The Outdated Home Design Feature The Property Brothers Avoid At All Costs

The last thing you want in a home is a design feature that automatically screams: "I'm outdated!" There are a handful of things that can do this, from architectural features to color schemes. Just think of all the living room trends that have lost their luster (we're looking at you, vanilla girl aesthetic!) over the years. However, there's one design in particular that HGTV designers Drew and Jonathan Scott of "Property Brothers" fame have decided to wage war on — and that's the sunken living room.

The sunken living room, or conversation pit as it was referred to way back when, was a very popular feature in homes from the 1950s to the 1980s. They were viewed as a way to distinguish an area in an open floor plan without having to use walls, and fostered an intimate entertaining area. Nowadays, sunken living rooms don't bring cozy gatherings to mind, but rather unnecessary fall hazards and a choppy flow. If your home, or one you're hoping to buy, has this feature, it might be a good idea to look into getting rid of it.

Jonathan and Drew Scott decided to instantly nix a sunken living room in Season 1, Episode 2 of their HGTV show "Property Brothers: Forever Home" and for good reason. Not only do they create a fall hazard (for people of all ages, not just little ones), they also harshly interrupt the way a room looks overall. The average cost to fill one is around $12,000. Though this is pricey, most people do prefer a seamless floor plan, which means you can boost your home's real-estate attractiveness by pulling the trigger on this renovation. Plus, by raising the floor, you'll open yourself to more design options as the sunken look can limit the type of furniture and decor you can use. 

For everyone stumped on how to plan their living room as a delineated space without a sunken area, fear not. There are plenty of ways to achieve this. To separate this area, use different paint colors, intentionally placed furniture, a change in flooring, and a central focal point. These living room layout ideas will always work to expertly distinguish your space from the rest of your open floor plan. It's not always easy or cheap, but raising that sunken floor can be worth getting your home the updated look it deserves. Follow these tips and you can end up with the perfect modern and cozy gathering space.