This Week on Houzz: Which Room Caused Quite a Stir?
Do Houzzers call it the lounge, living room, sitting room, front room or perhaps even the drawing room? Check out the final verdict…
Andrea Von
13 July 2015
Formerly editor at thegreenhubonline.com and Houzz UK Editorial Staff. I'm passionate about sustainability, innovative architecture and clever design.
Formerly editor at thegreenhubonline.com and Houzz UK Editorial Staff. I'm passionate... More
We recently asked you how you refer to your communal living space. There was much debate over what to call it, especially when international Houzzers joined in. Some of you had clear ideas, while others didn’t see what difference it made. So, is what you call your living room defined by function? By history? By culture? Here’s what you had to say.
‘From experience it depends more on which country you’re from. In Australia we tend to have lounge rooms, here in the UK people have living rooms (or front rooms). The words say a bit about the cultures.’ stellahome
‘In an old-fashioned house, the front room and the living room were separate… and the lounge was down the pub.’ Finn Koefoed-Nielsen
‘It doesn’t matter a damn what people call it. It’s just a room! My parents and both sets of grandparents didn’t have particularly grand houses but the “drawing room” was just the “good room” where the piano was and the kids weren’t allowed to make a mess/play. It was the room for entertaining visitors in our house and was kept tidy always. No TV in it, either, so in practice, we did use it for “withdrawing to” to play the piano or sometimes to read, study or maybe play a board game or listen to music in peace.’ noc1975
‘“Living room” seems more versatile.’ Antony Gibbon
‘We have a living room and a sitting room. The living room is used informally, the children play in it, the family sits around the stove in the winter in it and it’s used for informal visits. The sitting room is more formal, in purpose and décor, and used for hosting larger gatherings or formal visitors. The piano is there, too. It all depends on whether one is eating in the kitchen or dining room, because everything revolves around food.’ gravel41
Be inspired by one of these impressive skylights
Be inspired by one of these impressive skylights
‘“Front room” is from Victorian two-up two-downs. The front room was at the front (obviously), and the kitchen (dining, too) and scullery were behind.’ Sam Hill
Check out these smart finishes for original floorboards
Check out these smart finishes for original floorboards
‘I think it depends on how many rooms you have downstairs.’ anieta007
‘I always said “living room” when I lived in the US, but I adopted the word [lounge] used by my English husband’s family.’ 163hrd
‘“Drawing room” is very elegant, but is only acceptable if you have a very large house. It would sound a bit pretentious in a two-bed semi!’maggieandrichard
‘Only airports and hotels have lounges I have been told ;-).’ scoobyjoss
TELL US…
What do you call your living room? And now that you’ve heard from fellow Houzzers, has it made you think about the term you use? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
TELL US…
What do you call your living room? And now that you’ve heard from fellow Houzzers, has it made you think about the term you use? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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Why all the fuss, a room is a room is a room is a .........!!!!!!
Give me a room with a view any time...but not a classroom please! X
When I was little it was 'front room' (or 'the good room', where children entered upon pain of death) and 'sitting room' (if you had 2 reception rooms). Now I have my own house, it's the sitting room and the drawing room (which has no TV). I realise that drawing room sounds a bit ridiculous, but it's not a living room as we use it rarely and it's just for chilling out and listening to music (so it really is for withdrawing from the world).