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Original poster

People with two living rooms

35 replies

NamedyChangedy · 26/02/2017 16:54

We're getting ready to have an extension done (Victorian terrace side return). The current plan would leave us with a front reception room, as well as a living 'area' as part of the open plan kitchen, which opens on to the garden.

I'm starting to question this - do I really need TWO living rooms for 4 people? We're not the sorts that have formal parties / host the vicar for tea etc, so I'm not sure the front room would ever get used.

Is there anyone that has this layout and can tell me how they actually use their space? Is one more for the kids and the other for adults? And would you recommend having doors adjoining them, or having them completely separate?

OP posts:

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 26/02/2017 18:15

we have two...also victorian...typical layout

hall/stairs, sitting room off, other sitting room/dining room all across the back and the dining kitchen is stuck on the side.

the dining room is set up as an extra reception room....and was always used as the children's sitting room. Brilliant for giving them space to use the computer/games consoles/have friends round.
No snogging as it's the way through to the kitchen, so handy for keeping an eye on them :o

Roomba · 26/02/2017 19:18

I have two living rooms in my Victorian terrace.

The front room is more of a 'living room', has all my bookshelves, TV, sofa plus arm chairs, nice carpet.

The back room is more of a dining room as it has our table and chairs in (plus my 'overflow' bookshelves), but since having kids it has also obtained a sofa, TV, games console, toys strewn in corner etc.

In theory the front room is my nice adult living room and the back one is more for the kids. In practice, they sprawl out in my nice front room watching Youtube whilst I hide from the noise in the back room .

Lesley1980 · 27/02/2017 21:49

We had two growing up. One was the family room & the other remained immaculate incase anyone popped in or my mum had friends over.

It's good for older children as it means they can hang out downstairs with their friends in their own space instead of locked away in their bedroom

downwardfacingdog · 27/02/2017 23:03

Definitely keep a seperate living room. You might want to be with your kids all the time now, but in a few years' time when they have friends over, or you have friends over you will be glad to be able to go into another room. 7pm bedtimes don't last forever...

Informationneeded · 27/02/2017 23:07

I have 2 living rooms. The living room is noisy, messy and chaotic with lots going on and the front room is quiet, calm and tidy and I'm in charge of the remote control

BackforGood · 27/02/2017 23:18

We have 2 living rooms + separate kitchen/diner.
We have 3dc, now teens, but just about from your dcs' ages onwards separate rooms invaluable.

You can guarantee that one will be wanting to do their music practice whilst the other has to watch a crucial thing on the TV. That one will want to do some homework whilst the other needs the loudest game on the x box. That one will want their friends round whilst the other needs to be doing something important on the computer. etc., etc.,etc., That's before you add you and your OH into the mix. Then they get into teens and wanting their own space away from you. very uncool to have a parent in the same room, especially if they have a friend round.
Whoever is cooking likes to have their own music on. It's also nice not to have cooking smells throughout the living space.
Sometimes it's nice just to have a bit of quiet space to MN read.
Soon they will start staying up later, and it's nice to be able to have separate rooms then too.

SJCV · 28/02/2017 17:04

We have two, plus a separate dining room, in addition to a kitchen diner and a playroom.

We have one as a 'TV room' and one that has no electronic items allowed whatsoever. Everyone has commented how nice it is to have a living room with no television in it and I find it very relaxing. The children love it, too, and often migrate in there to read/chat rather than watching television.

ladybird69 · 22/03/2017 00:45

I had two. One was called sitting room squeeshy sofas book cases fire place music centre. It was more for grown ups. The living room was also full of squeeshy sofas but also lg screen tv and game stations toys puzzles board games etc
I miss that house.

teaandakitkat · 23/03/2017 19:58

We always intended to have a grown up front room and have the kids playing in the open plan kitchen living room at the back.
But we've ended up having the kids and the Xbox in the front room because they were noisy and I kept sending them away so I could get peace to get on with the cooking or whatever.
Funny how things work out, they have the fancy front room and we have the back

dudsville · 23/03/2017 20:02

We have two. One is supposed to be the dining room but we don't need a room just for dining. We have a table that easy to dismantle and store. The second room is where sports get watched and projects take place, so it is usually a little messy. At the moment it has a rocking chair drying in it that I painted earlier and oh's photo album and pics out ready to organise.

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