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We have the same size house, 90 years old with a “formal” living room and dining room connected by arched plaster openings through a small barrel vaulted foyer. We use the living room every day, mornings to read the paper in the east light and in the evenings for cocktails, music and reading. We have a den downstairs that functions as a tv room, or auxiliary reading/entertaining space adjoining the garden.
If you aren’t using a space that consumes 1/3 of a floor area then you haven’t outfitted or furnished it to be a space that is welcoming and comfortable for how you want to live in it.
We have a 1670 square foot home. 4 bedrooms 2 and a half bath, living room, dining and kitchen area. Small laundry room that connects to the two car garage.
How our home is designed:
standing at the front door you pass thru a small entry way. In the front of the house, the dining room is to the left with the kitchen nest to the dining room. The living room is to the back of the house. To the right of the entry way is a hallway with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. One of the bathrooms is in the master bedroom. Off of the kitchen is a small laundry room across from a half bath. Past that is an entry into the garage.
With the living room at the back of the house it has a sliding glass door that enters the back yard. As you walk out the sliding glass door you enter a patio that is 20' deep and 25' wide. We use this often. We will grill food in the back and eat on the patio year round. Weather is nice hear.
We spend a lot of time in the living room. Family computer is in the space. All the things we want for fun are in the living room.
I say do what you want with your space. It is yours.
My house doesn't have a den. The first floor has a living room, 2 bedrooms, bath, and an eat-in kitchen with a small adjoining space and an attached porch. There is also a glassed-in porch off the living room. I used the living room practically all day. It is a cool room since it's on the north side of the house, plus I can open the door to the porch and open the sliding glass panels to the screens and get a breeze from them. Aside from the bedroom that I use, it's really the most comfortable room in the house.
It depends on how you use the space. If you have furniture in it that you only use 2-3 times a year, then it is definitely wasted space. Same thing for a formal dining room or anything else that is used so infrequently.
My living room is used daily. It is our primary socialization space. The downstairs den/family room has been converted to my wife’s home office.
Our house has two living areas. I only refer to one as the living room and one as the den when I have to name things (like Echo dots). They are both used for watching tv. My DH uses the front one and I use the rear one. Fairly open floor plan, so from my seat on the couch, I can see his TV. You can hear both TVs but get used to tuning one out. If we both want to watch the same thing, we use the front living room just because it has two recliners that are more comfortable.
In our 1800 square foot house, the living room takes up about 1/3 of the ground floor. We entertain about once or twice a year. A guest has slept on the couch about six times a year. Why have a living room rather than expanded den/entertainment center?
I have no idea anymore. Just like the people who "must" have a third row for the one time per year the family goes sight-seeing for Christmas lights?
Reminds me of a story - we had a tour of the historic homes in my town, and I went along with my family when I was... oh, about 9 or so. Everything was so ornate in this one example, between all the hand carved moldings and exotic woods. I asked my dad where the TV was in the living room (LOL) and he responded: "If they did have one, you wouldn't be able to see it".
I'm not sure what the next generation's use for this space will be. Or if this debacle will spur a change in floor plans. I, personally, hate being responsible for entertaining, so mine's got a few key pieces to suggest "yes, this is a living room" but there's not even a TV, just a fireplace. (Just like the example above!)
We have the same size house, 90 years old with a “formal” living room and dining room connected by arched plaster openings through a small barrel vaulted foyer. We use the living room every day, mornings to read the paper in the east light and in the evenings for cocktails, music and reading. We have a den downstairs that functions as a tv room, or auxiliary reading/entertaining space adjoining the garden.
If you aren’t using a space that consumes 1/3 of a floor area then you haven’t outfitted or furnished it to be a space that is welcoming and comfortable for how you want to live in it.
Bingo.
When our kids come home with their babies, the living room transforms from our reading, relaxing in the evening room, to the baby central. You want to rock, play, hang out with the babies, you come in there.
You want to watch sports and chat with the men, then off to thefamily room.
Our dining room is used for family gatherings. In between it holds projects. Seeds and garden planning in the spring. Present wrapping in the winter. When the kids were home, it's where school projects were working on.
It depends on how you use the space. If you have furniture in it that you only use 2-3 times a year, then it is definitely wasted space. Same thing for a formal dining room or anything else that is used so infrequently.
My living room is used daily. It is our primary socialization space. The downstairs den/family room has been converted to my wife’s home office.
OK Please define use of the furniture? Even though I moved my work table into my living room I scrunched my living room furniture kind of around in a circle in front of the work table. So I do have living room furniture. But as far as usage. I am such a total introvert............. I can show you dozens of photos if not hundreds of the dogs and kitties all using the furniture. Hahahaha My kind of company. Sorry could not resist I have just had a very long tiring day on the road. I still need to unload 100's of pounds of yard stuff out of my car. Need to rest first.
We use our living room too. You pass through the living room to get to the screened porch, which is set up as an outdoor dining room when we're entertaining. We will often have guests on the porch and in the attached living room. Otherwise we kind of go through phases depending on the time of the year. Sometimes we're outside, sometimes we're in the family room and sometimes we're in the living room.
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Even though I moved my work table into my living room I scrunched my living room furniture kind of around in a circle in front of the work table. So I do have living room furniture. But as far as usage. I am such a total introvert............. I can show you dozens of photos if not hundreds of the dogs and kitties all using the furniture. Hahahaha My kind of company. Sorry could not resist I have just had a very long tiring day on the road. I still need to unload 100's of pounds of yard stuff out of my car. Need to rest first.
