21 Conversation Pits Worth Talking About

A conversation pit is an architectural feature incorporating built-in seating into a depressed flooring section within a larger room. It is sometimes referred to as a ‘sunken living room’ and was a popular design style from the 1950s to 1970s across Europe and North America.

Modernist architects Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard used a conversation pit as the centerpiece of the influential Miller House (1958) in Columbus, Indiana, one of the earliest widely publicized applications of the concept. A brilliant red conversation pit (since covered but recently restored) was later incorporated by Saarinen into the 1962 TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport in New York.

The architectural feature seems to be enjoying a bit of a renaissance, most notably in luxury homes and villas around the world. I spent last night sifting through Pinterest, Tumblr, and numerous interior design and architecture blogs to compile the compilation below. Enjoy!

01.

Photo by: Cinemedia / David Marquardt Photography

02.

Photo by: Playa Vik Jose Ignacio

03.

Photo by: Novoceram

04.

Photo by: W Retreat Koh Samui

05.

Photo Source: Home Designing

06.

Photo by: GFAB Architects

07.

Photo by: Shannon McGrath

08.

Photo by: Jewel of Maui Residence, Hawaii

09.

Photo Source: Home-Designing

10.

Photo Source: Indianapolis Museum of Art

11.

Photo by: Chris Barrett Design

12.

Photo by: John Robert Nilsson Architects

13.

Photo by: Amber Flooring

14.

Photo by: GFAB Architects

15.

Photograph by Eklund Stockholkm New York

16.

Photo by: YO! Home

17.

Photo by: Villa Nilpi

18.

Photo Source: Mushroom House

19.

Photo Source: Tiny House Blog

20.

Photo Source: Google

21.

Photo Source: Google

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