With the endless number of options available when you’re shopping for a home, one easily overlooked detail is the distinction between a family room and a living room. They may sound like the same kind of room, and there are some definite overlaps, but the terms actually refer to different types of spaces that serve different purposes.
Depending on the style and size of a house, you may either choose between having a family or living room, or have the option to have both. To understand the important differences between family rooms and living rooms, and how you can get the most out of them for your specific needs, let’s break them down into their core components.
Size & Location
Living rooms are usually one of the largest rooms of a house, located either in the middle of a house or in the front (where they’re often called ‘front rooms’). The reason living rooms are more spacious is to accommodate large couches, TVs and entertainment centers, and other ornamental storage units. The living room is often a place to put large art pieces, such as sculptures and paintings, so it needs room to fit everything without feeling crowded.
Family rooms also tend to be large, but instead of being located toward the front of the house, they’re set farther back. Family rooms often lead into the kitchen and have doors opening up to a deck, patio, or other outdoor area at the back of the house.
Function
Depending on your personal style and preference, your living room can be a more or less formal meeting place. If you like to use your living room to entertain guests, watch TV, or relax as a family, you can easily set up your living room to fit those needs. With the right furniture layout, a living room can be an inviting place to hang out.
However, many choose to use their living rooms more formally, and this is perfectly acceptable too. By picking out the right art pieces, beautiful tables, light fixtures, and rugs, as well as higher-end couches, you can give your living room an elegant quality. While it’s not so common anymore to have all white living rooms, you can definitely achieve a similar effect with the right setup.
Family rooms are almost always less formal than living rooms. They are a space to both gather in large groups and relax individually, so their layout and furniture options need to have good variety. And while you can show off your tasteful art collection in the living room, the family room is a space to share family photos and memorabilia. Having those kinds of images hanging on the walls or in standing photo frames will signal the room as a welcoming, casual space.
Family rooms are also spaces where children can play. So in addition to having child-friendly couches and tables — usually meaning fewer sharp edges and less exotic materials — there needs to be a good amount of open space in the middle of the room for running around.
As the name suggests, family rooms serve many everyday purposes. Whether you’re playing board games or watching TV as a family, getting some quality alone time with a book, or testing out a new RC car, the family room is meant to accommodate all these activities and more.
It’s also not uncommon to set up a computer or small desk in your family room to use as a home office space. Even if your house has a separate, dedicated home office, you can use a corner of the family room for a change of pace or more casual working environment.
Furniture Type
Both family rooms and living rooms are well-suited for couches or sofas. But that doesn’t mean they use the exact same kinds of furniture.
Living rooms generally have nicer looking, more elegant couches that make a statement or set an aesthetic tone. Couches are often placed away from walls with space to walk around them. While this uses up a little more floor space, it can signal a feeling of luxury or formality.
If you want to splurge on a beautiful coffee table or elegant lamp, the living room is the perfect place to let these pieces shine.
Conversely, because family rooms benefit from a more open floor plan, they tend to have a larger variety of seating types and more casual-looking furniture. To open up the space, family rooms keep couches and sofas up against the walls. They’re also a great place for sectional and/or convertible furniture, which fits large groups and can even be used as an extra sleeping quarter if needed.
And if you have a favorite recliner, the family room is the perfect spot for it.
Now that you understand the distinctions between family rooms and living rooms, you can browse all of the new communities and home designs K. Hovnanian Homes has to offer.
Last Updated on April 22, 2020
FAQs
"Living rooms have served as a place for formal entertaining, or special occasions," she explains. "Family rooms are spaces designed for the everyday; they're family-friendly, accessible, and comfortable." You can also tell the difference between a living and family room based on how often they're used.
Is the TV in the living room or family room? ›
The family room is a more relaxed, designated spot to kick your feet up and enjoy a movie. Oftentimes, you may hear a family room referred to as a “media room." Essentially, this is a spot to watch TV, play video games and maybe even house the family computer.
What is the difference between a living room and a family room design? ›
Family rooms typically involve casual seating areas and durable fabrics, plus TV binging and video game playing. Living rooms, on the other hand, are known as more formal spaces with elevated design, used to entertain guests.
What is the purpose of a family room? ›
The family room is designed to be a place where family and guests gather for group recreation like talking, reading, watching TV, and other family activities. Often, the family room is located adjacent to the kitchen, and at times, flows into it with no visual breaks.
What are the characteristics of a family room? ›
The family room is usually located near the kitchen or dining area and is meant to offer a warm and cozy place where family members gather together to relax. Furniture typically includes couches and chairs that invite conversation while providing plenty of comfortable seating options for large groups.
What counts as a living room? ›
Sitting rooms usually have less furniture – perhaps a couple of armchairs and a coffee table. In contrast, a living room often has to accommodate two sofas, a coffee table, and an entertainment system complete with a TV stand.
What is the second living room called? ›
Family Room
This area also sometimes called the sitting room, which is usually smaller than the main living room, might be on the second or even the basem*nt floor.
Does a family room need a window? ›
Does a living room need a window? Absolutely! A living room without windows would not be an appealing place to relax and hang out. Not only are they important for functional reasons, but windows are also important design elements that can help define a space.
Can a family room be used as a bedroom? ›
A former living room or den is also often a good candidate for a bedroom, since it likely has methods of egress and other requirements already. If you're struggling with how to divide up space for a new bedroom, remember that you can utilize room dividers or other large sheet-like objects like pegboard, too.
Why do old houses have two living rooms? ›
But after World War II, many home planners added a second living area, as baby boomers started their families and moved to the suburbs. "The latter afforded the opportunity for larger homes to have a separate formal living room and the more casual family room," says Philadelphia-based interior designer Glenna Stone.
"Living rooms have served as a place for formal entertaining, or special occasions," she explains. "Family rooms are spaces designed for the everyday; they're family-friendly, accessible, and comfortable." You can also tell the difference between a living and family room based on how often they're used.
What is included in a family room? ›
The mainstay of most living rooms or family rooms is a set of furniture such as two sofas, a coffee table, and a TV on a stand. This is the quintessential British living space as this configuration allows all the family to sit together, relax, and watch some TV in the evening.
Is a family room important? ›
The family room serves a similar function in the home to a living room: it's a gathering place for everyone to convene and relax together at the end of the day. That said, there are some differences. Family rooms are more relaxed spaces, and tend to be more kid-friendly.
Which room is the most essential in a family home? ›
Kitchen. One of the most important rooms in a home, kitchens are often a central point of activity. Not only do they serve the purpose of facilitating food preparation, they are also often gravitated to when entertaining or simply catching up with other household members.
What is a good size family room? ›
The average living room size in America measures 12 feet wide by 18 feet long, which equates to around 216 square feet. This living room size can comfortably accommodate 6 to 10 people.
What is the front living room called? ›
Front room just means the living room is at the front of the house as opposed to the back room (back of the house) but that term became 'common' in the middle to late 20th century. In most middle class houses, they had a parlour. Normally situated near the front door. Lounge/Parlour/Drawing room are for guest greeting.
In which room of your house is your television kept? ›
The most ideal direction for a TV is the southeast direction in the living room. A television kept in this direction in the living room tends to bring positive energy in the house. Members of the house prosper with success and growth.
Should TV be in The Living Room? ›
"A TV can be a focal point in a family room but shouldn't be the focus in the living room," adds Boney. By placing your TV off-center, you can prioritize other features such as your furniture, artwork, and decor. Taking the onuss off the TV as the main focal point, also gives a room a more personable feel.
Should there be a TV in The Living Room? ›
A reserved space for television naturally comes to our mind when we think about the setting of a living room. But that need not be the end of it nor the ultimate. Living room design without a TV in fact allows more space to include a lot many other things and create a quality area for conversations and family time.
Where does the TV go in The Living Room? ›
When deciding where to put a TV in the living room, the logical place is across from a sofa. You can use swivel chairs on each side of the sofa if you would like to allow two arrangements – one for conversation, and another where everyone wants to see the TV.
