I guess you could say one of my retro-related regrets is that I've never been in a home that had a sunken room, or conversation pit. I think my first introduction to the interior design feature was when I saw the Beatles' quirky house in the movie HELP! for the first time -- remember John's below floor level bed in the Fabs' living room? Don and Megan Draper also had a pretty snazzy sunken living room in their NYC apartment on Mad Men. But in real life, I just haven't had the good fortune yet to see one in person.
That may change because I've been reading that conversation pits may be poised to make a comeback, or at least they're finding their way into much newer homes from what I've seen on interior decorating sites. However, the photos of sunken living areas that are being added to the newer homes can't compare to the images of ones from the '60s and '70s. There's something about a conversation pit that makes it better matched to a house constructed during one of those decades -- it probably has to do with the surrounding decor and the general atmosphere.
To see what I mean, here are vintage photos of conversation pits gleamed from Pinterest and Flickr that are definitely ten of the coolest sunken living areas I've ever seen...maybe you'll agree as well.
#1: The Pool View Pit
Talk about having the best of both worlds...and it appears to have a mirrored ceiling as well.
#2: The Party Time Pit
This is easily my favorite of the ten...you have a sunken entertainment center complete with an organ (someone notify Roger Sterling), colorful furniture, a modern wall decoration and of course, plenty of '70s plants again. How cool would it have been to throw a shindig in this space?
#3: The Psychedelic Pit
I actually don't know how old this photo is, but this conversation pit is very Peter Max and Austin Powers; groovy, baby!
#4: Quality Father-Son Time Pit
And they're getting ready to enjoy a meal...where's the fondue pot?
#5: The Organic Pit
This one reminds me of The Flintstones with its stone seating, palm trees, and table carved out of a tree trunk. Definitely a yabba-dabba-DO!
#6: The Shaggy Pit
This is actually from a 1966 tile advertisement but what drew my attention was the orange shag carpeting. In front of the fireplace, it looks like a cozy place to take a nap.
#7: The Teen Party Pit
They have a fire pit in the pit for roasting marshmallows...and ah yes, a photo of a vintage teen party wouldn't be complete without the requisite guitar sitting off to the side.
#8: The Coffee and Cigarettes Pit
That pretty much sums it up.
#9: The Pleasure Pit
This is how you do it: good music on a quad stereo set-up, shaggy carpeting, a leopard print pillow, and your other half in your cozy pit o' love.
#10: The Hot Tub Pit
Just when you think you've seen every outrageous possibility in '70s decor, you come across a photo of a jacuzzi in someone's living room floor.
Screenshot from a porn flick, or someone's actual house? You decide.
Did you grow up in a house that had a conversation pit, or do you currently live in one or know someone who does?
