Josh Brolin’s Anti-Screen Sanctuary: A Lesson In Designing High-Engagement, Conversational Spaces That Prioritize Human Connection
Looking for ways to make your main living area feel more convivial and less tech-dominant? Take notes from Josh's inviting seating arrangement
Whether you know him best from The Goonies or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's more than likely that Josh Brolin has graced your TV screen at some point. And yet, believe it or not, the actor's own living room is not set up for TV watching at all. Instead, he's opted for a far more convivial arrangement – one that prioritizes conversation over screens.
These days, the way we design our homes is increasingly shaped by our interactions with technology, and nowhere is this more evident than in the living room. Once a space dedicated to gathering and conversation, we now orient everything around the omnipotent screen on our walls. Wall length, natural light, seating arrangements – there are so many decisions surrounding our living room seating design that are now made with the TV in mind.
Shop the Look
Josh is clearly a fan of rich textures, so this velvet accent chair would look right at home in his living room. To make for an even more sociable living space, it's also designed on a swivel base so you can angle it easily.
Take design notes from Josh by contrasting rich textiles with rattan. Woven lamps feature heavily in his living room design, adding to the warm, rustic feel.
Pair a deep slouchy sofa with a trio of round pillows, just as Josh has done in his home. For a cohesive thread, scatter matching ones around surrounding accent chairs, too.
Crafted in sumptuously soft velvet, this throw pillow brings an instant note of refinement to any seating arrangement. Shown here in a luminous golden yellow, it’s also offered in seven additional, equally sophisticated hues to suit a range of personal styles.
Statement vases offer an effortless way to inject color and character into an otherwise understated interior. With its rustic ceramic finish, this piece is especially striking styled with dried botanicals such as bunny tails, eucalyptus, baby’s breath, cotton stems, or airy pampas grass.
Fringe is having a moment, though it never truly fell out of favor. The Alair ottoman embraces this playful detail, bringing movement and personality to the living room through its elegant tassel trim. With its round silhouette and chic fringe finish, it is a piece designed to deliver enduring charm with a touch of flair.
Cozy maximalism is very much the mood of Brolin's Malibu residence. A wooden media wall lines one wall of the living room (perhaps with a TV hidden inside it), with a gallery wall of assorted artwork running perpendicular. Texture features heavily, with rattan lamps, a bobbin side table, and what looks to be a chenille couch all calling for your attention.
If you asked us which one beckons the most, the slouchy sofa wins every time. The L-shape seating, complete with piles of matching scatter cushions, is already a conversational option, making it possible for two people to face each other while still sharing the sofa. But that's not all; two matching armchairs sit across a rustic coffee table, thoughtfully positioned at just the right angle to encourage conversation wherever you're sitting.
The arrangement might be subtle, but it doesn't go unnoticed by interior designers. 'It’s obviously designed as a true gathering space, not a formal, untouchable living room that is meant to be solely admired,' explains Elana Mendelson, founder of Elana Designs. 'The different seating arrangements (or zones, as I often call them) encourage natural conversation.'
According to Elana, the key is having different living room seating to act as separate hubs, rather than lining seating in a row facing a singular wall. 'Having these distinct zones removes the hierarchy of a single "best seat", making the room feel relaxed and inclusive,' she says.
But the living room sofa and patterned armchairs pictured in the foreground aren't the only options available. There's also a small side table in the corner of the room, nestled between two vintage wooden chairs. 'These serve as secondary seating, allowing guests to either have their own conversations or to comfortably join in with the others,' Elana notes. 'Like the larger guest chairs, the add flexibility as they’re easy to move, making the room adaptable for everyday life or entertaining.'
If you were looking for ways to make your room cozier for guests, take notes from Brolin's space. With a seating arrangement like this, they'll never want to leave your living room.
