busanaarissafiyyah: The Living Room

Today I am linking up again with Cottage and Vine's Room by Room series to give you a tour of the Living Room! Living Rooms are disappearing quickly from homes in favor of the Family Room - many newer homes lack the option of a separate Living Room altogether and instead have one big "great room." Historically a Living Room today as we know it may have functioned similar to the "parlor" in the nineteenth century home. The concept of the home's primary living space changed during the mid-twentieth century when televisions were introduced into the home and the main living area transformed into an arrangement of furnishings centered around a TV. While a large "great room" can indeed be very functional in this way, I like having clear divisions of spaces in my home.

My Living Room

I must admit, I vacillate between loving my Living Room and not wanting one at all, preferring to use the family room as our primary space for convening. Perhaps altering this space's function would encourage us to spend more time in it. On the other hand, I love having a Living Room for entertaining, for formal gatherings and Holidays, and simply to have a pretty room with a cozy fireplace free of a giant, out-of-place-in-a-historic-house, big screen TV. We are fortunate in our home to have both a Living Room and a Family Room (the latter in which we can enjoy TV time).

I like a neutral Living Room that I can seasonally decorate without things seeming too overwhelming. I love antiques and vintage pieces, of course, and I am pleased with how they contrast with our new sofa. The one thing that's still missing is a nice armchair or pair of wingbacks. Someday I envision a pair of graceful wingback chairs upholstered in a classic brown check. We have a beautiful armchair from the Pottery Barn outlet in the family room that would be perfect for the Living Room, but since it is such a great spot to in which curl up and lazily watch TV, we have yet to move it. Another reason why combining these two rooms someday in a different house might work out well for us!