Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

We keep finding houses we like that have only a living room but no den/family room. We're trying to decide if this is a deal-breaker for us or not. A few have also had a room in the basement that we could use a a playroom, etc. when we have kids.

How is it furnished (more living-room like or more den-like or somewhere in the middle?) Do you miss having both rooms? tia!!

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

we have a great room, its a large room that is half a formal sitting room & half dining room.
we finished part of our basement as a den/family room.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

After the reno is done, we'll have a living room/family room, but technically no "den". We'll have a toy room, and an office. We're not a formal-type family, so for me, it seems silly having a formal room that isn't used very much and a casual room that we all hang out in. We'll just spend our time in the living room, and who cares if there is no formal space for guests? I don't have people over to the house that would care about that anyway....

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

Technically speaking, our house has a tiny dining room, a decent sized formal living room and a big den.

We are really casual, so we have it set up that the tiny dining room is our office, the formal living room is our dining room and then the den.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

We have a separate dining room that connects to both the kitchen and living room but no den. We use our living room everyday. That's where we entertain. It's nice because the dining romo flows into the living room.

Next house will have a finished basement though.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

Message edited 11/24/2008 10:10:05 AM.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

My parents house does not have both, so actually I think the idea of a den/family room is odd

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

Right now we don't have both b/c our upstairs is not finished and out bedrooms are on the main floor.

That being said, even when we DO have a separate Livign room from "den" .........I don't like 'formal' living rooms. - I think it's a total waste of space for our lifestyle and entertaining style ........So, both rooms wll be se up fairly casual - I may take the TV out of the 'living room' though sicne we'll have a den and a large familyroom/playroom in the basement too

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

Right now we do not, we just have a living room, no family room or den.

As of now it doesnt bother us, bc its just us, plus we have a basement. But i think when we sell in a few years and look for a new house it would be something i would like to have but not a deal breaker

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

We only have a living room no den. We did finish the basement and that is where my DS has most of his toys and we have a couch and TV down there as well. It works very well for us for now.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

We will have both once we are done with the Family Room. But we wouldn't have one if the previous owners didn't turn the garage into living space. We have a completely open floor plan upstairs where the Kitchen, DR & LR are, sort of like a Great Room. But I can't wait for the Family Room to be done.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

Well, technically we do have a living room, but we decided to make it a dining room because we don't have much room in the kitchen for eating.
I don't miss a formal living room, I know it would never get used.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

We only have a living room. Our basement is not finished, so we don't use it.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

Orginally we had both a living room and family room.

The small dining room was off the kitchen and open to the formal living, while the family room was tucked away in the back of the house. It was a really awkward design because you had to walk through the dining room to get to the family room.

We decided to make the formal living room & dining room one large family room and make the family room a dining room. Definitely worked in our favor. We made our dining room a bit more formal for entertaining and our family room is pretty casual, but with enough formality that it doesn't look like a den.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

The house we are buying only has a living room, but it has a full, unfinished basement that we hope to finish and turn into a den.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

Right now we do not. We have a living room. I have it furnished casually, but more towards formal than casual, if that makes sense?

I hope that in my next house I have a den.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

we don't have a separate family room or den.....just a small enclosed porch connected to our living room which is where I intend to store any toys/baby items when guests come over. if you were looking at a house w/ a large enough living room for your family needs, then I personally wouldn't sweat not having a den/family room.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

Message edited 1/30/2009 2:59:51 PM.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

growing up, my parents house has both a formal living room and a family room... the formal living room looks nice because the front door comes into it, but we never really used it. so to me, it was just one more room to furnish and clean.
DH and i have house now and ours has a "great room" that is a family room/dining room combo. we have it set up pretty casually because we're just casual people! we also have a walk out basement that has a living room area that we're turning into a nice bar / hang out room and will probably be where a lot of our future kids toys and stuff end up.
i think it depends on your lifestyle and what you want... but for the most part i've noticed that a lot of formal living rooms don't get used that much... as long as you have a nice big room somewhere in the house for people to hang out when they come over, it works!

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

Our house has a den and formal living room, but the den is currently occupied by a studio apartment.
We use the formal living room as a casual living room. It is a small room and can be crowded when we have people over. We finished the basement and added a TV area down there too so that helps alot when we have friends over, we usually hang out down there.

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

This helps a lot..both in terms of our decision on this "issue", and it seems that it wouldn't be a problem as far as resale to only have one or the other based on everyone's answers.

Before we started looking I decided that having both a LR and den/family room would be a want, not a must have. Now that we're looking I'm doubting myself but I think I'm just being silly. I keep thinking of my BIL who has a living room and family room and has everyone over all the time...I think we've been in their living room ONCE. My parents have a great room and a "den" which is really more like an office and not for entertaining, and again, it's totally fine.

thanks again!

Re: Does anyone NOT have both a living room and den/family room

We have a livingroom and that's it....No family room and no dining room, but I guess you could say we have SMALL eat in kitchen. My suggestion/advice is I don't mind not having a livingroom because we have a basement, or as Joe calls it the mansment, and he spends his time down there. Now if it had no diningroom I would say no. I never realized how important the diningroom was until we didn't have one anymore.

Edited to add...our livingroom is very casual and relaxed, and I never do in the mansment....that's Joe's area.

Message edited 11/24/2008 8:21:53 PM.