Sunken rooms – where a living infinite is a few steps below the residuum of the domicile – tin move endure traced dorsum to the 1920s. Still, the means didn’t actually hitting the mainstream until the swinging ‘60s. It was in addition to then that sunken rooms, or “conversation pits,” were the envy of everyone on the block. Created every bit a means to innovate a feeling of intimacy to homes, these sunken living areas pushed families in addition to guests into i small-scale in addition to cozy space.
While sunken rooms aren’t every bit pop today, in that location has been a resurgence of the style. You mightiness withdraw keep inherited a sunken room when y'all purchased your home. Or you’re looking for a unique blueprint characteristic inwards your novel place. Either way, it mightiness endure fourth dimension to get-go thinking of sunken rooms differently. With the correct blueprint in addition to decor, your sunken room mightiness exactly snuff it your favorite spot inwards your home.
Sunken room pros
Sunken rooms tin move create conversation. Image: sirtravelalot/Shutterstock
There’s a argue sunken living rooms were hence wildly pop inwards the ‘60s in addition to ‘70s. In an era where social events took identify inwards the home, sunken rooms were the perfect means to brand a domicile experience to a greater extent than intimate. Even if you’re non planning on throwing a political party at your place, sunken spaces definitely withdraw keep their advantages.
- They define the space. Sunken spaces are peachy for large, opened upward concept homes. When walls are few, having rooms on a lower degree clearly delineates the infinite without destroying whatever sight lines. The feeling of openness is preserved without losing whatever Definition between, say, the living room in addition to the kitchen.
- They create intimacy. Cozy sunken rooms that are outfitted amongst comfortable seating in addition to pillows are a peachy means to innovate a to a greater extent than intimate infinite inwards your home. Whether y'all job it for conversation or board games, it pushes the members of your identify unit of measurement into a smaller infinite for a cozier vibe.
- They introduce character. Sunken spaces give homes to a greater extent than graphic symbol when compared to a flat, box-like floorplan. Some homes fifty-fifty characteristic round down sunken spaces in addition to interesting woodwork to telephone telephone attending to the detail.
- They tin move brand a room experience to a greater extent than spacious. Sunken rooms growth the distance betwixt the floor in addition to ceiling, which tin move brand the infinite experience incredibly open. The added infinite betwixt flooring in addition to ceiling makes a room aspect bigger. Installing a skylight or interesting lighting fixture inwards a higher identify the sunken room tin move also describe the eye up.
Sunken room cons
Sunken rooms tin move create conversation. Image: sirtravelalot/Shutterstock
Okay, hence it’s non all peace, honey in addition to sunken spaces. There are a few drawbacks to withdraw keep into consideration, peculiarly if you’re thinking virtually designing a sunken room inwards your ain home.
- They tin move drive accidents. If y'all asked most people what they disliked virtually their sunken rooms, chances are that the biggest electrical charge would exactly endure that they’re cumbersome. If you’re non expecting a pair of stairs leading into a room, there’s a jeopardy of tripping in addition to falling. It mightiness seem similar no large deal, but if you’re living amongst mortal who has accessibility issues, sunken rooms could endure dangerous.
- They don’t offering much flexibility. Let’s human face upward it: if y'all withdraw keep a sunken room, there’s non a lot y'all tin move practise amongst it. Sure, y'all tin move repurpose a room for lounging or swap it out for a playroom, but you’re express to working amongst a sometimes strange infinite for layouts. Even if y'all larn creative amongst how y'all job the space, it e'er remains inwards the same identify in addition to you’re e'er express past times the size in addition to shape.
- They aren’t open concept. If you’re craving an opened upward concept home, sunken rooms tin move disrupt those dreams. Because they define spaces hence decisively, sunken rooms aren’t actually considered elements inwards an opened upward concept design.
Working amongst sunken rooms
Use color to announce indoor stairs. Image: pics721/Shutterstock
Already withdraw keep a domicile that features a sunken room? There are definitely ways to larn inwards menses amongst the residuum of your layout. Try these tips to brand certain your sunken room is every bit rubber every bit it is stylish.
- Take precautions. Remember that visitors won’t endure every bit used to the sunken infinite every bit mortal who lives inwards your home. Install handrails or job materials to brand certain the steps are clearly marked. You tin move job dissimilar flooring for the stairs, for instance. Or y'all tin move pigment the stairs hence they’re tardily to come across in addition to don’t blend inwards amongst the residuum of the floor.
- Use the correct furniture. Make sunken spaces aspect to a greater extent than purposeful in addition to less awkward past times filling them amongst furniture. Using the correct scale for couches, tables in addition to pillows gives the sunken infinite a clear purpose: lounging. Filling it amongst toy storage in addition to activeness centers makes it clear that it’s meant for kids. No affair how y'all job your sunken space, filling it amongst pieces gets rid of awkward angles.
- Use color in addition to light. Sunken rooms – peculiarly those inwards older homes – tin move sometimes seem nighttime in addition to unwelcoming. Utilize lite in addition to color to brand the infinite to a greater extent than inviting. Incorporate the same colors inwards the sunken room every bit y'all practise inwards the residuum of your home. Match upholstery in addition to article of furniture hence the room is a cohesive business office of your domicile design. And don’t forget enough of light: an interesting overhead fixture in addition to enough of accent lighting ensure your sunken room doesn’t experience nighttime in addition to dank.
Love ‘em or loathe ‘em, sunken rooms volition probable e'er endure a business office of American architecture in addition to domicile design. Whether your domicile came amongst a sunken room or you’re planning i every bit business office of a novel home, they tin move definitely endure interesting in addition to chic blueprint features. With the correct oculus in addition to a niggling love, a sunken room tin move really snuff it your real ain buried treasure.