Living Room With Dining Room Decorating Tips

A combination living and dining room feels cluttered without careful decorating.

The popularity of open-concept housing has resulted into a proliferation of living room-dining room spaces that serve double duty as functional spaces. Though such an arrangement lends itself well to entertaining, these dual-function spaces are a challenge to decorate. When you are decorating your room, consider the appearance of each separate space on its own merit as well as the complete vision of the singular room.

Colors

When choosing a color scheme for a living-dining room combination, stick to either a single color or a clearly defined color palette. For ultimate cohesion, choose a single wall color for the entire space; creamy beige neutrals are classic choices while more vibrant yellow or aqua is a modern, playful spin. Consider a wide, solid color border that extends all the way around the room to definitively identify the space as a unit.

However, to delineate individual spaces, consider a combination of two colors and reverse their functions in each room. For example, begin with a relatively neutral color scheme: beige and white, olive and mocha or yellow and pale blue. In the space designated as the living room, paint the walls in one color like beige and provide accent colors in white through fabrics, furniture and area rugs. In the dining room space, reverse the arrangement so that the walls are white but the furniture, fabrics and rugs are beige. To create unity between the spaces, consider a wall border that also switches colors; the white walled room has a beige border that changes to a white border when the beige walls begin.

Floors

To avoid disrupting the flow between each area, use a single flooring material that suits the needs of each room; hardwood or laminate hardwood flooring is an ideal option because of its design versatility and suitability in both living rooms and dining areas. Create a visual distinction by changing the angle of the planks when shifting from one area to the next; lay the pieces in a parallel vertical pattern in the living room but shift to an inverted diagonal for the dining area.

Small area rugs also designate each space. A plush asymmetrical area rug arranged between living room couches defines the common space while a sturdy dark rectangular rug situated beneath the dining table protects the floor and defines the space. Be sure to coordinate any area rugs with the color scheme and aesthetic of the room; an Oriental rug will seem out of place in a minimalist contemporary room.

Furniture

Dual-function furniture saves valuable floorspace in a living-dining room combination. Consider a dining table with side leaves that fold down so that the table can be pushed against the wall and serve as a bar during parties. Instead of traditional dining room chairs, purchase rolling chairs that easily slide into the living area to provide extra seating.

If you are using wood furniture, choose one type of wood in one type of finish for all pieces to avoid distracting contrasts. Painted wood furniture offers a bit more leeway; a bold red coffee table coordinates with black dining room table and white painted chairs. Alternative materials offer even more options. Clear acrylic pieces are modern options that make a space seem larger and less cluttered because they take up less visual space; bamboo pieces with stainless steel accents are understated contemporary options that don't seem bulky.

To create distinct areas, separate the spaces with a large couch or sectional with its back to the dining area. For a more flowing space, leave an open walkway between the living room and dining room with couches arranged perpendicular to the dining table.

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