Sure we do...even without a TV it gets used. For reading books and newspapers, playing the piano, just sitting around and talking. It's also where the cat has established "her" chair...she sleeps there.

On holidays and birthdays, it where we open gifts, etc. and munch on appetizers before dinner.

I don't have an actual living room. We turned our LR into a dining room, and it has lots of plants because the light is good. We have a family room with a big screen TV and it's where we put the Christmas tree. I think my family likes the kitchen best. That's where we tend to gather.

No, we do not live in our living room. My husband is at work all day six days a week and I spend most of my time in my kitchen or family room that is part of it. If I want to read I go to my bedroom. When he comes home he has his hobby to work with if he wants and that is either in his room or the dining room table. If we didn't have a family room I am sure we would use it more.

Sue

Yep, definitely live, and sleep, in the living room. In four years, I don't think I've ever slept in the bedroom.

Yes, we live in our living room almost every day. We have always had a family room, and we watch tv in there. But the living room is where we relax and listen to music and/or read, and we have company visit there. We also visit with each other, and chat about the day in there. It has never been a room that is "off limits" to the kids. However, we live in a predominantly Italian community, and a lot of Italians do that- keep their kids out of the LR except for special occasions. One Italian family in our neighborhood had a felt covered swag blocking off their LR!!

Yes, I practically live in it all the time, my computer is in here and I sleep in here.

Nope, it's a wasted room for us humans. The cats use it but we just walk thru it.

I use my living room all the time. It's a comfy and quiet room with a fireplace and it is great for reading in.

Nope. My MIL (86) sits there 8 am - 10 pm 365 days a year. watching Law & Order, Cold Case & CSI reruns. I'll be staying away from there until she passes.

My living room never got used so we turned it into a computer room and each of us has our own computer. We also have a entertainment center in here and Bobby has a TV that he plays his Wii and PS2 on. So now our family is together all the time enjoying each others company and doing what each of us likes to do the most.

I grew up in a house where the formal living room and the "everybody else" den was big - I never quite got the idea of the formal living room. It was very pretty but it had a magazine look to it - nobody was comfortable in that room.

This house was built in the early 90's when the concept of a 'great room' was big - one big room that encompassed a living room and dining room. I knew it was just what I wanted the minute I saw it.

It's where the fireplace is, the formal dining room, the living room which is lived in - all encompassing. We really use every single aspect of this great room to it's fullest.

That said, this was a tiny family we formed. It could be that with a bunch of children, a formal living room would be just the ticket, a place which was always in order and I could escape the rest of the house when it got to be too *insert here* - I grew up in a large family and I remember what it was like, both great and not so great.

I can't believe the people who use their their living rooms as their bedrooms though, I've never heard of that.

We have a living room and a family room. We do most of our living in the family room. But that's not to say no one is allowed in the living room, that's just silly! We use our living rom, just not very often. There's just the 2 of us.

We have a large and comfortable family room with a good view of the yard. Our living room has no view. So we use the family room and not the living room unless someone wants to get away from the noise to read. I would not miss the living room.

We have a living room but no family room. I guess our living room is our default family room, and we use it all the time.

We also have a living room and no family room, and yes, we do live in it! Gary and I spend most of our evening hours there (of course I don't get off work until 7 pm so they are pretty short evenings). We do have a tv there, so that's where we do most of our tv and movie watching. We also eat most of our meals there (we have one of those coffee tables where the top can be raised up to table height).

When we have company we tend to gather around the dining room table more often than in the living room, although if the crowd is large we do sometimes use both.

We definitely live in ours!

Not really, I might start now that I have that new little TV. Before I gave my piano away I'd go in and play once in a while. It is nice because it is small and a nice buffer from the front door into the real living space. I always hated a direct access into the family room. This has little louvered doors that I can shut if I want to. I'm glad I have it oh at Christmas I set up my fancy Christmas tree. And the cat likes to sit on the table under the window and look out over the front yard.

I bought my first home in 1977. It had a great room, but no living room. Ever since then the homes we've bought have only had a great room or family room with no living room. I don't want a living room. My aunt and uncle had a living room back in the 1950s. Almost everything in it was white. They had a rope across the door. You could look in there, but couldn't actually live in there. It seemed so pretentious.

I don't have a formal dining room either. The house we live in now was advertised as having a dining room, but it is actually an extension of the kitchen. I consider it an eat in kitchen. I gave my dining room furniture to my dd and don't want another formal dining room. When we have friends and/or family over they end up in the kitchen area anyway or the patio in warm weather.

Linda

We have a living room and a family room.When you come in the front door you come into the living room.Up until 3 years ago when one of the kids and family moved in with us the living room was a more formal place to sit and look out the window at the hummers and such.There was no TV in there and it was a nice quiet place to sit.That changed when the kids moved in because we don't all like the same TV shows,so we put their big screen TV in there and it is now truly a "living" room.DH and I sit in there in the mornings and drink our coffee and he watches TV in there most of the time but I spend most of my time in the den.Also,the den is where my computer is.Everything will be changing in a couple of weeks when the kids will be moving out (yipeee) and the TV will be removed from the L/R and it will go back to a nice,neat,quiet place again!

That is where we all gather when company is here. Other that that, I read in the LR as well as knit and just sit and think. I would say that we use our living room.

sooey

When you come in my front door you are in my living room. Keep walking and you are in my dining area, then in the kitchen and out the back door, not separated by walls. Kind of a "great room" concept. I love the openness of it, and it does encourage me to keep the kitchen straightened up.

Yesterday I had my DD, my DGD and her DH, my soon-to-be DGDIL and two of her bridal party here for dinner and to make plans for the wedding reception. We fixed our plates and scattered around the LR to eat. So my LR is not reserved, but is to be enjoyed.

I have 2 bedrooms, but I converted one to a computer/TV/reading room and that is where I am most of the time. It is the brightest room and I can look out to the back and see the birds from there.

Way back in the day, homes often had a LR and a Parlor. The Parlor was always the "best" room and was used for company and especially for daughters to receive their "gentlemen callers."

Sue

Yes, we do. We don't have a family room so we do our "living" in the living room.

Our living room is like the main room in the house. We don't have a family room so the living room is where we sit and relax, watch TV, read, knit, snack or what ever.

Mine is well lived in. It is in the front of the house and has a picture window. I prefer to be in that room because I can see who is walking by and what is going on in the cemetery. The largest room in my house is in the back. I call it the family room but wish I had a better name for it. It is an add on and is the dining room, computer room, sewing room and has a fireplace and picture window. My friend next door refers to it as my "back room". Both rooms have TVs.

Yes, we use our living room. That's where the computer armoire is; when people come over, we just close its doors. Our LR is the best room in the house, with windows on three sides and great views. I filled it with my favorite art and furniture, so it's a pleasure to surf and email here. DH likes to read and listen to music here, and the cats play, sit at the windows, and sleep here at night. And this is where we entertain guests, unless we're at the dining room table.

We converted the third bedroom into the TV and library room. No TV allowed in the living room; fortunately we have the space for it elsewhere.

DH and I use our LR every day. Yesterday when DS, DIL and DGS (4) were here for the afternoon, we all sat in the LR and talked while DGS set up his father's old wooden train set on the floor. Our LR has sets of french doors on the south side, overlooking the back yard. It's separated from the foyer and DR by large (12-foot) arches. DGS and DH had a couple great games of 'chase' with our Westie in pursuit part of the time. It would be a shame not to use over 300 sq ft of your home.

"I bought my first home in 1977. It had a great room, but no living room. Ever since then the homes we've bought have only had a great room or family room with no living room. I don't want a living room."

I'm confused...if a great room or family room is the only gathering room you have (outside the kitchen), wouldn't it be considered a living room? I always thought that if you had a family room or a great room, it was an extra room to gather rather than the only room for gathering.

I am stumped LOL.

My understanding is that the "great room" idea was a idea where different living areas flowed together into one large living space without being disconnected by walls and/or doors to separate them.

Don't take this as gospel, this is just my understanding of what a great room is and is how my own house is layed out.

My kitchen flows into the dining room, which flows into the living room - all three rooms can be seen while standing inside any of the "rooms" - (which aren't actually "rooms" at all, but one big flowing space) -

We don't sit down at the formal dining room table every night for supper, often times we will eat at the kitchen counter - but because the "formal" dining room is right there, we eat there with the table set with the "nice stuff" probably twice a week. Far, far, FAR more than we would if it were a separate room and that is something I really like. I no longer work, I have time to do (and enjoy) this type of living.

Because this is our living space, we tend to keep it looking reasonably pulled together as there are no doors to close off if one room gets out of hand and the doorbell is ringing with unexpected drop-ins.

I do have a spare bedroom which has become the "hiding place" for just about everything.

One of these days I have to put on a suit of armor, get myself an automatic weapon and go in there and explore.

Not today.

;)

I have a Great Room not a Living Room. 4 rooms were turned into one Great Room. Country Kitchen, Dining Room Den and Living Room = Great Room.

All I can say is my bathroom is one great room to have....

Some also refer to the "great room" concept as an open floor plan. As with so many things, there's advantages and disadvantages.

I think sometimes there's different names used for a room. Some call a living room a family room and consider what's actually a parlor to be their living room. Some house plans I've looked at give different names but with the rooms they could any or all be used as dining rooms, living rooms, family rooms, offices, dens or for that matter, often even bedrooms. I guess I forgot a breakfast nook, sunroom and other names that get tossed into the fold. So it's a personal choice.

I've gone through different times. At one point I lived in my "computer" room (transformed bedroom). Another point I pretty much lived in the (u-shaped) kitchen/dining area. Now I've moved back to the "living" room, but come summertime I'd expect to be back to the kitchen area again. I grew up in a farm-raised family and philosophy and share the appreciation for the kitchen. I like a large kitchen.

I would not want to have a house where one room is dedicated solely to visitors. Well, it just wouldn't happen. There's plenty of public gathering spots, I'll use my square footage. My home is for my purposes not to impress others. People are welcome and I prefer they give me an idea they're coming over in case I have other plans but that doesn't always work out.

Hi, oklamoni!

This is a good question! Let's see: we eat in our living room, sometimes sleep on the sofa, watch tv, listen to radio, read, play with dog, do my artwork, pay the bills, do my devotions, have coffee with friends, make and take phone calls, etc. so I guess I'd have to say YES...we LIVE in the Living Room!

Never thought about it before, makes me appreciate it a whole more and makes me think it really is worth cleaning once in awhile...LOL!

nola anne

Yes,we live in our livingroom. Also the den, the bedrooms, the kitchen ,the diningroom. We have a smaller home and we use every inch of it. No sense paying big bucks for rooms we don't use! There's just the two of us so no need for more space. I only wish I had one big closet!

Yes, we "live" in our Living Room. We watch TV shows, play DVDs, listen to the radio or play CDs, read books and magazines, play with the dog, take naps, eat snacks, watch the birds at the birdbath or feeder, do some knitting or crocheting, just sit around and talk, have our morning coffee with a fire in the fireplace in the winter and watch the rain come down, visit with friends and family there, talk on the phone, plan the day and weekly meals, write letters, snuggle with the dog on the sofa, look through catalogs and do about anything else you can do inside a house.
Clare

No, we hardly ever use it. We bought this house new about 4 years ago, it has a living room and a family room. The family room has the TV and the big comfortable recliners. With just the 2 of us, and the peke, we have more space than we need.

Yes, I pretty much only LIVE in the living room. We watch tv there, eat there, play on our computers there, and sleep there. The only other room I really use in this house is the bathroom! (and sometimes my dog does that in the living room too! LOL)

Mickey, your answer made me laugh. The part about the dog in the living room....

Thanks everyone for telling me your appreciation of your living rooms.

Moni

When we built in 2004, we included a "great room" that we DEFINITELY live in. It takes up about half of the house (open floor plan) and includes the kitchen, living room, and dining room. Very informal because it is just the two of us, and we are in a log cabin style home with rustic furnishings.

We also have a living room and no family room.Never did have a family room in all the years we've been married.Lived in military housing,and no family rooms back then.We're in ours everyday!!
Kathi

Go in there occasionally. TV in there - don't watch much, as quite a distance from local station means snowy pics, I too cheap to pay satellite.

Sometimes visit with company there, sometimes in (small) kitchen.

Darning, mending mainly in there.

Sometimes read there, sometimes at desk here in former D R, sometimes in kitchen.

o j

as i posted on the furniture thread, our lr is used for everything...i wish i had a family room...we had an awesome one in just one house...

I live in the living room and in my computer room. I like my home, it's comfortable and full of the things I love. I hate vacuuming, but solved that problem by hiring my neighbor's cleaners. They normally wouldn't do just floors, but since the do hers, it's no problem for them.