Sometime soon, Questlove will be hosting friends horizontally. The drummer, D.J., and Oscar-winning director is one of many design aficionados making the conversation pit—the sunken lounge that became popular in the mid–20th century—the centerpiece of their new homes.
“It’s designed to feel like his personality: warm, inviting, and unexpected, but with an element of surprise,” says interior designer Nicole Fuller. For Questlove’s house, currently under construction in Dutchess County, New York, she has created a red, texture-rich pit inspired by the fashion designer Halston, with rich Italian velvets, a high-pile alpaca rug, and satin pillows. “It’s less about formal rows of seats and more about creating a relaxed, shared moment,” she says.
From New York to London, conversation pits have been cropping up—or, more accurately, down—in everyday living rooms. In Byron Bay, Australia, the architecture-and-interiors firm YSG Studio recently completed a sunken lounge for a young family. Reminiscent of a 70s film set, an earthy, L-shaped sofa flows down from the kitchen and dining area, padded with plump cushions and framed by a chrome balustrade—perfect for leaning against with a drink in hand. Shag carpet, however, was firmly off the menu. “Too clichéd,” declares Yasmine Ghoniem, YSG Studio’s director.
While today’s conversation pits make an aesthetic nod to Don Draper, their purpose is to create a communal vibe, whether that skews toward a group-therapy session or late-night revelry. Crucially, it’s less about tech and more about talk.
Pits fell out of fashion in the late 70s and early 80s, when living rooms were designed around fancy new televisions rather than entertaining. In today’s tech-addled world, says Ghoniem, “there’s a conscious mental shift to that device-free period where you hung out more, daydreamed, rested, and chatted with a bunch of mates who casually popped by,” she says.
For those who can’t afford to excavate or splurge on a “ready-made pit” such as Pierre Paulin’s Dune sofa, which is owned by Hailey and Justin Bieber, the dream can play out in video games like The Sims or through ogling aspirational interiors on social media. Brooklyn-based designer Anna Stapor feeds those bottomless pits with her Instagram account @conversation_pits, which she launched during the pandemic.
Perhaps you’d like to try before you buy? Conversation pits can be found in several stylish hotels. In the communal space of Casa Alférez, a brutalist building nestled in the pine trees outside of Mexico City, guests can linger in a sage-green lounge. At Hakka Guest House, in the Australian spa town of Daylesford, a secret timber door leads into a cozy, fireside den.
“The space generally gets used for playing board games or just relaxing by the fire,” says Bonnie Stevens, the director of Hakka Guest House. “Our vintage copy of Trivial Pursuit tends to be a guest favorite.” Just try to resist the urge to post about it on TikTok.
Hayley Peppin is a London-based writer
