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[Carmie]

I like four chairs in a formal living room, but need a sofa in the family room.

I have a huge covered 30 foot deck at our summer place.  I have four lazy boy outdoor recliners with a fire pit table that serves as a coffee table in the middle.  It works great for when we sit out and when we have another couple over.  

[spiderw]

I find the first two pictures very appealing and love the look.  However, I am not a fan of coffee tables and forget the ottoman in the middle.  If I had a family room/den I would like the seating arrangement without sofa.  But in my living room I still prefer a comfortable sofa and chairs .

[stevieb]

I've said it over and over again. I do not like a conversation 'pit' type set-up with four chairs instead of a sofa and chairs. If a room is large enough to accommodate both, that might be different, but, to me, a sitting room includes a sofa or loveseat and chairs, not all chairs.

[Sooner]

Great for people who only have three friends. 

[Snowpuppy]

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@Sooner wrote:

Great for people who only have three friends. 

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Or you don't want to invite more than 2-3 relatives!

Thanks for the laugh!

[jannabelle1]

In my last house I had both a large living room and large family room, so an arrangement like this would have been great in the living room....I love the look. In my town house now, I need my sofa in the living room since that's where I take my afternoon nap ! I think it just depends on how much room a person has. My small TV area at the end of the kitchen only has enough room for a recliner and love seat, and that's not comfortable for napping!

[Oznell]

Those are charming rooms!   Like others, I do need a couch somewhere, to laze on, but I've always loved intimate convo areas like this, and these are really cute examples, @wilma .

[Nonametoday]

@wilma 

Yes, I knew a couple ladies who had this like you show when I was a member of GardenWeb (which is now Houzz but totally inpersonal) and we discussed decorating and invited one another to see our homes.  I met two lades in the Carolinas who had done their rooms like this.

I recall that one of the ladies who had a sitting room like this (and this was not her 
"family" room or "great" room as some have alluded to, had a baby grand piano and the other had a butler's pantry off the room nearby.  They each had family rooms or rooms where they watched TV and were normal throughout the week.  I think this was for a few friends.

My daughter has what she calls her "woman cave" instead of a she-shed and her DH has his "man cave."  They are very similar in size but not decor, but they actually use these rooms as work rooms for their careers as well and they can entertain a small group in each room.  The small groups they entertain are usuallly work peers or small, more intimate groups of close friends (he for watching a ballgame with 2-3 guys and she for her small book club).

[ECBG]

In the traditional idea of "living rooms" these rooms don't look comfortable in chairs where you would need to sit up strait.  

Upholstered "stools" never made it with me as a coffee table.  You can't really serve on them or put any kind of drink really!  The original idea was extra "sitting" room.  Do you really want to be "knee to knee"???????

[spud188]

The gathering spot for my family is the around the K.table, we don't watch TV together so I got rid of my couch years ago.