The Living Room
English Vocabulary
Sometimes the living room is called a lounge. There are many things in a typical living room:
A bookcase is not only a place to put your books, but also the shelves can be used to display other things that are important to you. Often people place photos or pictures on bookcases.
The words photos and pictures can be used interchangeably, but a picture also has the potential to be a painting, where as a photo does not. Photos are often placed inside of picture frames that can either hang on a wall or sit on a shelf.
It is often common to place books and pictures on your coffee table, a large low table in front of the sofa. Another option is to place a small potted plant or vase of flowers on your coffee table, but not so large that you can't see over it to watch television or talk to another person.
Unlike a coffee table a side table is normally much higher so that people sitting on the sofa (for two or more people) or armchair (for one person) can easily place a glass or other object on the table. It is always next to the seat or placed in between two seats.
A side table is also a good location to place a lamp. A lampshade helps direct the light downward to help you see well.
People also like to decorate the windows in a room by hanging curtains on the wall, but sometimes these are also referred to as drapes. The curtains are not only decorations but also help keep the light out of the room, along with the shades that are placed in the windows.
Many homes have carpet on the floor of the living room. A carpet goes from one wall to the other, covering the entire floor. Rugs on the other hand cover a small area of the floor and are placed over a wooden or tiled floor to create a warmer feeling.
Some living rooms include a writing table, which is similar to a desk, but are often smaller.
Couch is another name for sofa. A fancy name for a sofa is called a settee. A settee is normally an antique.
A loveseat is a piece of furniture that is smaller than a couch and larger than a chair, just big enough for two people to sit on.
An armchair is the name for a type of chair that is large and comfortable in a living room. It normally has large padded cushions.
Pillows are smaller than cushions, which are the larges soft object on a chair or sofa where a person sits.
The fireplace is the area in the room where the fire is placed sot that it keeps the room warm, but also allows the smoke to go up the chimney and not into the room. When you light the fire it is common to place a fireguard in front, so that the warm air still comes through but that children stay safe. The type of wood that is burned for a fire in general is called firewood, but the large pieces are often called logs. Above the fireplace is the mantelpiece, which is normally a long piece of wood that provides a shelf on which to display things. At Christmas time children hang their stocking from the mantelpiece to receive presents from Santa Claus.
Men are generally more concerned with the electronic equipment in the living room rather than the decorations. Today videocassettes are rare; most people now watch DVDs on their DVD players rather than VCRs. People have also started watching more Blu-ray Discs.
Along with the television and DVD player there is also often a stereo system on the shelves of the wall unit holding all of the electronics used for entertainment. Of course with the stereo system it is vital to have a good set of speakers in order to listen to the music.
The most important part of the living room to most men is the recliner. A recliner is a special chair that has the ability to lean backwards so the person sitting in the chair is in a very relaxed position. Often men consider their recliners to be their thrones, as if they were all kings. From the recliner the men use the remote control to change the channels on the television or adjust the volume of the music from the stereo.
People often decorate the floors with rugs and the walls with pictures, but they often do not decorate the ceiling of the room. Normally the only decoration from the above comes from the lights or the ceiling fan which keeps you cool in summer.
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