Second living room dilemma

[SWS17]

We have moved into a house which is perfect in every way except for the fact that it doesn’t have a second sitting room / living room / family room. It has two very small non adjacent rooms which serve as home office and playroom. This is fine for the moment while our children are small but I’m starting to get the impression from friends with older kids that, ideally, one might have a second sitting room so that teenagers (plus pals) and parents each have separate spaces during the evenings... We also live near the schools which our children will attend (primary and secondary) and would be happy to be the hangout house (within reason!).

We have garden space to extend but obviously would prefer not to have the inconvenience and expense but if it really is life enhancing we will do it. Does anyone have any words of wisdom?

Btw I realise that this is very much a first world problem and I am incredibly grateful to have a house

I have two teenagers and a pre teen. Whilst we do have a separate TV room as well as a formal lounge- when their friends come over they always hang out in their rooms.

So I never understand why you need a second room for teens. We also made a point of having one Sky connection just to force our family to spend time together whilst watching TV. We can all do our own thing when the kids leave home which will come round a lot sooner than I like

We have two living rooms, one is mine and one is DH’s! The kids have got their own bedrooms for friends and stuff, they don’t need their own living room as well. Most people only have 1 living room.

We have two living rooms! But we call one a 'family room' although as the children are DD1 and DSS12 we've ended up with a load of baby stuff in the formal sitting room and the Xbox and squishy sofa in the family room. DSS and DH vie for the Xbox on a night 😂

We actually set it up this way because we thought DSS would want space to hang out with friends - but we are planning on redoing his bedroom before Xmas and making it a bit more 'loungey' so he can have friends up there too - I'm not sure which way it will end up really. If he prefers to hang out in his room we will make the family room a proper play room for DD but she doesn't really need it yet.

Actually a study and then a small other room just to put a small sofa and a tv/games console will be fine I think.

Could you not make the playroom into a “den” or “snug” with a small sofa and tv or whatever when your children are older? If it’s really tiny you could knock through potentially and merge the office and den to make a sort of second living room for teens?

We only have 1 living room which is actually open plan to the dining area and kitchen but our plan is to make the playroom into a kid hangout space as they get older.

@Peasbewithyou

Could you not make the playroom into a “den” or “snug” with a small sofa and tv or whatever when your children are older? If it’s really tiny you could knock through potentially and merge the office and den to make a sort of second living room for teens?

We only have 1 living room which is actually open plan to the dining area and kitchen but our plan is to make the playroom into a kid hangout space as they get older.

That would be the ideal situation but unfortunately the office and playroom are not adjacent to each other. Neither is big enough for a sofa... they’re both box room size...so neither will work as a kids hangout room

So what are these rooms adjacent to? They seem like boxes. I would rather they were part of a larger space. We have a huge L shaped hall and my office workstation is in the hall. Close enough to the kitchen for coffees! Everything needed is contained in furniture from Neptune. There are armchairs and a table as well as a coffee table and good lighting.

We have a drawing room with no tv. The family room has tv and relaxing sofas. As teens DDs used whatever room they wished and often liked the drawing room. They didn’t need a tv when friends came round.

I would consider how these rooms can be opened up and amalgamated into the rest of the house as they seem unusable at the moment.

We have two living rooms and have for a long time, my daughter either hung out in that or in her bedroom with her mates. I don’t think you need a second living room for kids, no. They are happy in a bedroom

However ours is a “play room” as it’s got the x box, play station etc in there, which means if my daughter or husband wishes to game it doesn’t take over the main tv.

So in my ecperience if your kids will game it’s better to have a room foe that and not their bedroom.

@PresentingPercy

So what are these rooms adjacent to? They seem like boxes. I would rather they were part of a larger space. We have a huge L shaped hall and my office workstation is in the hall. Close enough to the kitchen for coffees! Everything needed is contained in furniture from Neptune. There are armchairs and a table as well as a coffee table and good lighting.

We have a drawing room with no tv. The family room has tv and relaxing sofas. As teens DDs used whatever room they wished and often liked the drawing room. They didn’t need a tv when friends came round.

I would consider how these rooms can be opened up and amalgamated into the rest of the house as they seem unusable at the moment.

At the moment they are usable as a playroom and an office. We will always need an office so I’m not considering reconfiguring the office room. But I am considering reconfiguring the playroom by extending and am seeking views as to whether it would be worth the hassle in the long run. Thanks all

Beanbags rather than a sofa

Or do you have space in the kitchen, we have a sofa and a tv and DH and I usually sit there (near the fridge) so the kitchen is multi use room? We have a room for a second living room but i prefer it as a separate formal dining room and this in the kitchen

@Bluntness100

We have two living rooms and have for a long time, my daughter either hung out in that or in her bedroom with her mates. I don’t think you need a second living room for kids, no. They are happy in a bedroom

However ours is a “play room” as it’s got the x box, play station etc in there, which means if my daughter or husband wishes to game it doesn’t take over the main tv.

So in my ecperience if your kids will game it’s better to have a room foe that and not their bedroom.

Good to know and yes absolutely agree that computer games are better in communal spaces. Our sitting room is quite formal so not ideal for that kind of thing really. I’m getting the impression that the optimal situation is to have a second living room (and to accept that the kids will go through phases of using their rooms..)

Could you post a floorplan? Someone here will probably have an idea you haven't thought of yet!

Yes, I’d not have them in their rooms gaming, you’d never see them, and you don’t want it n your living room as it would just cause arguments, for me having a seperate games room is a a good use of space. If you can manage it

But as a pp said, all you need is some bean bag chairs, a console table, a small screen and the games boxes. You can likely do it with one of the rooms you have,

Is there room in the garden for a teen retreat?

Op, just how small are your kids... are they preschoolers? Because if so you’ve got nearly a decade to be worrrying about this,,,

@Bluntness100

Op, just how small are your kids... are they preschoolers? Because if so you’ve got nearly a decade to be worrrying about this,,,

Primary school. 7 and 5, but I need time to plan and to persuade DH!!

@Weenurse

Is there room in the garden for a teen retreat?

There is but I’d much rather an extension so if we’re going to the trouble of adding something, I’d rather it be an extension

We never wanted our DC shut away from us. No computers in rooms etc. You could investigate extending the play room so it’s a more usable space. I definitely would. I hate small rooms.

I’m not a fan of small offices either but I have a lot of space which is open for everyone to use in what ever way they want and we don’t shut ourselves away.

@PresentingPercy

We never wanted our DC shut away from us. No computers in rooms etc. You could investigate extending the play room so it’s a more usable space. I definitely would. I hate small rooms.

I’m not a fan of small offices either but I have a lot of space which is open for everyone to use in what ever way they want and we don’t shut ourselves away.

I’m the same. I’m actually not keen on video games at all and we don’t have any games consoles nor do we particularly plan to get any. My question is more about a tv/chill out space. Yes we could get by with a beanbag in the small playroom but I think I’d like something more comfortable than that (or we will end up arguing over who gets the sitting room!) The office is a brilliant room, which although small is a very pleasant place to work so I don’t intend changing it. Thanks all

We've got two sitting rooms. One never gets used and has ended up as the dumping ground for anything we don't know what to with

If your a teen ( boy ) and don’t have a games console then you would be a bit of a sad case and not have a lot to talk about with friends at school ( if you had any )

If you don’t have game consoles I can one hundred percent assure you your house will not be some hang out zone and he or she will be on the periphery of all the other kids.

There is nothing wrong with gaming, it teaches kids a lot of skills. Technology is not something to be feared. Just teach your kids to self regulate.

But no consoles then this is moot conversation. They won’t want to hang our round yours, neither will your own kids. Sorry op.

Amen bluntness........teenage kids don’t play monopoly anymore 🚗🥾

We have a playroom upstairs as we have a spare bedroom, could this be the case for you OP? It can turn into a teenage den later if need be, though expect they’ll just use their bedrooms.

@Chumleymouse

Amen bluntness........teenage kids don’t play monopoly anymore 🚗🥾

No, both boys and girls, and they also virtually game together, any kid who can’t join in remotely with their friends will struggle.

I don’t understand the issue with gaming. Yes you need to teach self regulation and personal responsibility, but if you do this, then it can bring lots of benefits. I also don’t understand why watching the tv is preferable to gaming. It’s all a screen. The latter is much more interactive and skill based.

But no kids bring their kids round to sit and watch the telly any more. And although they will sit snd chat and just hang, gaming will be part of that at some point for most of them. Most kids are very unlikely to want to spend time at someone’s house where there are no games, when they can easily spend time playing games at someone else’s.