The Pitfall of a Living Room That Is Too Large

I will explain the current state of living rooms in simple terms, avoiding technical jargon as much as possible.

Have you ever had the experience of piling too much food on your plate at a hotel buffet?
You could call it being stingy, but the same kind of mistake actually happens in home building.
Believing the saying that bigger is better, people stare at blueprints trying to secure the largest living room possible.
However, a space that has been forced to be larger can actually become harder to live in.

The curse of the 20-jo (approx. 33 sqm) figure

When looking at housing information sites or social media, the condition of having an LDK of 20 jo or more is spoken of as a status symbol.
There are actually customers who cancel because it is 19.9 jo.
It is a size you probably wouldn't even notice once you moved in.
The basis for this 20-jo figure is quite questionable.

Even though I made it 20 jo

When you actually arrange the furniture, the distance between the sofa and the TV might be too far to feel relaxed, or meaningless traffic lines might be created around the dining table.
As a result of prioritizing the numerical size, there are endless cases where furniture layouts cannot be decided, resulting in a scattered space that is just large.
That might not be a preference, but rather brainwashing by social media.

Coldness like a gymnasium

If the volume of the space increases, the efficiency of air conditioning naturally drops.
Even though recent houses have improved airtightness and insulation, a living room with high ceilings and a large area requires a corresponding amount of energy.
It defeats the purpose if the large space you prepared for family gatherings ends up feeling cold and uncomfortable.

The wall created by smartphones

Even though the family is in the same room, there is no conversation.
Even though they are supposed to be gathered in the same space, their eyes are fixed in different directions.
A living room that is too large can secure enough distance to erase each other's presence, so even if you are physically together, it can create an isolation no different from being in separate rooms.
The image of a family gathering to watch a large-screen TV no longer exists in the living room.

Natural conversation born from smallness

There is also the option of intentionally making the living room compact.
Even if it is compact, if you add variety to the placement of windows and the height of the ceiling, you will not feel cramped.
Rather, by shortening the physical distance, family members' eyes meet, and you can feel each other's presence.
Smallness is not an inconvenience, but can be a way to feel the warmth of your family.
What is truly necessary is not the floor area, but a comfortable distance for the family.

Size does not equal happiness

In the pursuit of a size that looks good like a model home or something you can brag about to others, aren't you neglecting the quality of the time you spend there?
You need to take your eyes off the numbers on the blueprint for a moment and think as a family about the distance where you truly feel at ease.