**Great Room Concept**
– Inspired by medieval great halls and chambers
– Combines functions of living and family rooms
– Features raised ceilings, often cathedral ceilings
– Can incorporate reading areas or traditional dining room functions
**History of Great Rooms**
– Originated in Joseph Eichler’s homes in 1950s California
– Became popular in high-end houses in the 1970s and 1980s
– Ubiquitous feature in suburban homes in the 1990s and 2000s
– Initially popular due to showcasing wealth in a growing economy
– Decline in popularity by mid-2000s due to cost, maintenance, and space concerns
**Development and Trends**
– Developers added vaulted entryways to ranch-style houses to incorporate great rooms
– Great rooms were called the McMansions signature space in the 1990s
– Homeowners started preferring houses with increased floor space and more rooms
– Retrofitting great rooms became a cost-effective alternative to new-room additions
**Criticism and Challenges**
– Home buyers were less enthusiastic about great rooms in the mid-2000s
– Common complaints included high heating and cooling costs, maintenance challenges
– Retrofitting great rooms became a popular alternative to new-room additions
– Money magazine listed great rooms as a fad past its prime in 2007
– Great rooms were deemed costlier to build and maintain compared to conventional rooms
**References and Additional Information**
– Book ‘Patterns of Home: The Ten Essentials of Enduring Design’ by Max Jacobson, Murray Silverstein, Barbara Winslow
– Article ‘THE 5 DUMBEST RENOVATION FADS (AND WHAT TO DO INSTEAD)’ in Money magazine
– Book ‘From the Ground Up: Building Silicon Valley’ by Goodwin B. Steinberg, Susan Wolfe
– Article ‘Ceilings Come Down to Earth’ by Nancy Keates in Wall Street Journal
– Article ‘ROOM TO IMPROVE; Taming Spaces: Living Large’ by Marco Pasanella
– Municipal regulations may discourage increasing a building’s footprint.
A great room is a room inside a house that combines the roles of several more traditional rooms such as the family room, living room, and study into one space. Great rooms typically have raised ceilings and are usually placed at or near the center of the home. Great rooms have been common in American homes since the early 1990s.
Definition from ChatGPT:
Great room:
A great room is a large, open-concept living space that typically combines the functions of a living room, dining room, and sometimes a kitchen. It is often characterized by high ceilings, abundant natural light, and a sense of spaciousness. Great rooms are popular in modern home design for their versatility and ability to bring people together in a shared living space.