Living Rooms Are Heading Upstairs | Realtor Magazine
Upper-level living rooms are becoming a sought-after space among homeowners, The Wall Street Journal reports. Homeowners are finding these second-floor lounges can be cozier spaces than living areas on the first floor—and can offer more privacy, too.
Upper-level living rooms—sometimes labeled “pajama lounges”—are usually located right off bedrooms. They may include comfy sofas, a kitchenette, a television, and even a nook to work from. Architects are removing long hallway spaces upstairs to make room for these central living spaces upstairs.
The lounge area is intended for “the bedrooms [to] spill out, and the family can have a space to assemble,” says Kobi Karp, an architect in Miami who recently designed an upper-level living room in one of his projects. “It’s where you go on a Sunday morning and wait for the rest of the house to wake up.”
Upper-level living rooms tend to be more casual than their lower counterparts. They also tend to have recessed lighting instead of chandeliers and favor cozier seating areas over larger sectionals, Donna Mondi, a Chicago-based interior designer, told The Wall Street Journal. Mondi also says it’s not as important for the style of these spaces to match the rest of the home, either.
“Because it’s not part of the main area, all bets are off—you can do what you want with it,” says Mondi.
Madison Hildebrand, a real estate pro in Malibu and reality TV host, says he has sold dozens of homes over the past three years featuring these types of upper living spaces.
“After living in [an open floor] situation, [owners] realized that it’s nice to have the big open spaces, but also a little bit annoying,” Hildenbrand says. “Now there’s a bit more compartmentalizing.”
Hildenbrand says these upstairs living areas that are geared for families in larger homes are helping properties sell faster, too. Families are looking for the extra space to lounge, without having to make an office or playroom serve double duty, he says.
The idea behind these spaces are nothing new. Historic homes often have included an upstairs “retiring room” for mothers nursing children or for resting midday, says T. Jeffrey Clarke, an architect in Philadelphia.