

They were used to show off family’s best décor, items and furniture. These rooms are considered to be ancestors of modern living rooms. So, back in the early 20 th century, a lot of people had rooms called parlor, receiving room or drawing room, depending on a person’s class, status, wealth and location.
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That was about to change in the 20 th century, as more people started having more resources and leisure time to think about on how to arrange their homes. Homes of the poor were just basically operational throughout history. Please note that everything we talked about so far was usually only affordable to the very rich. Neoclassical living space Neoclassical living room So called “Art and Craft” living room All that brown colored chunky wood made the spaces darker, and all that simplicity and often exposed joinery made them seem sturdy and functional. High quality wood, leather and brass were used. Rooms were decorated with simplicity in mind. Later in the 19 th century, Arts and Crafts style became popular in England and the United States. Mathematical precision and straight lines dominated the design principles of the time period. Rediscovery of Greek and Roman styles brought the abundance of column-shaped lamps, wall paneling, and fireplaces. Living room in a French castle Another French baroque living room The accent was on opulence, lavishness and affluence. Popular materials included ivory, marble and tropical wood. Imagine French castles from the 17 th and 18 th century, during Louis XIV and Louis XV’s Eras, respectfully. A few centuries later, Baroque and Rococo were all the rage, characterized by lavish decorations and exotic materials. Attention to geometry and symmetry created a sense of harmony in Renaissance homes. Some elements of the indoor decorations for the time were wooden floors, Turkish rugs and palace-shaped wooden cabinets. Renaissance movement invigorated culture, science and art in Europe. But, we are getting ahead of ourselves… Living roomįirst evidence of humans decorating interiors of their dwellings comes from ancient Egypt, but closest to the concept of a living room (from the western perspective, at least) dates to the Renaissance period, from the 15 th and 16 th century. Anyway, with more time and money, people started thinking more on how to make their living spaces more enjoyable and pleasant.

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So, how come it took living rooms so long to come about? Well, short answer is that only fairly recently people started having disposable income and free time, mostly thanks to industrial revolution and then, subsequently, better working rights. Humans are social creatures and family-oriented homes had existed for centuries. That’s why it might be surprising for you to hear that living rooms are relatively a new thing. From entertainment and relaxation, to simply having a conversation with our friends and family members, living room is a safe space for many of us. Living rooms represent a central hub for most families.
