Do you use your formal living for the sophisticated soirees that it was decorated for? Yeah, me neither.
It somehow doesn't sit right with me have a room that is rather museum-like in one's house. Why bother? I will tell you that the layout of this particular house allows me to enjoy the room without being in it sometimes but still that seems a waste. I have met people that turned this room into a playroom for their kids and the resulting plastic wasteland is a huge turn-off right inside the front door, for me at least.
It may seem silly but the way I use my formal living room is to have relaxing phone chats. It's as far away from the noise of TV as can be and the pretty things I love are right there to look at while I talk.
In addition, moving my little desk into the living room makes for a very pretty place to write checks and handle other sundry office chores. When it was in a different location it did not always stay tidy but the higher order of the living room shames me into always leaving it looking nice.
It is perhaps still not living up to it's full potential and when I have elegant parties in it I'll be sure to post here. Until then, I am enjoying it anyway.
8 comments:
Kerry I love your thoughts on this subject. While a formal living room might not be for everyone, yours has so many special pieces in it, I would enjoy it for phone calls and reading as well!!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Gallery Opening!
I don't have one, but I'd love to have one! Our main living room is used by everybody, which I like and I can see why you are enjoying yours dear! Beautiful space!
I'm in the process of a whole house remodel. I took half of the living room and turned it into my baking center/working pantry and the dining room into a library/dining room. This area covers the whole back of my house. The now much smaller living room (seen as you open front door) will get even less use. It is, however, a lovely room to watch the sun set, to store more books, a more intimate place to be.
Our living room is closer to the kitchen than the family room, so it gets used. We have big parties at least once every other month, and the LR ends up being where the adults play Cards Against Humanity while the kids play video games in the family room.
It's a lovely room.
We only have one big space, kitchen, dining, living - with a sliding door enclosure to a home office/study. It's worked, for the most part. But whenever I have family over, which can get to be a lot of people, I regret not having more space to sit, and a separate room for kids.
My living room is my favorite space in the house - and one that I use the least. I enjoy reading a magazine or listening to music there. My husband and I use that room to sit and have a glass of wine and relax without the temptation of TV. I try to use that space to read to my kids or play a board game - just being away from the TV and computer calms everyone. I guess it sounds like we use it a lot, but compared to every other room, we should be using it more!
Your living room is beautiful - I like the addition of the desk!
I even have my desk in my "formal" living room and the dogs sit in there with me as I post away!! xo
I think your living room is lovely, and I see why you are trying to find ways to be in there. I use ours a lot, at the sofa is my favorite place to read in summer when it is too hot on the porch. I read by the fire in Winter. Since I dislike TV, I have always used it a lot, and relegated the TV to the upstairs den.
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