Have a Center Hall Colonial? What do you do with your Formal Living Room?

[Anonymous]

We do our living in there. We don't have a bump-out addition on our house, though -- no way are we giving up any of our tiny yard.

I grew up in a house that had a rec room in the basement, but no family room. So my expectation of living rooms is that it's where the TV is and where the comfy chairs are.

[Anonymous]

Remember the room's use can evolve for your family. I know several families who used their formal living room (located in the same place in the house as yours) used their LR as a play room or art room when their kids were young. Those were the uses their families needed more than a formal living room at that time. The goal is that as the kids get older, the room will be converted to an actual living room, furniture purchased, etc. I personally wish I had an extra room (my house only has one living space, so it is our living/family room combined with a tv) that I could keep tv free and I would have lots of bookshelves, comfy chairs, and a piano if room. I love the look of a "conversation" area with 4 comfy chairs circling a round coffee table. That would be a great adult place to have friends.

[Anonymous]

I know a lot of people who use it as a play room or kids' family room, making the designated family room less of a toy area. I do this and in my family room we have a toy box and some board games in the entertainment unit. That's it. All the other toys stay in the play room. When kids come over, they play in the play room. As the kids get older we plan to turn it into more of a kids' family room, the way most people use their basements. In our case, the basement isn't finished, but I feel like my kids are too young to play in the basement on their own, but they can play in the play room on the first floor. When they are older, I want to be able to keep an eye on them and their friends, and not have them in the basement doing who knows what.

[Anonymous]

We have a side hall colonial, but if I had the money I would close off the living room and turn it into a study/library w/ a TV and comfy couch, so we could use it as a "quiet room" to work, read or watch TV. Then I'd open up the rest of the house into one big room where all the action is - kitchen, dinning, family room, kids computer, etc.

[Anonymous]

We also have (inadvertently) turned it into our play room; the family room is now our "living room." When we moved in, we only had one set of living room furniture, which we put in the family room. The formal living room was entirely bare. We then had 2 kids in quick succession, so now the room is filled with their toys.

[Anonymous]

We use it as a living room. It's generally where we entertain people when they come over, including family, so it gets used fairly often. It's also our defacto no tv, no bills or other junk place where we can sit and talk/have stay-in date night. It has two couches, two chairs, and a fireplace. The sun comes in in the afternoon and makes it quite serene. I like the idea of relaxing and reading in there, if only I had more time to relax/read.

[Anonymous]

Entertain in it.

[Anonymous]

Yes, use it! We have this model and I have the LR very, very cozy and get compliments all the time. It is so funny to me that these houses built in the 70's (at least ours was) have big LR and hardly anyone in our neighborhood uses them. Everyone stuffs themselves in to the family room that is so much smaller. I have the FR like a play room with tv, books, toys. Now the DC are in school the computer and desk in there too. We have a basement but when the kids are little you want to see them (or they want to see you!) and now they are older there is no way I want them down there with a computer or tv that I don't know what they are watching. Put french doors on FR to block out some of the noise but you can see in.

I have an armoire that I love and have a mom tv in it in the LR. So, when not watching it is closed and the LR is for reading, friends. It is always picked up and feels cozy and so the kids will often wander in and sit next to me or we bring a game in at night -- because the play room is a mess.

We have thought of going for a new, bigger house but with the outrageous prices, decided we did not need more space but needed to use the space we had. Think pottery barn and not colony house and make it cozy for you. You'll love it.

[Anonymous]

OP can't figure this out herself??

[Anonymous]

ours is I guess a Center Hall, although the LR is in the front, the dining room is behind it, with the family room on the left side. But anyways, we try to keep that room kid-free, dog-free and toy-free (mostly). We don't use it too much, but I like that it is a clean, nice room where we can sit and not sit on a doll or get covered in dog-hair. We use it mainly for entertaining and for holiday decorating.