Formal living rooms became popular in the early 1900s. These days, many people find having both a formal and informal living room to be excessive, leaving them wondering what to do with two living rooms. Rather than furnishing two living room areas in your home that serve a similar purpose, it may be time to transform one of your living rooms into a more functional space for your family. Learn which living room you should repurpose — the family room or living room — and gather some ideas about how to transform your living space into a room that suits you better!
The Family Room vs. Formal Living Room: What’s the Difference?
Before diving into what you should do with your extra living room, it’s essential to understand the differences between the primary and secondary living rooms to decide which one needs a makeover.
The family room typically serves as the central gathering space in a home. Family members typically spend most of their time together watching TV, playing games, or just hanging out in this area. It’s usually located near the kitchen and dining area for easy access and is designed with comfortable seating and a larger TV.
Since formal living rooms are slowly becoming a thing of the past, many new homeowners wonder what to do with a formal living room when they first move in. This space tends to be a more elegant and refined area of the home. This room is typically located near the house’s entryway and is designed to make a good impression on guests. Usually, folks include formal sofas and chairs in this space and arrange them to face each other to create a conversational atmosphere. While the original purpose of formal living space was to provide an alternative space for entertaining guests, in modern times, it doesn’t get used as frequently as the family room, making it a bit of a waste of space.
Which Living Room Should You Repurpose?
When it comes to deciding what to do with the unused front living room or the little-used family room area in your home, you may want to consider the following:
- Functionality: Do you want your living room to be a formal area for gatherings or a more informal respite for your family? Narrowing down how you want to use your living room space can help you decide which room to transform.
- Location: Do you tend to use the front living room or back living room more often? Whichever living room you use most often should remain as your living room, and you should consider transforming the other space into something more practical for everyday use.
7 Room Ideas to Transform Your Extra Living Space
Now that you know which type of living room you want to keep, you can decide what to do with an extra living room! Here are seven ideas that could work for your extra living room:
- Home Office: Turn your extra living room into a functional home office space by adding a desk, ergonomic chair, bookshelves, and proper lighting.
- Game Room: Convert the formal living room into a fun game room with a pool table, foosball table, board games, and a large TV perfect for video game nights.
- Reading Room: Create a cozy reading room by adding comfortable chairs, side tables, a coffee table, a reading lamp, and bookshelves filled with your favorite books.
- Home Theater: Convert your living room into a home theater with a large TV or projector screen, a media cabinet, comfortable seating, and surround sound speakers.
- Art Studio: Transform the living room into an art studio by adding easels, painting supplies, and natural light to inspire your creativity.
- Workout Room: Convert the formal living room into a workout room by adding gym equipment, mirrors, and a sound system
- Playroom: Turn the living room into a fun playroom for kids by adding toys, games, and a soft rug for crawling and playing.
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