Creating living room dining areas takes creativity and planning.
Dining rooms are sharing their space with living rooms in many apartments and homes, large and small. Decorating this space to keep it separate in feel, yet part of the decor, takes planning. Table size and shape, the number of chairs, separating the spaces visually and table decor are all factored in when laying out the space and design. Cabinetry and storage must also be examined for the space to work practically. Unite the themes of both rooms subtly in color, but make distinctions visually.
Define Your Space
Your living room consists of a certain amount of square footage. Determine what space you want to allot to lounging and media, and what remains is your dining space. Starting from scratch in your furnishings is the easiest approach, but if you are working with specific pieces, they must be considered first.
Placement
Your dining area should be close to the kitchen. With that in mind, group your living room pieces comfortably without crowding. A sofa placed perpendicular to the wall or floated at an angle opens the room. Add a cocktail table, media center and one side chair to complete the decor. If possible, place the sofa with its back facing the dining area and put a sofa table behind it. Add a dining table that fits your space and two chairs. Dining tables can be extended for entertaining on a large scale.
Dual Functioning Furniture
If your dining room set has four chairs, place two around the table, one in your living room for use as a side chair and one in your foyer or hallway. Pull them together as needed. The sofa table behind the sofa should have cabinetry below that can be used as storage for the dining room and as a sideboard when serving. Add a lamp for subtle living room lighting. If a sofa table/cabinet isn't an option, use a bench to separate the spaces. The bench will provide seating for both rooms.
Connect the Themes
Connect the two areas through color or fabric. An area rug in the living room can match the one you place under your dining table. Wall art can traverse the length of the living room/dining room for unity of theme. Window coverings and wall color should be the same.
Add Contrast
Your accessories define your space when combining two rooms into one. A chandelier over the makes a statement. Fabric upholstery on the dining chairs doesn't have to match the living room fabric as long as they are united in a color theme. Add a colorful runner to the dining table, a bowl of silk flowers and preset the table with a table setting that matches the mood of your home. Your dining space is now defined.
Tags: living room, dining table, dining room, , your dining, both rooms, dining space