Social spaces: when the home is once again designed to bring people together

Shared living spaces are back at the heart of residential projects! In a context marked by digital excesses, physical presence has taken on new meaning. Architecture now plays an important role in creating meeting scenarios — that is, places that foster a sense of welcome, dialogue, and the experience of being together.

Marina Pimentel Paisagismo - Espaço Pousar. Projeto da CASACOR Brasília 2025. (Edgard Cesar/CASACOR)

Thus, instead of areas conceived “only” for circulation or occasional use, the home begins to value projects where people remain, talk, share meals, and move through everyday life together.

Shared living spaces as a decorating trend

The appreciation of shared living spaces reveals a change (or rather, a return!) in how interiors are designed. More than proposing aesthetically pleasing compositions, architects and designers have been seeking solutions capable of encouraging people to remain and stimulating interaction among them.

Gabriel Rosa - Adega Legado. Projeto da CASACOR São Paulo 2025. (Camila Santos/CASACOR)

Projects with fluid circulation, comfortable furnishings, and flexible layouts are becoming the new trends. When the space naturally invites people to gather — whether for a long conversation, a meal, or a collective moment of rest — architecture also fulfills a social function within the home.

Homes take center stage in “slow living”

The pursuit of more welcoming projects speaks directly to the concept of slow living. The movement proposes slowing the everyday pace and prioritizing experiences that value presence, well-being, and quality of life, in contrast with the accelerated logic of constant productivity.

Neto Cunha Arquitetura - Café Lounge Florar. Projeto da CASACOR Bahia 2025. (Bia Nauiack/CASACOR)

In this scenario, the home is no longer just a place to pass through and begins to function as a refuge. Among other decorative choices, creating projects that favor togetherness contributes to a more balanced atmosphere, capable of positively influencing the residents’ mood and mental health.

Different shared living spaces to embrace at home

Creating shared living spaces at home involves thinking about projects that welcome different types of interaction. More than following a single model, the important thing is to understand how each family uses the domestic space. From that reading, different solutions arise that transform the home into an active setting for togetherness. They include:

Living rooms without a TV

For many years, television occupied the center of the living room. Today, some projects seek to reclaim this project as a space dedicated to conversation, reading, and gathering, without the screen as the main focus.

Alf Arquitetura - Alma em Três Tons. Projeto da CASACOR Brasília 2025. (Edgard Cesar/CASACOR)

Generous sofas, comfortable armchairs, and side tables encourage longer conversations. In some cases, display cabinets, bookshelves, or small wine cellars can replace the TV — transforming the room into a space more oriented toward exchange and relaxation.

Gourmet kitchen

The kitchen has also taken on an important social role in the contemporary home. Integrated projects allow those who cook to continue taking part in conversations, bringing guests and residents together around the preparation of meals.

Andréa Magalhães Arquitetura - Casa Bem Vivida Electrolux. Projeto da CASACOR Rio Grande do Sul 2025. (Cristiano Bauce/CASACOR)

Central islands and generous countertops reinforce this dynamic. More than a technical space, the gourmet kitchen becomes a setting for everyday celebration, where cooking and socializing happen at the same time.

Conversation pits

Conversation pits (seating areas sunken in relation to the rest of the project) have reappeared in contemporary projects. Popularized in the 1960s and 1970s, these spaces create a sense of welcome by gathering seats around a central core.

Caroline Feldman, Marcia Lenz e Kathy Cárdenas - In/Out: Espacio de conexión. Projeto da CASACOR Peru 2025. (Renzo Rebagliati/CASACOR)

The format naturally encourages dialogue, since all participants face one another. Cushions, soft fabrics, and indirect lighting reinforce the intimate atmosphere, fostering prolonged get-togethers and informal conversations.

Welcoming balconies

The balcony represents a transition point between indoors and outdoors. When planned with intention, it can become one of the home’s main shared living spaces, offering a pleasant project for pauses, conversations, and moments of contemplation.

Canto do jardim de inverno com vista para a paisagem do Rio de Janeiro. (Denilson Machado/MCA Estúdio/CASACOR)

Even in compact areas, two comfortable seats and a small table already create a setting conducive to gathering. In addition, incorporating natural plants helps transform the balcony into an everyday refuge within the home itself.

Essential elements of shared living spaces

When designing shared living spaces, contemporary architecture has incorporated principles of so-called emotional design — an approach that considers how projects influence feelings and behaviors. Colors, lighting, materials, and sounds help create atmospheres capable of welcoming and bringing people closer together.

Soft textures, indirect lighting, the presence of greenery, and good acoustics are elements often associated with more inviting projects. When the senses are stimulated in balance, the space becomes more pleasant for lingering.

Terra Paisagismo - Essência da Terra. Projeto da CASACOR Goiás 2025. (Edgard César/CASACOR)

Another essential aspect is the identity of the project. Spaces that reflect the history, tastes, and memories of those who live there tend to be more welcoming. Thus, more than following trends, the true value of shared living spaces lies in the ability to transform the home into a place where people want to stay — and to meet again!