To me two living rooms are only useful if there is good separation between them. I have never understood having two living rooms right next to each other. I think that I would rather have one large space than two pretty small living rooms.

If you have family/friends over often and the guys like their football or other sports it's oh so nice to have a place where the ladies, that don't care for watching and/or all the yelling, to sit and visit.
If you prefer everyone to be in the same room and it works, I'd open the two up. You might check into installing double pocket doors so you could have the best of both worlds.

As you consider taking down the wall make sure you have plan for the use of space in the new larger room. It can be a bit of a challenge to make the space feel warm. I struggle with what the focal point(s) should be: fireplace, TV, lovely view, all of these? Figure out what furniture would work best and do you currently own this or will you need to figure this into the remodel?
That said I love my big space for entertaining and my family of 4 never feels crowded.

I like having two. In one room we don't have a television (or electronics of any kind) and that's the room where I read at night and where we all read the paper in the morning. While I can hear the t.v. from the other room, if it's on at night and I'm reading, I still feel as though the reading/writing/thinking space is more serene.

On the other hand, the first thing the family who bought our previous house did was to tear down the wall between the family room and living room. It worked fine. I can see how it made it easier to place furniture--and brought western light into an only-light-in-the-morning east-facing room. But I would have missed the privacy that wall provided!

thanks:) owls4me do you have a pic of your room?

We took out the wall between our small family room and the living room, and also managed to carve out a spot for a breakfast nook by enclosing an adjacent small porch. Love it! In fact, that was our plan as soon as we saw the two small rooms. Like was said above, it also let in much needed light. I've had both before, and while somewhat useful, this works so much better for our lifestyle. It gives so much more room for everyone.

We do have other spaces if someone must watch TV that others don't want to hear (even though there's a TV that's kept in a cabinet in the "great room"). Having a plan for the arrangement is a good idea, too, as it looks like you're considering, since you might use this remodeling time to add a FP or window if needed. Be sure to include space for toy storage.

BTW, your home looks lovely!

I would consider an opening between the two rooms with large pocket doors, if that is a possibility. That way you could make it one large space for entertaining and two for daily use.

In one large room you will lose a certain amount of wallspace for furniture, and will end up floating a lot of it. Just something to consider.

Owls4me do you ever wish for a quiet space?

I think you also need to consider how you would use the room(s) in the future. Will you want a separate space to relax when your 3 year old is a bit older? If so, maybe you should keep the wall.

We have a typical 1960's center hall colonial - larger (30 x 15) living room on one end and a smaller 15 x 15 'family room' off of the kitchen. When we first bought our house everyone told us we would never use the bigger room and that it would be our 'formal' living room. Well, we're not formal people so we didn't set it up that way. We like to entertain and wanted a comfortable room for us to enjoy hanging out with family and friends.

So, go with what feels right for you and your family.

We have one living space here -- and we use the third bedroom for our home office/guest room.

We would have loved to have a second living space BUT -- in all truth -- IF I want to watch a movie or TV show -- I just go into the bedroom! ((tiny TV stored in armoire)

BUT when we had long-term guests -- it would have been nice to have a reading/library-type space AND a TV/entertainment-type space (if they were far enough apart!)

Just some very jumbled thoughts! LOL! :)

Jan

One living room (ours is a great room) works best for us. There are only the two of us - no children and we very rarely have overnight guests. Our home is split bedrooms, so even with guests there is a guestroom and bathroom on the other end of the house from the master suite. We also have a combo small den/office in a bedroom that wasn't being used, which is a nice *get-away* space, plus a large sunroom that we probably use as much as our living room. I guess what I am saying is we have plenty of space for us and our lifestyle. We do enjoy entertaining and our space seems to work well for that.

tina

Those of you with kiddos, if one room were dark, but close to the kitchen and the other lighter, but disconnected from kitchen - what room would you make for playing? Also, what activities do older kids like to do in your home that need a separate same from the family - besides TV and Video games?

We have two living rooms (had teenagers when building). Now, of course, we don't need that room at all (they're all grown now). It's just wasted space. And I look back and think we missed some great family times being in our own living rooms. It was great for the kids to be able to play video games while we talked or read. But we could have done that in the bedroom. I think when your kids are kids you may think two rooms are great, but when they're grown, you will wish you had spent every minute together. Just my feelings.

At 30 x 16, the room might feel like a long bowling alley. I think it would be challenging to decorate that long shape. I wouldn't like the loss of privacy, esp if your family grows. And the increase in the noise level of one big, active room would also have my attention.

I think having a den and a living room is very functional, esp with kids playing. In our house growing up, it was called a wreck room and a living room. Our lr was formal, though. My uncle had a huuuge (formal) living room, but wider than half its length. It was a different time, without floating furniture, but was very odd, like people were on distant islands as we visited. It was kind of like sitting in an airport or something, lol.

In our last home, our living room was, I think, 15 x 32. The room was original to the 1926 home, with 4 sets of French doors along one long wall that opened onto a patio, and the entrance from the hall in the center of the other long side. It was a huge room. It was a narrow room, given its length. We couldn't find a way to make it work other than to treat it like two rooms. On the right side by the fireplace we had a love seat and two chairs. On the right side we had the TV, a sofa a chair/ottoman and another small side chair. And there was still enough room in the middle for a center table or the (9') Christmas tree!

It was great for parties, but day-to-day we never went over to the fireplace side.

Looking at your room, I see an opportunity to make the front area into a library. Shelves can be built in along the front wall and DR entrance wall. Maybe even window seats under the front windows. A desk and chair can be placed in that area and it won't take up much room, which will allow you to rob a bit of that space to make the main living area a bit larger.

We are of retirement age and our kids are gone. But, I like two separate rooms. My husband watches sports every night and I like to watch the news and a movie. So, sadly , but I bet like a lot of couples we are in separate places a lot. It all depends on how you live. We enjoyed, it too when the kids were small. we played games and did a lot of things together but sometimes its nice for the kids to have their own separate space.

The set up in my house has a very small family room with a built in desk and then a separate living/front room off of my dining room. The two living spaces are divided by a galley kitchen in the middle.

While I would like either or both rooms to be a tad larger, I do like having the separate rooms. I have two small kids. I have the living room set up for tv viewing/movie watching/reading and playing Rock Band on the PS3.

The small family room is filled with the kids' toys and games, our computer and the Wii. The only furniture in that room are two desk chairs.

This gives my DS room ro set up his trains, my DD room to pull out her large dollhouse, me room to set up my Wii fit board, and all of us room to Wii bowl!

Having Rock Band in one room and Wii in the other is also quite useful for parties. :D

When we bought this house (a 60's slap-together tract) it had a large kitchen area and an eat-in dining area, and on the other side of the wall was the living room, which you saw as soon as you entered the house.

We love throwing parties. But I could never get anyone to sit in the living room. Our kitchen had like four feet of counter space and about 100 square feet of floor space, so everybody saw that hanging out in the kitchen was what they wanted to do. That was fine until one day, in order to be in the kitchen with me my BIL and SIL squeezed themselves onto two chairs at the wall that were shoved between my dishwasher and the dining table. So right then I had to remodel.

We tore out the wall between the kitchen and the living room and made it one big room. Now when you enter the house the first thing you see is this wide open great room, about 20 x 25 with windows on two sides to the back. This area consists of the dining area, bar, kitchen, and sitting area.

They say that the first thing a visitor sees when they enter your house should immediately tell them something about who lives there. When people enter my house, they know we're all about entertaining. Seriously, when one of the first things you see is a dining table set up for eight, and a hand-carved (my hands!) bar with seating for four with a lighted cabinet holding all the barware, and then the kitchen - you know you'll be getting served! ;^D

In the far corner is our couch and easy chair, where you can sit and relax but still are just as part of the action, but with cushier seating. And I LOVE having couch seating "in" the kitchen. Across from the couch, we put a small TV in the base cabinet on the peninsula, so that we can watch the news with our breakfast and coffee before work, but it's behind a door where visitors do not see it. I, personally, cannot stand to see a TV in a socializing area.

(Must come from having a father who when he'd be over for a party would reach for the remote and turn it on, right in the middle of people having their party conversations. Before the remodel, I had to hide the remote! We have an extra bedroom for our office, and an extra bedroom where the big TV and SS are.)

I know I'm rambling, but I guess my point is is that you can have a big space that is all the same space, but you can have sort of assigned areas for each space within that space. Are you a family that likes to play games? Maybe get a game table for one of the corners. Maybe in that corner put one of those stand-alone bars, if your games are accompanied by liquor! Carve out a cozy tete-a-tete area where two people can have a quiet chat and not feel totally exposed to the whole room. Just like in a backyard, create destination points in your space. Have a main area for the most people to sit and visit, but then carve out those destination spaces, too.

Sorry for the ramble - guess I'm full of words this morning. ;^D

kjmama, I'm sorry I haven't responded to your questions. I only pop in here when I have time b/c I enjoy this forum and look forward to working on my home. I'm in the mist of a major kitchen/laundry (mud) room renovation and I'm the GC. My cabinets arrived yesterday!

My large space is tied in with the kitchen area so it is unavailable for showing until around Thanksgiving when I hope to be close enough to complete to post pictures. Not helpful, I know.

I do wish for quiet as my hardworking DH enjoys watching sports of all kinds during our long winters. Our piano is also in this space and DD2 plays about an hour each day. In fact I hesitated to post b/c I have two other areas of my 1st floor where I can find quiet. Our LR/DR is currently full of uncomfortable furniture so it is wasted real estate. We also have a 'school room' w/full attached bath. It is a spacious room with a sleeper sofa for guests and always a total clutter of books, computers, and projects so not a peaceful place to curl up with a good book or even pay bills. It has a pocket door. ;)

What Palimpsest said about floating furniture really struck a cord with me. I recently hired a lighting/Interior designer to help with the kitchen and in two minutes she made great suggestions to rearrange my furniture.

Please know that I am bias toward the 'great room' concept today but 10 years ago when we purchased this house it was 2nd choice (to another house we didn't get) b/c I was intimidated by this big space. My DD1 is off to college in several weeks so I wonder if we'll rattle around in our house.
HTH Owls

Thank you all so much... I am still confused though:) What to do, what to do....?
It is all about priorities right?

When my six kids were younger, I needed two living rooms. Now, that they are older and married and we have grandchildren, the two smaller rooms are NOT working, so I would give anything for one large living area where I could have all of my familiy together comfortably! I hope to add on to my living room (now 15 X 20), so it will someday be 15 X 35. I like two separate living areas in a room, and I like "floating" furniture. I don't need furniture to hold up my walls - they stay up on their own! LOL

We built on a new living room that's 25 x 35. The kids are grown, so it's just my dh and myself.

We have two seating areas..sorta. The main one with the sofa, chairs, TV, FP, etc.

In the back of the room we have a table and two chairs, like a game table. And a rocker off to the side so I can rock my grandbabies. :)

I love the big space especially when everyone comes over.

I have a small sitting room off the LR but I don't use it, but it's there if a few people want to sit in there and chat.

My vote is for a big room, you can do so much with it as far as re-arranging furniture, and people won't feel so crowded.

I likle one big room. You can divide it up into individual sitting areas. :0) We have a great room upstairs then a family room down stairs....no children .....so it's a workout room downstairs.

We have two rooms, a family room that opens out on to our back patio where our grill is. The kitchen and family room open into one another, so this is very convenient. The family room also has the tv and it's leather furniture makes it very kid friendly.
Our living room has our stereo system and has beautiful mountain and mesa views. This is where we go to listen to music, read, entertain or just relax in the quiet. It's not so nice that we're afraid to use it, and we do almost every day! We have French doors that can shut off the living room, which we planned to insure some extra peace and quiet from the tv and the kids when needed. But, I can definitely see the argument for one great room and perhaps a reading area in the MBR instead. With kids, though, I'd for sure want a separate room for them to hang out with friends and tv!
Lynn

I'm having trouble understanding the setup you have, looking at the photos. Is there one solid wall between the two rooms? They are totally separate? I would open the two with good sized French doors, maybe with sidelights, if you can come up with a good furniture arrangement for that. I also like Pal's idea of pocket doors, so you can just close off a messy playroom on short notice.

The space would feel larger and more open, and be connected for entertaining or family time but also provide more privacy and noise control, with the ability to close the back room off if necessary.

Yes, there is a solid wall between the two room right now. They are totally separate. Thanks for all the thoughts
Bird lover - how come you needed 2 rooms when your kids were at home?

We are actually days away from making 2 separate rooms, and doing a whole house remodel. We designed our addition to work for now and the future. We have 3 children 11, 8, and 5, who will get bigger and so will their friends and my father will be moving in with us, as he is lonely since my mother passed. I want our home to be a place the kids feel comfortable bringing their friends without being cramped...which is what we are now. Our current living room is about 20 x 15. We've decided to open the wall to the garage with large french doors and make it a rec/family room. They will still be two separate rooms, but we'll have the option of keeping the doors open or closed. The room was supposed to be a substitute for a basement play/fun area, but then our architect came back with the drawings and there was a large playroom upstairs for the kids. We still thought the family room would be great since we have large outside family/pool parties (60-80 people) three times a year, and one of these times it's going to rain. We will probably have several smaller gatherings now that we'll have the room. I figured the french doors would allow privacy, but not too much - thinking of those testosterone filled years. ;)

Interesting that robineson622 is actually going to make 2:) We are hoping to decide this weekend.....
What "living room" activities should I be think about for older children?

Before making your decision, look at the ceiling height to determine how that will affect the feel of the rooms. Some other things to consider are whether or not there is adequate space in your child's bedroom for all of their stuff as they grow. Book storage, a place to do homework, play video games, etc.

We have one larger room. Dh keeps longing for cozy and he claims it is not cozy. The biggest problem right now is the furniture we have in it and that is being worked on. I like having the larger room when we have company. I also hope to establish the seating arrangement with a spot for a game table which is a good place for kids to do homework, puzzles, or for us to play board games.

One thing is that when we designed our house, we designed the auxillary bedrooms to be larger so that they have plenty of room to play upstairs and we keep the TV in the boys room. Sometimes we wished we had built a second room but those times are generally fleeting.

Yes, I like cozy too... our main issue, I think is that the "family room" off the kitchen is really dark and has 3 doorway, making furniture arrangement difficult. One of the doors goes outside which leads me to think - hard flooring - not so good for floor play? What is your experience in this way? Do people gravitate to the lighter room, or the kitchen more?