Difference Between Living Room and Family Room
In most homes, the kitchen is the kitchen, bathrooms are recognizable by the presence of a toilet, and bedrooms are places to sleep. But what do you call a room with sofas and chairs, designed for sitting, relaxing or entertaining? Living room? Family apartment? Den? A large room? Living room? Living room?
The answer depends on a number of factors, including where the home is located, its size, when it was built, who currently lives in it, and perhaps most importantly, how the space is used. Here, we’ll focus on the living room and family room, including the differences between the two and what they mean for the value of your home.
Differences between a living room and a family room
Housing comes in many formats and sizes and very often consists of one room designed for sitting, relaxing and watching multimedia, where a TV and a sofa are placed. When there is only one such room in a house, it is usually referred to as the “living room” in property listings.
But larger homes may have two (or more) of these spaces, one called the “living room” and the other the “family room.” Here are some of the factors that, at least traditionally , distinguish these room categories :
Living room
- May also be referred to as the “formal living room” or, in older homes, the “drawing room” or “drawing room”.
- Usually located at the front of the house to be the place where you welcome and entertain visitors.
- Decor can be more formal than a family room, perhaps with “beautiful” furniture and knick-knacks that you might not use every day, but rather, except when company comes along.
- May or may not contain a TV; in any case, the furniture is likely positioned to facilitate conversation rather than around the TV.
Living room
- Also known as a “den” or “media room”.
- Can be located anywhere in the home, but typically in the back of the house (perhaps a converted back porch or sunroom) or basement.
- Décor and furniture are designed to be used and to maximize comfort: think comfortable (but not necessarily attractive) sofas, armchairs, rugs or rugs, etc.
- Usually contains the main home TV and is the place where any entertainment or media center, including gaming equipment, is usually located.
Living Rooms and Family Rooms: Some Cautions
First, a few caveats – starting with the fact that these are only traditional functions and descriptions of living rooms and family rooms, and these terms are often used interchangeably today. Also, there is no right or wrong way to name the rooms in your own home, so call them whatever you want. The same goes for design aesthetics: your home, your rules.
In addition, the confusion about the difference between the two rooms is at least in part due to the advent of open floor plans . When the main floor of a house is one large open space, the rooms and their functions tend to blend into each other, creating different “living spaces” instead of separate rooms with different names.
How do living rooms and family rooms relate to the value of a home?
When it comes to the value of your home, having a second living space (in other words, both a living room and a family room/study) can make it more desirable to potential buyers, especially those with children who may need a room where they can relax. without the repetitive sound of their child’s favorite annoying TV show or video game.
One of the most popular ways to add this type of space to a home without an extension is to create a family/study/media room in the basement (which can also mean basement finishing).
While it’s no small investment in itself, finishing a 400 to 1,500-square-foot basement can yield up to a 75% return on investment, according to HomeAdvisor . Plus, adding extra heated square footage elevates your home to a different price point, Atlanta real estate agent Lagann Russell told HomeLight .