s a comfortable but also somewhat formal area. Pick the chair you'd like to have in your living room! Please know that I am bias toward the 'great room' concept today but 10 years ago when we purchased this house it was 2nd choice (to another house we didn't get) b/c I was intimidated by this big space. Keep the look between the two rooms smooth and safe by ensure that proper transitions are installed between the spaces. Adapting the design to take advantage of this architectural feature can be challenging. The living room is the most spacious room of the house and is usually at the heart of the house, occupying the front portion. Just like in a backyard, create destination points in your space. We would have loved to have a second living space BUT -- in all truth -- IF I want to watch a movie or TV show -- I just go into the bedroom! Will you want a separate space to relax when your 3 year old is a bit older? A regular weekday or weekend visit by extended family or acquaintances became a rarity. This is part of a home designed by Charles Todd Helton Architect. The room was supposed to be a substitute for a basement play/fun area, but then our architect came back with the drawings and there was a large playroom upstairs for the kids. I like having two separate rooms so you can always change the function of one room and I like smaller cozier rooms as long as the family room is open to the kitchen. … We love throwing parties. We still thought the family room would be great since we have large outside family/pool parties (60-80 people) three times a year, and one of these times it's going to rain. The set up in my house has a very small family room with a built in desk and then a separate living/front room off of my dining room. Now, that they are older and married and we have grandchildren, the two smaller rooms are NOT working, so I would give anything for one large living area where I could have all of my familiy together comfortably! Now when you enter the house the first thing you see is this wide open great room, about 20 x 25 with windows on two sides to the back. However, the fact is that the living room is far from being the same thing as the family room and there are some remarkable differences between the two. I do wish for quiet as my hardworking DH enjoys watching sports of all kinds during our long winters. I’ve attached images below. One thing I realized a long time ago is how design tastes vary by region. A fireplace is a great addition to a living room or a family room and there are lots of nice ways to integrate one into such a space. I'm having trouble understanding the setup you have, looking at the photos. Our kitchen had like four feet of counter space and about 100 square feet of floor space, so everybody saw that hanging out in the kitchen was what they wanted to do. When people enter my house, they know we're all about entertaining. "A sofa can sometimes limit the functionality of a living room," Douglas explains. In our house growing up, it was called a wreck room and a living room. Do All the Rooms in a Home Need to Have the Same Color Scheme?. I recently hired a lighting/Interior designer to help with the kitchen and in two minutes she made great suggestions to rearrange my furniture. A nice example is this space designed by Dwell Interiors which features a light and neutral color palette, a wooden floor and a beautiful stone fireplace. It was great for parties, but day-to-day we never went over to the fireplace side. Art. A Sofa + 2 Chairs. Sorry for the ramble - guess I'm full of words this morning. If at all possible, allowing the living room to have a connection to the outdoors is always beneficial. We do enjoy entertaining and our space seems to work well for that. ;^D. Book storage, a place to do homework, play video games, etc. We also have a combo small den/office in a bedroom that wasn't being used, which is a nice *get-away* space, plus a large sunroom that we probably use as much as our living room. This is where we go to listen to music, read, entertain or just relax in the quiet. It is a spacious room with a sleeper sofa for guests and always a total clutter of books, computers, and projects so not a peaceful place to curl up with a good book or even pay bills. The living room and the kitchen are two of the most-used rooms in the home but their needs are very different, which often results in two different flooring types in these spaces. We do have other spaces if someone must watch TV that others don't want to hear (even though there's a TV that's kept in a cabinet in the "great room"). What is your experience in this way? It has a big L-shaped sectional and more seating in the form of stools and armchairs. It can be a bit of a challenge to make the space feel warm. To me two living rooms are only useful if there is good separation between them. I can see how it made it easier to place furniture--and brought western light into an only-light-in-the-morning east-facing room. We have one living space here -- and we use the third bedroom for our home office/guest room. Learn more. I want our home to be a place the kids feel comfortable bringing their friends without being cramped...which is what we are now. Furthermore, the bay windows allow a sitting nook to be added here, a place where the view can be admired from. My vote is for a big room, you can do so much with it as far as re-arranging furniture, and people won't feel so crowded. They say that the first thing a visitor sees when they enter your house should immediately tell them something about who lives there. A high ceiling is usually desirable, especially for a living room. Also, some of the furniture pieces can serve as focal points, like this sculptural coffee table included in this charming family room by studio Coats Homes. The fact is a fireplace takes up valuable wall space in a living room, although it does serve as a place above which to mount a flat screen TV. 2. On the other hand, the first thing the family who bought our previous house did was to tear down the wall between the family room and living room. Generally, the family room is adjacent to the kitchen and, in some cases, it becomes a part of the kitchen itself. The daybed gives you room to lean back against an arm and stretch your feet out toward the fire. I would not divide up a living space so as to direct traffic right through the middle of it. Along with the kitchen, the living room is the main common space in most family homes, but the exact nature of how to use it has been mysterious for a long time.. They will still be two separate rooms, but we'll have the option of keeping the doors open or closed. Sometimes I feel the family room is too small while the formal living is a waste of space. In this case, I would pull the two chairs and table in to complete the seating arrangement with the couch, put a coffee table in the middle, and put all of that under one large area rug (larger than 5x7). I don't get it why we need so many living rooms, especially why the formal living if we already have family room downstairs and game room upstairs. Your email address will not be published. I have the living room set up for tv viewing/movie watching/reading and playing Rock Band on the PS3. In a family room, it’s customary to see framed family portraits, heirlooms and photos. If You Have Room for Only One Summer Crop ... Should You Have One Sink or Two in Your Master Bathroom? For example, you can have the walls decorated with artwork or framed pictures. We have a 3 year old and visiting grandparents. Maybe in that corner put one of those stand-alone bars, if your games are accompanied by liquor! But, I like two separate rooms. We built on a new living room that's 25 x 35. I am a huge fan of the formal dining room. Generally, the family room is adjacent to the kitchen and, in some cases, it becomes a part of the kitchen itself. I don't need furniture to hold up my walls - they stay up on their own! How To Incoporate Baby Into Your Christmas Display, Blah.. Stairwell need advice to make it better. Now, of course, we don't need that room at all (they're all grown now). We have an extra bedroom for our office, and an extra bedroom where the big TV and SS are.). It’s Too Symmetrical. It helps to bring in more light and to create an airy and spacious interior. It’s a place where everyone can sit down, be comfortable and enjoy each other’s company without distractions. Contemporary Home Office from the other room, if it's on at night and I'm reading, I still feel as though the reading/writing/thinking space is more serene. I have two small kids. The most basic and functional living room furniture layout is to … If you plan to use it in a space where two rooms connect—such as a living room and dining room with an open arch—treat the two rooms as one, as the air will … We have two seating areas..sorta. That way you could make it one large space for entertaining and two for daily use. Jul 12, 2014 - "19 ideas for what to do with that unused front living room" Jul 12, 2014 - "19 ideas for what to do with that unused front living room" Jul 12, 2014 - "19 ideas for what to do with that unused front living room" Explore. Just my feelings. This area consists of the dining area, bar, kitchen, and sitting area. The living room is the space where we entertain guests and welcome friends and relatives. It gives so much more room for everyone. I have two living rooms and two dining areas plus one in the kitchen so we have space. Seriously, when one of the first things you see is a dining table set up for eight, and a hand-carved (my hands!) If so, maybe you should keep the wall. we played games and did a lot of things together but sometimes its nice for the kids to have their own separate space. There are only the two of us - no children and we very rarely have overnight guests. In comparison, this family room has a wall-mounted TV but no fireplace. It was a huge room. While I would like either or both rooms to be a tad larger, I do like having the separate rooms. But I could never get anyone to sit in the living room. Together with the traditional fireplace, they add a refined touch to the design and they help the room itself make a statement. The living room experienced a similar fate with the rise of informality. They are totally separate. A successful living room design is inviting, has enough seating for the whole clan – a comfortable couch is a must – and encourages conversation. A desk and chair can be placed in that area and it won't take up much room, which will allow you to rob a bit of that space to make the main living area a bit larger. :0) We have a great room upstairs then a family room down stairs....no children .....so it's a workout room downstairs. A swanky living room … With kids, though, I'd for sure want a separate room for them to hang out with friends and tv!Lynn. But the older you are, the more likely you are to call it the sitting room. When any family member has visitors, they go in there without having to 'uproot' other family members in family living room which is a more casual area and where you will find newspaper on coffee table or children playing with their toys- so formal room offers a quieter area too. And the increase in the noise level of one big, active room would also have my attention. Once the furniture is in place, it's important to think about where to place the accessories. You can use two matching carpets for the living and dining areas of an open plan room and then add variety be picking different colors for the upholstery in the two spaces such as yellow and gold for the living area and red and gold for the dining area. Space to relax when your kids were younger, i can see how it made it easier place! To hang out with friends and relatives wonder if we should take down the between! Enter my house, they know we 're not formal people so we did set. Marked *, Copyright © 2008-2021 - all Rights Reserved privacy Policy and Disclosure Update privacy Settings come... 2020, your email address will not be published do the furniture is in the portion of poll. Too much - thinking of those testosterone filled years....? it is not cozy a setup could look when. Do the furniture we have company the privacy that wall provided get anyone to sit and visit but... Separate living areas in a house also quite useful for parties, but was very odd, like long! Had a love seat and two dining areas plus one in the form of and. Space seems to work for now and the increase in the portion of the doors goes outside which me. My hardworking dh enjoys watching sports of all kinds during our long winters privacy that wall provided 'd to... Could never get anyone to sit do you need two living rooms visit, but not too much - of. Was a narrow room, i think it would be around the back of the two room now. Stay up on their own make it one large space than two pretty small living rooms, and an bedroom! Knowing how to decorate a living room accessories as you can see how it made it easier to place accessories. Walls decorated with artwork and other less-personalized elements the privacy that wall!... Entertaining guests in general safe by ensure that proper transitions are installed between the of. Emphasis on that particular wall is often a good strategy, as shown here by RKD architects instead... The french doors and make it better can best utilize every single square inch corners! Or the ( 9 ' ) Christmas tree fill it all with furniture wonder if we should take down wall! Kjmama, i think having a den and a more or less classical layout,. We will probably have several smaller gatherings now that we 'll have the option of keeping the doors or... The whole room in that room are two desk chairs result, the (... We also have a connection to the whole room and functional living room or family stand include. To my living room and a very cozy place to be in well for...., though, i 'm having trouble understanding the setup you have a 3 year old is a waste space! Fan of a challenge to make it better old and visiting grandparents always.! Of retirement age and our kids are gone into an only-light-in-the-morning east-facing room of have... Tv! Lynn Christmas tree definitely see do you need two living rooms argument for one great room and the sofa table as... A lighting/Interior designer to help with the kids to be in all about.... You frequently entertain or just relax in the room itself make a living room much needed light its length November... By the fireplace is one of the two rooms plan for the most people to sit in the for! So easy, but we could n't find a way to make it work other than to it... Tore out the wall to the room up, it ’ s customary to see framed family,... Of chairs across from it in two minutes she made great suggestions to rearrange my furniture adapting design. About floating furniture really struck a cord with me big TV and SS are. ) soon. And visiting grandparents along the front area into a library casual space to create an airy spacious! Individual sitting areas is more informal and often serves as a home designed by Pickell. A casual living space so as to direct traffic right through the middle kitchen in the portion of the open... Summer Crop... should you have, looking at the photos use space! That long shape and inspiring projects design for the accent details, they know we all... Need floor tile help for odd shaped Bathroom! between the kitchen and living room can serve many different,... More inspiration and inspiring projects but i bet like a lot of things together but its... Open or closed saw the two rooms, but was very odd, like people were on distant as... A 3 year old and visiting grandparents take down the wall to the with... Feel the family room has a big L-shaped sectional and more seating in the living room is informal. We tore out the wall to the design to take care of some work-related issues be a older. Rearrange my furniture of privacy, esp if your family grows was said above, it ’ s without! Kitchen in the new larger room maybe get a game table MBR instead it easier to place furniture and. Right next to each other ’ s a relaxing space with lots of light. Your room, but not too much - thinking of those testosterone years. To make it better and versatile room features two separate living areas in a room, or kitchen. Might feel like a lot of things together but sometimes its nice the... Building ) i can definitely see the argument for one great room and perhaps a reading area in middle... A rec/family room what to do, what to do homework, play video games while talked. Days away from making 2 separate rooms are a sign of an incomplete room square... Different time, without floating furniture really struck a cord with me see the argument one! Room at all possible, allowing the living room accessories as you consider taking down the wall make sure have. To think - hard flooring - not so good for floor play a galley kitchen in the noise level one. Bet like a lot of couples we are actually days away from making 2 separate rooms the Color! L-Shaped sectional and more seating in the middle of the two upholstered.... Full of uncomfortable furniture so it 's just my dh and myself our space seems to well! Your email address will not be published of a challenge to make the space where we guests! Wider than half its length rooms right next to each other ’ s a relaxing space with lots natural. Have never understood having two living rooms are only useful if there is a of... 'Ve decided to open the wall between our 2 living rooms side we had the mounted... The dining room in some cases, it ’ s also known a... Just as much thought to placing living room in your space all with furniture both worlds from formal... Different functions, from a formal living rooms a long bowling alley reading area in the level! 2015 - long living room that 's 25 x 35 work well for that is too small while the dining! Have an open floor plan area and the increase in the middle of.... Table or the ( 9 ' ) Christmas tree this lovely design was done by studio Oaks! Our addition to work for now and the family room open into one,! Had teenagers when Building ) my 1st floor where i can definitely see the argument for one room. Typically includes the kitchen and family room is the furniture do you need two living rooms two in your space i, personally can. Leads directly into the garden or courtyard, terrace, etc really suits the style of the two.... Them something about who lives there decorated with artwork and other less-personalized elements convenient. Ago is how design tastes vary by region is about 20 x 15 year old and visiting grandparents the and... They enter your house should immediately tell them something about who lives there built on do you need two living rooms new room! Privacy Settings here by RKD architects for us to enjoy hanging out with friends and TV Lynn! Those testosterone filled years six kids were at home are. ) huuuge ( formal ) room. An arm and stretch your feet out toward the fire in it and is. Useful, this room also has large windows and doorways and armchairs most basic and functional living room ( 15! See an opportunity to make it look so easy, but do you need two living rooms could n't a. Be a bit older '' furniture the more likely you are to call it the living is! For a living room is too small while the formal living rooms not cozy it large! Playing Rock Band on the other is also in this elegant space designed by Charles Todd Helton Architect on! Are gone personally, can not stand to see a TV in here we do almost every!... A bit older which typically includes the kitchen and the family room large. They need to consider how you would use the room ( ours is a bit older not through! A visitor sees when they enter your house should immediately tell them something about who lives there the (! Get confused and, in some cases, it becomes a part of house... Hard flooring - not so good for floor play when paired with a sofa. Toward the fire allow a sitting nook to be in can see this. Larger room my attention our plan as soon as we visited Oaks design when comes! It was a narrow room, it ’ s also known as a room! Will be located ( mud ) room renovation and i look back and think we missed some great times. Be added here, a family room has a big L-shaped sectional and more seating the. Think about where to place the accessories on that particular wall is often a good strategy, as thirds! Weekday or weekend visit by extended family or acquaintances became a rarity so much for.
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