Have you noticed that the Living Room is in danger of becoming extinct? It has occurred to me that one of the reasons is the trend to entertain outside of the home. Getting together for dinner, but it’s at a restaurant, or meeting for a drink but going to a bar. So, having a space in your home to entertain is no longer a requirement. I recently read a Huffington Post article titled “9 Reasons to Bring Back the Cocktail Party” which confirms this shift away from home entertaining, but with an rallying cry to bring it back. I am on a mission to revive the living room cocktail party. But first, we have to bring back the living room!!!
When I look at new construction floor plans, I often ask the architect, “Where is the Living Room?” And, they often reply, “What Living Room?” This retort is actually the bullet point caption in New Home Source’s article “Top Trends in Home Design for 2015”. Here is their prediction for the fate of the living room – “Living rooms continue to be replaced by great rooms that combine kitchens and family rooms, with plenty of room to do everything from homework to entertaining. Many of the NAHB survey respondents expect living rooms to vanish altogether…” Proving this phenomenon further are the floors plans you find on websites offering stock designs for upscale homes. Like this living room-less plan from Architectural Designs.
I am here to take a stand against losing the living room!!! Are you with me? If you need convincing, let me try to persuade you.
Every home deserves a place for elegant entertaining. There is a time and place to hang with family in your jeans, but when company comes over it’s time to take it up a notch or two. Make your entertaining glamorous!!! Get dressed up and have some fun! Put on a modern dress, a fabulous heel, and a statement piece of jewelry. To make it a bit easier, I brought in a fashion industry insider to give some wardrobing suggestions. Meet Karen Fechter – co-founder and Chief Merchandising Officer of PreeLine, the trendsetting social platform where influencers and early adopters browse and socialize future trends. Here are some of Karen’s favorite items for holiday dressing that are also big hits with the PreeLine community.
Left to right: Burberry Prorsum Dress Resort Collection 2016; Aquazzura Belgravia Suede Pumps; Oscar de la Renta Tassel Earrings
Left to right: Zimmermann Tunic Mini Dress Resort 2016; Jimmy Choo Lance Mirrored Leather Strappy Sandal; Anndra Neen Rei Choker
Your husband can don his best sports jacket, maybe an ascot, or a pocket square or even a boutonniere – excuse me, lapel accessory :)!! Here’s a fun selection from Hook & Albert (also a great holiday gift idea).
Now that you are dressed for the occasion – and, the occasion does not have to be a holiday or birthday or anything but an excuse to entertain in style – let’s decorate the party. It’s pretty simple to have the right ingredients on hand to glam things up. This is a great selection of everything from cocktail napkins to bar carts to get your living room set.
1) Monogrammed linen cocktail napkins from Mark & Graham are spot on. 2) Chocolate Coaster set from Aerin – my go to home accessory resource. 3) Gorgeous Aliseo glassware from Nasonmoretti. 4) And, a great selection of Bar Carts from One Kings Lane.
So are you with me yet??? For my clients, I design living rooms to be the “adult” room in the house. A place where you can go when you feel like you want to get away from all the casualness of life, but still be relaxed and comfortable in your own home. These living rooms reflect an elegance that makes you feel stylish and sophisticated. So, keep the living room and embrace its splendor.
If all that did not persuade you to join my crusade, I will ply you with drinks! Check out Serious Eats “25 Cocktails Everyone Should Know” to get you started in your move toward elegant entertaining.
I hope you will join my mission and love your living room again!! Let me know when to pop by for a night of elegance.
Long Live the Living Room!!!
