The Importance of our Living Room

The Living Room. Heartbeat of our home. The importance of which should not be understated. A space used in a variety of different ways, by a wide range of people. We’ll go through some of the reasons why we might want to reinvent a space used so often by so many. From superficial to deep and meaningful, here we go.

A quick history

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the first household room without an obvious, necessary use, was the parlour room. To have one was evidence of social status. As this room was used to show off to the world, it served as a place to display the family’s best furnishings and artworks to visiting guests. Thus, it was invariably considered to be the “best” room in the house. In addition to entertaining guests, the parlour room was also used as a place where the recently deceased were laid out before their funeral. It was not uncommon to also refer to this room as the death room. As time continued, the casual nature of society grew. This, as well as the increase of disposable income for the middle class, realised a new purpose for the parlour room. Families started to ‘live’, and transitioned from a room used to show off to the world, to one that shows each family's individual personality and style. After this shift, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Edward Bok coined the term living room. The rest is history.

Lights dim ; Popcorn salted

Everyone loves entertainment. Be it reading, film & television, music, or some Friday night footy (go Tiges!), the living room is the central physical hub used to enjoy much needed moments of enjoyment after a long day at work.  Sometimes, there’s no better way to decompress on a Friday night than curling up on our couch by the fireplace with a book in one hand, and a glass of wine in the other. Bonus points for the dog by the feet too!

Product of our Environment

Ever had the sudden realisation that you are slowly turning into one of your parents? Maybe your ex screamed it to you at the top of their lungs during a relationship ending fight. Don’t freak out, we’re on your side, and are sure you’ll be ok. With that being said, it is important to note the Social cognitive theory (def ; holds that portions of an individual's knowledge acquisition can be directly related to observing others within the context of social interactions, experiences, and outside media influences). “Why is this important? I just want to buy a couch.” You may well ask. Well, dearest customer, that is indeed a great question. However, I promise I have a great answer. Think of those times spent with our family in the living room doing some sort of relationship building activity (board games, charades etc.). These moments are ones that we cherish, even if subconsciously, and hold onto for the rest of our lives. Fostering a healthy relationship with those that we love is very important, and while I concede where we do it is not the most important part, I honestly think that the living room environment aids in our growth. In other words, if you buy one of our couches, you will solve world peace. For legal purposes, the previous sentence was a joke

Casually concluded

Our living room, it’s furnishings, artwork, and even the people we let in is, in part, a reflection of ourselves. Particularly in times of unrest, we should be encouraged to stop and consider how things really are, and how we should like them to be.

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