And so I always have to wonder...why would you even bother buying furniture for a room you don't intend to use?
Our house has just a living room - and we live in it. My mom and dad's house has a family room and a living room - but my mom always used the living room as a casual place to sit and read, talk, etc. We lived there. I have on my "for our next house list" a living room and a family room - for more space to live.
So, what do you think? Are Living Rooms more of a family room in your mind, where you can put your feet up and talk, maybe even watch TV? Or are they a more formal room where kids flopping and red wine makes you cringe? Sound off!
Well I guess my living room is more formal, but seeing as we don't know any kids that can come over and I will drink red wine any where, we still live in it. I have some crystal pieces in there, but we still play with my puppy in there.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother and my aunt both have "living rooms" that they don't live in. I've never understood it. You can't eat in there, you can't make a mess in there, you can barely live in there. Not my cup of tea. Our rooms are definitely lived in, maybe a little too much sometimes ;-)
ReplyDeleteOur living room is definitely lived in. Yes, you're allowed to eat, there is a TV, and it's just generally the gathering place when people come over.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I didn't know anyone that had a formal living or dining room. But we're pretty casual folk, and that's just not how we roll.
My living room is more formal - it's where I teach piano lessons, though, and it totally gets used. It just has nicer furniture.
ReplyDeleteI am totally against the formal room concept. We had one growing up and one of my chores was to dust it. I dusted it more than anyone ever sat in it!
ReplyDeleteWe have "man town" (the den) and the "living room". We most often entertain in the living room and it's the place I go to read and watch TV while Rob plays X-box in Man Town. Having two living spaces is one of the things I like best about our house.
We have a living room and a family room. Right now we LIVE in the living room. As soon as our new recliner arrives (this week!) we will also LIVE in the family room.
ReplyDeleteThe kitchen flows directly into the family room without a wall, so it could also serve as a breakfast nook, but then we'd end up with a formal dining room we never used, and I don't want that either. I'd much rather have the living room and the family room as more space to LIVE, as you say. Formal spaces where nobody can relax seem like a waste of space and money to me.
In fact, now that I think about it I realize we don't stand much on the whole "that is special so let's not use it" thing. For example, our wedding china is our only china. We use it every day. And I like it that way.
Personally, I like the idea of having a living room and a family room. I imagine, especially now that we've started having children, that the living room will make a pretty nice place to escape to when the family room is strewn with toys, art projects, and the sound of Dora the Explorer blaring from the TV. I like the idea of just being able to escape the chaos of family life without having to clean up toys every hour just to relax.
ReplyDeleteI don't intend on having a living room for the sake of formality though. I would use it to read in and since we have friends over for dinner quite often, it would work for that purpose too! Plus, I imagine that having my small group over would be much more relaxing in a toy-free living room than in a kid-zone family room.
I like the idea of living in your home period...not having things you can't touch or use. IN my home we always really used all of our rooms and in my home we use EVERY room as well. Otherwise whats the point?
ReplyDeleteMy grandma had a "Good Living Room" a "Living Room" and a "Family Room". The good living room was ONLY used for very special company and had many rules - no kids on the couches, no food or drink, no shoes etc. Now, my parents live in that house because my grandparents have moved into a retirement community, and my mom LIVES in that room. We have our Christmas tree in there, we read in there, visit in there, we had bridal/baby showers in there (food and all) and it drives my Grandma NUTS to see us using the room. But what's the sense of having that space if not to use it?
ReplyDeleteThe house I am buying has a finished basement that is the family room and a living room upstairs. I can't see us really using the living room upstairs much so I have decided to turn it into the dining room since it would be used more for that than anything else. The house doesn't have a dining room and the little eat in kitchen is really little.
ReplyDeleteLiving rooms for me is a place to snuggle in, get comfy and talk or read a good book. It seems like such a waste to have a room "only for special occasions" - at least to me.
ReplyDeleteOurs was always a cross between the two. Our dogs were not allowed in our living room and there was no TV, but it was often used for our family to enjoy family time and get together. During special times even the animals were allowed. :)
ReplyDeleteWe only have one room now- but soon (hopefully) will have two . . . my parent's do a good job of living in both areas- I hope that we can too. It seems silly to never use the formal room- but at least it always looks nice. = )
ReplyDeleteHmmm, when we get the lower level finished, we'll have a family room down there. But we'll still use the LR upstairs. I think it's just Mr. FC's excuse to buy TWO flat panel TV's.
ReplyDeleteUnless you're a dignitary or royalty, why have a formal room?
We have a living room, but it is where we are 80% of the time we are home. But the house I grew up in had a living room and family room. We only used the living room on Christmas morning and when we used the fireplace. That is one reason I now LOVE having a fireplace in the living room we live in.
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