Our living rooms are often more than just a place to watch television and entertain guests. For many of us, we do most of our living at home in the living room. These rooms become a media room, home office, dining room and sometimes even a guest room. While we might not admit it, many Americans eat dinner while watching TV in the living room or family room. The design trend to open concept spaces that incorporate kitchen, dining and living spaces means more and more of us are spending most of our time at home in one room.
Creating a décor that can work with all these different activities is key. Furniture arrangements, flooring and materials should all be selected to stand up to the heavy use and high traffic of today’s living rooms. Sectional sofas allow seating for many in a single piece of furniture. Coffee tables that are also ottomans can multi-task as game tables, dining tables and extra seating.
Wireless routers and laptops mean we can telecommute from any room in the home. And more than one family member can be online at a time… so the sofa can become a home office, socializing center and homework space.
Living room flooring should be durable to stand up to all the demands we place on the room. Stain resistant and stain repellant are key for carpets in high traffic areas. Hardwoods and other hard surfaces are durable but it is nice to have something softer for impromptu lounging on the floor.
