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Add a Conversation Pit to Your Home

Retro trends are dominating home remodeling and design trends. Floral wallpaper, handmade tile, and even mirrored walls are becoming requested by homeowners looking to ditch the “sad beige” style that has been prevalent for years.

With all of the love for retro home design, there’s another home feature that we would love to make a comeback; the conversation pit.

For those of you who may be too young to remember, a conversation pit is a sunken space, usually in the living room, where family and friends can gather to talk to one another. They were pretty standard in homes built during the 1970s, but as trends do, conversation pits were done away with, and homeowners opted for media rooms.

Typically the conversation pit is only a few inches to a few feet lower than the rest of the home and has a couple of stairs to help transition the space, and, in some homes, it makes sense to include railing around the pit to avoid falls.

Within the pit, you can create a gathering space by including couches and chairs facing toward one another. If space permits, you could center the space around a fireplace. One thing to keep in mind is that this is not the space for televisions or phones – this is a place to interact with friends and family.

How To Create a Conversation Pit

We’ll be honest with you, it’s pretty challenging to add a conversation pit to an existing space – it can be done, but if you want the sunken look, it’s best to include it in a home add-on. Going this route will allow you to create a space specifically for conversation and connection. Ideally, it can be positioned as a transition to an outdoor space.

If space or accessibility concerns are an issue, another idea is to add a conversation area to your home. This space can be similar to the conversation pit but without the lowered space.

To do this, you can add a railing or some other type of divider that gives the appearance of a separate “pit” without the recessed area. You can still furnish the space in the same manner. You just won’t have the steps down into the space.

Not Just for Living Rooms

If adding a sunken space to your home interior is out of the question, consider taking it outside. An outdoor conversation pit is the perfect space for an intimate outdoor gathering.

Similar to the indoor conversation pit, this space can feature a fire pit or outdoor fireplace to make the space cozier. If you prefer water, you could have a waterfall wall to add a sense of serenity to your conversation area. Would you like to include a conversation pit in your home renovation? We can help you! Let’s discuss how to bring back the conversation pit while still making your home look modern. Give us a call!

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