Where do you spend most of your leisure time at home? That is, time spent neither working, cooking, eating, bathing, nor sleeping? When you have time to simply relax, read a book, enjoy a conversation, watch TV or play games, you’ll probably choose the most comfortable space. For most people (particularly those living with people they actually like, without the urge to retreat to their bedroom to relax), that space is typically the living room. Living rooms could also be called the family room, den, or great room. Other cultures likely name it something different. But for the case of simplicity, we’ll call it the living room.
Depending on the size of your home, you may have multiple ‘rooms for living.’ Having moved into a large house with two living rooms, a sunroom, and a study, I got to decide what functions they would serve and therefore where to put furniture (mainly, though, where to put five thousand toys in an aesthetically tolerable manner where they’re accessible without being trip hazards). This discussion is therefore all about how to designate living rooms for specific purposes based on your values and priorities and arrange them accordingly.
You want every room in your home to be used at least somewhat regularly (otherwise, what’s the point in paying higher property tax and utilities for extra space?) so that each space maintains a positive and refreshing energy. This isn’t something you can quantify; it’s simply a subtle reality that you sense when you live somewhere. Rooms should serve our needs, so we need to make them count. The best way to do this is to consider your family’s habits and preferences and arrange your living rooms in a way that accommodates them and fosters relaxation, togetherness, and/or peaceful solitude.
Living Rooms for Living: Leisure, Relaxation, and Togetherness
Both at our old house and at our new one, we have what are basically two living rooms. Realtors and seemingly everyone else have always termed the one facing the front of the house the ‘living room’ and the one facing the back of the house the ‘family room’ or ‘den.’ I dislike these distinguished terms because, for one, everybody always ends up in the ‘family room’ whether they’re family or not, so what’s the point in calling it that? Plus, my family’s all over the house so it seems pointless to name one room for it as if everybody only stays in that single space.
‘Den’ is an even less appealing name. I think of a bear’s den that’s dark and dingy and full of dark wood paneling and pizza boxes. If I’m going to hibernate all winter and not see any of that, fine – it can be a ‘den.’ But since my eyes are open all winter long (personally I’d rather hibernate), this room needs to be attractive like every other space in the house. To me, ‘back living room’ is a more realistic term for this space because of its location on the backside of the house and because ‘living’ is primarily what we do there. And if naming should be descriptive (as it typically is), ‘back living room’ is easier to say than ‘living/playing/watching shows/lounging’ room. So we shorten that description to simply designate the room for ‘living,’ and specify its location as in the ‘back’ of the house.
Front Living Room
That leaves us with the predicament: what to call the other living room, the one that’s traditionally and simply called ‘the living room’ and where people historically entertained guests? The ‘living room’ by this definition has all but become obsolete in modern times because everybody – whether family or not – always hangs out in the back living room (otherwise known as the ‘family room’). Nowadays, the ‘living room’ in people’s houses is just where they put their nicer but less comfortable furniture (we don’t have anything that). Its role seems only to display certain furniture and look nice. That, however, is not a good enough use of a room for me. Remember, all living rooms need a purpose for everyday use!
I call this space the ‘front living room’ because it always faces the front of the house, so that simply makes sense. At our house, it’s where we’ve stationed the piano and a blue loveseat we bought from the former owners. To me, it’s simply an extension of the back living room (and vice versa) as it contains additional seating, ambient lighting, and our piano. I don’t play as often as I’d like due to time constraints (and interrupting toddlers), but playing piano is a pastime I love and hope to do more – therefore upholding the relevance of the front living room.
Layout and Furniture
Our front living room is accessible from the foyer, just past the bottom of the staircase, and it also opens into the back living room via French doors. There is a double-sided fireplace on the wall it shares with the back living room. Next to the fireplace is a built-in bookcase where I’ve neatly arranged all of our books. The children’s books are on the first couple of shelves, and a throw pillow and little shag rug on the floor immediately adjacent creates a cosy reading corner nestled between the bookcase and the end table flanking the loveseat. An old beachy table lamp casts a cheerful glow for easy reading.
On the other side of the loveseat (though not immediately adjacent – a guitar stands perfectly nestled between) is a small table in the opposite corner – technically a handsome tile-topped plant stand but convenient for holding another table lamp to provide ample lighting and ambiance. On the wall opposite the fireplace are two front-facing windows with plantation shutters, and a small antique table in between them that stores more toys. Against the wall opposite the loveseat (and between the two doorways) is the piano with a small table lamp for reading sheet music.
Décor
With the fireplace, built-in shelves, plantation shutters and piano, the front living room’s aesthetic is that of quiet old-fashioned charm. Several decorative items are from around the world, so with that and the full bookcase and piano (not to mention the boys’ toy instruments and my spouse’s guitar), there’s definitely a warm and inviting scholarly feel to the space, what with all the literature and music.
In the middle of the floor is a happy yellow and white chequered outdoor rug. Above the fireplace, the mantel is a prime spot for décor. This often includes holiday décor but is otherwise perfect for whatever items we display (or bring in from outside) that fit the seasonal aesthetic. In addition to what’s displayed on the mantel or the wall above it, there are several framed photos of my older son lining the wall above the loveseat. A large nautical painting hangs on the wall above the small table between the windows. This little table happily showcases wood crafts my son has painted over the years. Finally, atop the window-facing end of the piano sits one of my airplane plants, while a framed photo and other décor sit atop the piano on the other side of the lamp. A few other decorative items hang on the wall above it.
An Inviting Room with Purpose
With a comfortable loveseat, a few small tables, lamps, piano, reading nook, and double-sided fireplace, our front living room is a pleasant and cosy space. It’s neither too large nor crowded. We don’t spend as much time in there as a family as I’d like, but we do hang out in there on occasion. There are a couple of larger toddler toys stationed in the middle of the rug, so the boys play in there regularly enough. We have occasional reading time there, as well as plenty of piano time. It also serves as a cut through from the foyer/upstairs to the back living room (and/or sunroom/study), so there’s never a day someone doesn’t go in there – even if no one hangs out for very long. The plant keeps it full of life (as do any of us spending time in there), and the windows keep it well-lit.
Back Living Room
Moving along to our favourite hangout space: the back living room. This was the most important transformation of all rooms in the house. Unfortunately, we bought the previous owners’ old used area rug because we knew buying a new one would be expensive. I was not thrilled with the colours, but my spouse figured any rug was better than no rug – and he had a point. To an extent. This rug was fugly, and while it could have fit better in a different environment in its prime, the whole combination of it coupled with the lumpy maroon couch they left us and the split pea soup-brown coloured walls (Valspar’s ‘Mark Twain House’ – look it up) were just depressing. So we had a project on our hands.
Floor Coverage: The Impact of an Area Rug
While I was never a fan of Walmart, I was happily surprised at the quality of the large and light-coloured high-pile area rug we ordered from there. It was a game changer like no other. This rug immediately brightened up an otherwise depressing space. Its high-pile material also gave it a soft and comfortable feel that instantly invites one to stop, drop and roll (yes, it’s that cushy). It felt wonderful to finally have a clean, comfortable and attractive rug where my boys could play and where we could all romp around without worrying whether I cleaned the old flat rug well enough.
A note on the old rug from the previous owners: I relegated Ol’ Fugly to the basement until, after again thoroughly cleaning it as best as I could, it continued to emit a wet dog odor. Even dousing it in tons of knock-off Acqua Di Gio didn’t help; the dog funk always prevailed. So now I’ve rolled it up and put it in the garage where it remains indefinitely (my husband didn’t want to curb it, but he has yet to rehome it). Keep this in mind if you ever buy a rug from dog owners who may or may not have had their rugs professionally cleaned!
Primary Seating: A Good Couch is Both Comfortable and Attractive
Back to the back living room. That ghastly maroon couch? While it was soft, it was far too easy to inconveniently ‘sink’ in the space between cushions, and besides that along with its garish colour, the thing ultimately gave us bad vibes due to the dishonest sellers who disguised a myriad of house problems that ultimately led to a traumatic moving experience. So we donated it to a local organization that provides furniture for families in need and ordered a new one on sale from Wayfair for an amazingly low price. It’s a very basic three-seater light gray couch (not my favourite colour, but peacefully neutral) that’s comfortable and visibly unoffensive. It’s nothing exciting to look at, but it’s handsome in a subtle way. And that’s all we need!
The couch is also plenty comfortable. The cushions can’t be removed which is very convenient since my boys love to remove the cushion on the nearby armchair (they routinely use it as a ‘boat’ to slide across the kitchen floor). I don’t have the patience to hunt down three other cushions. And it’s the perfect firmness, too. It provides great support but is still comfortable to sit on (or nap on). Its modest length is just long enough to stretch my whole body.
Décor: Operation Cover Ugly Paint
As I mentioned, the paint colour the previous owners chose for the walls is dreadful. It might suit a hunting lodge or dingy pub, but that isn’t the look we’re going for. And as I also mentioned, we currently have neither the time nor the budget to paint. Painting won’t be in our future since we will relocate again anyhow. So to transform our back living room, my goal was to cover as much of the walls as possible to hide the colour. I bought a large and inexpensive light polyester tapestry off Amazon to hang above the largest expanse of wall above the couch. It features abstract light blue ‘paint’ streaks and it’s unremarkable enough to lend a calm atmosphere but bright enough to distract from the surrounding curry-vomit brown. It matches the blues displayed in a large ocean print hung on the opposite wall above the fireplace mantel.
For the smaller swaths of wall, I’ve hung ample framed photos of the boys and a couple of decorative prints to break up the monotonous brown. Bright blue beachy chimes hang from one of the curtain rod brackets to complement the other blues. The previous owners left a set of hideous curtains that matched their couch and rug (regretfully, we also ‘bought’ those when they offered them to my spouse). I think at first we just wanted some furnishings so we weren’t moving into a barren house. But, as with everything else, we quickly learned (as I suspected) that no furnishings are better than ugly ones! Especially when they block out more sun. Along with unattractive curtains left in the primary bedroom and office, I hastily removed these and stuffed them in the attic. This opened up the room to more sunlight and further deconstructed its sad original colour scheme.
Toy Integration in Living Rooms
Every parent’s dilemma remains the same, no matter the size of our space: how do we integrate our children’s toys in our living rooms without compromising both aesthetics and order? Some parents say to hell with it and allow toys of all sizes, shapes, and colours to migrate all over the floor and everywhere people exist. These people either have an enviously resolute immunity to clutter or they are stressed out every day but yet haven’t pursued a solution. Those on the opposite end of the pendulum relegate toys to a designated playroom (or bedroom) and keep a strict adult-only aesthetic to their living space.
Toy Logic: Consider Family Habits and Preferences When Arranging Living Rooms
Time and tidying opportunities aside, what matters here is your unique family and how you want to live your lives. While the idea of a clutter-free zone sounds lovely, the truth is we want our boys around us – within our eyesight and earshot while cooking or doing whatever else we do throughout the day. We don’t want them off playing somewhere separate; we want to be together as a family even when we aren’t directly interacting with them. So we have always kept their toys in the living rooms for that reason. However, being extremely clutter-averse, I insist on designated spots for their toys so cleanup isn’t time-consuming and so the boys can easily find and access their toys again the next time they play with them.
So while, yes, toy tidying does become an issue (especially as mine are still loathe to pick up after themselves – a discipline we work on as they grow), it’s worth having them near us. Besides, even if their toys were elsewhere, they ultimately want to be near us (the youngest, particularly) and would just find something else to ‘play’ with – whether appropriate/safe or not! This happens all the time, if my toddler has nothing better to play with. Even in places with no toys (primary bedroom, study, etc.) I keep things that he’s allowed to manipulate – a jade roller, wireless speaker, water pitcher. The vast majority of their toys (besides those we’ve moved to the basement for the sake of de-cluttering) are in our back living room, with some in the front living room and some in the sunroom. These are the areas where we’re all ‘around’ when we’re home.
The Ultimate Toy Metric: Allow Whatever Spreads Joy
I like seeing my sons’ toys around. Sure, the bright primary colours clash with the subtle colours we generally find in house furnishings, but it doesn’t matter – they’re fun, happy, and add visual liveliness. Their toys remind me of my boys, and that brings me joy. Not everyone’s as sentimental as me, and maybe a separate toy space suits older kids who sit through an entire meal together and have other opportunities to spend quality family time together. You have to realise what makes most sense for your family, and from there decide what or how much kid stuff stays in common areas – i.e. living rooms. Needless to say, our back living room is filled with toys – but when they’re all picked up, they have neatly designated spots – whether in a bin on a table or shelf, on the hearth, or on the bottom two shelves of the built-in bookcase.
There’s a corner of our back living room situated between the French doors leading into the front living room on one side and the opening into the breakfast area on the other side. It’s a nice little nook where I put the boys’ corner toy shelf, topped with a lamp to brighten up the corner. Underneath is a small and thin white rug so the boys don’t have to sit on hard floor. The top shelf displays anything from holiday décor to sweet artwork my son made to fun decorations. It’s a happy toy corner that contains most of the back living room’s toys, while a few others remain near the fireplace, bookcase, and end table by the couch. There are just enough toys all over the room to maintain a definite ‘toy presence’ while also keeping a respectable order that doesn’t distract from the room’s relaxing and inviting vibe.
The Power of Large Furnishings and Personal Touches in Living Rooms
Our new rug alone was what really transformed the back living room, but the combination of it and the new couch was just what we needed. It’s both how the space looks and how comfortable we feel touching things there – like the couch and the rug. Coming from our old house where we had the softest padded carpet to an unkempt house with dark wood floors, we needed a place we could again lounge comfortably on the floor. Everything else complements the makeover. I found a comfortable white upholstered wooden chair from a thrift store that I’ve stationed near one end of the couch. A small folding table sits next to it alongside the couch by a nicely-lit floor lamp.
At the other end of the couch is an end table with a lamp, tissue box, and small toy basket. Between the two windows on the next wall is the TV on a white mid-century modern table I found off Amazon a while back. My giant snake plant graces the other side of the table at the window near the built-in bookcase and nearby fireplace on the next wall. Like the mantel in the front living room, I decorate it with anything from holiday décor to whatever fits the season. Near the fireplace is a stuffed armchair (one of many things some dear friends gave us when they moved overseas) – the one whose cushion serves as my son’s ‘boat.’ My toddler also has a mini rocking chair by the snake plant.
Between the rug, couch, tapestry, and all other furnishings and items, the back living room underwent a Cinderella transformation. From seeing pictures of our boys on the walls to happy toys strategically placed in convenient and easy-to-access spots that aren’t in the way, this space is full of life.
Living Rooms for Comfort, Relaxation, and Leisure
My family has the luxury of multiple rooms for living at our house. We have options and plenty of space to spread. Other families share a small apartment with one central living space. With that layout, you need to be even more strategic about such things as toys, seating and open space. But no matter the number or size of living rooms, the priorities remain the same: comfortable relaxation and togetherness.
Large furniture items like a couch can make a huge impact on the feel and function of living rooms. If you can’t replace your couch, consider a slipcover or the lazy alternative I used at our old house: drape a pretty blanket over it. (Of course, you will constantly be rearranging said blanket if you have young kids). Ultimately, covering or changing any large surface area like hanging a large cloth tapestry from the wall or spreading a large, handsome area rug will be most effective in visually transforming a space. And by personalizing it with meaningful photos, décor, toys, or whatever other items bring you joy, your room will be living indeed!