Recessed spaces have a long history going back at least hundreds of years — from the irori, or sunken hearth, in traditional Japanese architecture to the open pit dining rooms, or triclinia, of ...

The 1970s-style “conversation pit” — a sunken or recessed living area, often with built-in cushioned seating — is no doubt a bold design move. Who doesn’t remember seeing Don Draper’s sleek Manhattan ...