Bringing back nostalgia-inducing movie franchises and retro-inspired styles is a predictable occurrence in the modern world. But there’s one vintage home trend that’s recently had a more unexpected comeback- the conversation pit.
What are Conversation Pits?
Conversation pits, which are essentially hollowed out and plushly furnished spaces in the floor made specifically for relaxing and, well, conversing, first became a major architectural trend in the early 1950s. In the decades that followed homes were designed with conversation pits of all shapes and sizes. Some were circular, others square. Some were sleek, elegant and minimal, while others were lavishly stuffed with cushions and fuzzy rugs.
What Caused Conversation Pits to Lose Popularity?
Over time, conversation pits gradually declined in popularity. There are a few likely reasons for this. For one thing, they were seen as kind of dangerous. Time Magazine published an article in 1963, still fairly early into the rise of the conversation pit trend, detailing the perils of these sunken living rooms and clearly rebelling against the fad.
“At cocktail parties, late-staying guests tended to fall in,” reads the article. “Those in the pit found themselves bombarded with bits of hors d’oeuvres from up above, looked out on a field of trouser cuffs, ankles and shoes.”
While the idea that people were frequently falling into conversation pits and getting bombarded from above by appetizers was probably exaggerated, the sentiment of the Time article was eventually echoed across the country. Throughout the late 60s and into the 70s, fewer homes with conversation pits were built and many existing pits were filled with concrete and boarded over.
