Once they were cool, if just a tad bit weird. Sunken conversation pits built right into the floors gave loungers a cozy place to hang out, with plenty of room for large groups and an inward-facing design that encouraged social interactions. Unfortunately, the 1960s and 70s originals were also magnets for dirt and dust, not to mention accidents. Kids, pets and drunken guests were prone to falling right in, sometimes injuring themselves on the hard surface of the pit?s floor. While they were declared passé decades ago, these kitschy retro interior features may actually be making a comeback ? with a few slight alterations to make them safer and easier to clean, of course.

The first is a small wood-lined office with hidden storage, and the second is a kid-friendly padded pit that?s fully upholstered in 144 square feet of designer Patricia Urquiola?s “Tufty Time” microfiber sofa components. The conversation pit and office are like twin pools of warmth in a space that might otherwise feel a bit cold with all of its concrete surfaces, glass, and zig-zagging strips of LED lighting built into the ceilings. Instead of carving out a central void for a coffee table, the architects made the conversation pit all one depth, padding the entire area for enhanced lounging. Rather than facing a television (like the furniture in most living rooms does) the pit enjoys views of the surrounding forest on three sides through sliding glass walls.
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