The Conversation Pit Makes a Big Comeback in These Fabulous Sunken Living Spaces

According to architect Peter Knight, cofounder of the Melbourne-based firm Taylor Knights, the sunken lounge in this renovated Victorian terrace house was designed with "slowing down and appreciating the environment" in mind. A custom, built-in sofa wraps around the wood- and stone-clad space, where a television is intentionally absent. "We wanted the client to be able to lie back and watch the clouds and the sky, to have conversations, to read a book, to play with their pets," says Knights.