According to the National Association of Home Builders, the living room is officially dead. Silent spaces with slipcover sofas are now viewed as a waste of money, builders say. Instead, homebuyers want to live in all of their rooms. A large family space with a fireplace, television, and homework space that is connected to the kitchen is preferred.
Parents preparing food want to be able to monitor what their children are doing.
And, everyone knows the kitchen is the place to hang out at a party. So builders and architects have shifted housing designs to exclude formal living rooms. Flexibility and openness are what homebuyers are asking for and getting.