WASHINGTON — It’s not just that an iPod can replace the record and CD players or that flat-screen televisions don’t need to be hidden behind entertainment-center doors. Living rooms are emerging from the housing bubble leaner.
The shrinkage has been caused, in part, by declining home values and plummeting sales, encouraging builders to scale back, as well as a revolt against the era of McMansions. Heating two-story entryways and the unused fifth bedroom has fallen out of favor as homeowners opt instead for cozy and functional, architects and builders said.
“As people get away from talking about square footage and look toward what fits their lifestyle, it brings their square footage down a bit,” said Josh Rosenthal of Rosenthal Homes, a suburban Rockville, Md., custom-home builder. “They need a house that meets the lifestyle of their family, and they find that can fit into a smaller envelope than they perceive.”
The demise of the old-fashioned living room goes hand in hand with the disappearance of many of its luxuries, including bulky furniture and the entertainment center, that home of a hodgepodge of sometimes-working electronics.
“Entertainment centers have gone the way of the dinosaur,” said Trish Kim, a Virginia-based stager who helps prepare homes for sale.
Sometimes the new floor plans can be befuddling.
“The new builders are trying to overcome the lack of space by building a high ceiling, as if that is going to kid somebody,” said Will Nesbitt, a real estate agent with Condo 1 of suburban Alexandria, Va.
Sometimes builders squeeze in more rooms in space that has remained the same.
Market research has shown that condo buyers place a premium on a second bedroom, said Todd Ray, a principal at the Washington architecture firm Studio 27. That can make the unit more affordable for a buyer willing to find a roommate, for example, Ray said.
“The second bedroom is becoming more and more popular, but the overall unit size is staying the same size.”
One way the new configurations can be achieved is by squeezing the public living space to create a second bedroom that could also be used as a den, Ray said. The smaller living room can be accommodated by replacing the bulky entertainment center with a flat-screen television and an iPod docking station, he said.
“Anytime you deal with urban living, you are maximizing square inches, not square feet,” said Ray, a 15-year veteran of the industry.
There’s a similar squeeze with houses. Builders have introduced smaller homes in some communities. In Virginia, Beazer Homes estimates a 5 percent drop in the square footage of its homes in the past year.
Much of the home-size reductions have been cost-driven, said Kent Goff, vice president of planning and design for Beazer. Eliminate walls, hallways and underused space, Goff said, and a house can have a smaller footprint but feel just as big. It’s also cheaper to build.
That is also accomplished by the move toward open living spaces. By bringing down the walls among the living room, dining room and kitchen and creating a “great room,” builders can save space without appearing to, architects and builders said. It’s the “living triangle,” Goff said. “We can get people to live in the same fashion with less square footage.” The days of formal living rooms may be numbered, architects and designers said. In a recent survey, Beazer found that 74 percent of homebuyers said they would prefer a home office over a formal living room in their next home.
Look for ways to make a room feel more spacious, interior designers and home stagers said. Reconsider the sofa in favor of a love seat and a sofa table that can be converted into a workspace as well as a dining table.
Homeowners should also consider wall color. Keep the color palette light, and test the placement of mirrors.
