Is there a difference between a living room and a family room, especially in an apartment? There actually is, say two award-winning home decorators.
A living room is typically more formal than a family room, says Angela Bonfante, founder of Bonfante Interiors, LLC in Columbus, OH. Heavier furniture communicates the formal vibe of a living room, while dark drapes and a neutral rug reinforce the mood.
A family room is a more casual spot. It’s a place to watch television, chill or play the latest games on your cell phone.
Are a family room and living room the same thing?
It’s up to you to determine how to best utilize your apartment to fit your needs, so don’t let the semantics of room titles cloud your vision.
“Make the space yours,” says Bonfante. “Don’t get caught up in the semantics of titles for rooms but use the space to fit your needs, your aesthetic, your style and your budget.”
While similar activities can occur in both rooms, deciding whether to have a living room or family room is a matter of style, budget and aesthetics.
A living room is a more classic, formal area for activities, such as sipping tea, reading a book or doing a puzzle.
“In houses, a living room is always by the entry. I call it ‘the Christmas Tree Room.’ The family room/den is usually in the back of the dwelling and is more casual,” says Rachel Moriarty, an award-winning interior decorator and proprietor of Rachel Moriarty Interiors in San Diego.
“Apartments don’t have that huge of a space differential,” notes Bonfante. Therefore, a person’s choice of décor, furniture, lighting, artwork and floor coverings communicate whether the area is a living room or family room.
How do you separate a living room from a family room?
Normally, living rooms have heirloom furniture or “fancier pieces,” says Moriarty. However, an emerging trend in living room décor is “less two sofas and more four swivel chairs for conversation with a round table” in the center, she says.
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Bar carts and even a table for playing cards or board games are popular additions to living rooms. The vibe today is “adult cocktail space,” says Moriarty.
Even though apartment dwellers aren’t usually able to repaint their abodes, Moriarty offers several suggestions for personalizing a living room in an apartment setting. Among them:
- Anchor the room with an area rug
- If colors appeal to you, use the rug to introduce it to the room
- Use textiles of different textures to add coziness and interest
- Add lamps to supplement overhead lighting
“More formal does not mean less color,” says Moriarty, known for her vibrant sense of style. However, if you wish to communicate a more subdued vibe, she suggests using light-colored upholstery.
Also, since apartment dwellers tend to move more frequently than homeowners, Bonfante suggests you take that into consideration when purchasing big-ticket items for your place.
Moriarty agrees. “If you know you are going to move often, buy neutral colors in the larger pieces like sofas and accent chairs. Anything you sit on,” she says.
Design tips for family rooms
You can still incorporate treasured heirlooms in a casual family room if you repurpose them, according to Moriarty. For example, for a sense of whimsy, replace drawer pulls with large or colorful handles. “I like to maintain the historical integrity of a piece but update it with hardware so it’s more 2022,” she says.
While she has worked for clients whose interior designs and remodels cost millions, Moriarty says there are countless no-cost/low-cost ways to decorate a family room on a budget, including:
- Coffee table books
- Fresh flowers from the garden in a lovely vase
- Lemons, oranges or apples picked from a tree, placed in a large bowl on a coffee table or bookshelf
- Removing book covers from hardbound books to show color and dimension
- Live houseplants
Moriarty’s top design tip for any type of abode? “Layers.”
The difference between the living room and the family room is your call
When determining whether your main living area is a living room or a family room, it’s best to rely on your own instincts, budget and style.
