Whether it's with a spouse, significant other or roommate, it can be tough to share a space. Try these design ideas to ease the squeeze.
The living room is supposed to be a spot to unwind, yet I find that difficult to do when my boyfriend, who shares the house with me, is on the couch strumming his electric guitar. Conversely, he can't seem to relax with a novel when I'm glued to my medical-drama television shows, which I watch from the living room. (Dr. McSteamy cutting up in the E.R. isn't compatible to the historical-fiction novels he enjoys reading.)
In a house with only five rooms to hang out in, having a sense of privacy and solitude is tough. Who wants to hang out on top of the bedspread on a Saturday afternoon? Sit at your computer to watch DVDs after you've hacked away at an office keyboard for eight hours? Or spread your papers out on the kitchen or dining-room tables after a meal?
I've determined that the problem isn't us. It's our living room's design. Envisioning nights where we'd cuddle up and watch a movie, or entertain friends with wine before dinner, every furniture piece was arranged in a conversation area. Cozy and intimate, yes, but what if we occasionally want to -- gasp! -- live separate lives in the same room? Because my knitting on the rocking chair means I am also a guest at my boyfriend's mini concert session. It hearkens back to my college days when sequestered in my bedroom away from my roommates was the only space where I could sit in silence - or in privacy.
Like any modern couple -- and this goes for roommates and families too -- we crave a living room that speaks to us and our separate interests. So how do you arrange an entertainment center, comfy couches and armchairs, and a flat surface area in one tiny space? Here are eight design tips to get you started.
The living room is supposed to be a spot to unwind, yet I find that difficult to do when my boyfriend, who shares the house with me, is on the couch strumming his electric guitar. Conversely, he can't seem to relax with a novel when I'm glued to my medical-drama television shows, which I watch from the living room. (Dr. McSteamy cutting up in the E.R. isn't compatible to the historical-fiction novels he enjoys reading.)
In a house with only five rooms to hang out in, having a sense of privacy and solitude is tough. Who wants to hang out on top of the bedspread on a Saturday afternoon? Sit at your computer to watch DVDs after you've hacked away at an office keyboard for eight hours? Or spread your papers out on the kitchen or dining-room tables after a meal?
I've determined that the problem isn't us. It's our living room's design. Envisioning nights where we'd cuddle up and watch a movie, or entertain friends with wine before dinner, every furniture piece was arranged in a conversation area. Cozy and intimate, yes, but what if we occasionally want to -- gasp! -- live separate lives in the same room? Because my knitting on the rocking chair means I am also a guest at my boyfriend's mini concert session. It hearkens back to my college days when sequestered in my bedroom away from my roommates was the only space where I could sit in silence - or in privacy.
Like any modern couple -- and this goes for roommates and families too -- we crave a living room that speaks to us and our separate interests. So how do you arrange an entertainment center, comfy couches and armchairs, and a flat surface area in one tiny space? Here are eight design tips to get you started.