Eating together, laughing and sitting comfortably together – the kitchen is not always suitable for this. Because of lack of space, the dining area has to be relocated in many apartments. But not every home has its own space for a separate dining room. The choice often falls on theliving room with an integrated dining area. But where is the best place to put the dining table? What is the most clever way to visually separate the areas from each other? We’ll show you wonderful living-dining room ideas with which you can furnish your combined room comfortably. Get inspired!
Our top 5 tips for your living-dining room
A combined room can be a challenge depending on the size of the room and its use. Bulky furniture, such as a sofa or a dining table, takes up a lot of space in the room and limits the scope for design in terms of position. So that the dining area in the living room doesn’t look out of place or your room’s functionality is limited, there are 5 simple guidelines that you can use as a guide.
- Space:Depending on the size of the room, you should cleverly plan the space for the dining table, chairs and sofa. The floor space should be large enough to be able to sit comfortably on the sofa and just as easily get up from the dining table and sit down. While a dining area in the kitchen is intended for a quick breakfast, a dining area in the living room should offer enough space to spend a few hours in comfort.
- Proximity to the kitchen:Keep the distance between the table and the kitchen as short as possible. This saves you a lot of time when it comes to setting or clearing the table. In addition, you don’t have to carry food across the entire room.
- Placement of the TV: The TV plays a central role in almost every living room next to the sofa. The practical thing about a combined living-dining room? You can also watch your favorite series or team while you eat. However, the television should not be too present in the dining room, for example when guests are visiting. It is therefore best if the television is integrated unobtrusively into the room and can only be turned towards the dining table when necessary.
- Storage space:Shelves on coffee tables, sideboards, side tables and sideboards are not only practical in simple living rooms, but also in your combined living-dining room. Glasses, napkins and coasters can be stored on serving trolleys, chests of drawers or side tables and are not only decorative, but also remain quickly at hand.
- Insight and outlook:Natural light also plays an important role when choosing the positioning of the areas. A dining table looks better next to a window, while on the couch you want to watch the TV more without being blinded. Therefore, try to locate your living area in the middle of the room, while your dining area should be located near the window.
The most beautiful living and dining room ideas for your home
Both the living room and the dining room are central rooms in every home. This is where most time is spent, eating, laughing, playing, reading, watching TV or entertaining guests. Thesecentral places in the homeshould receive the most attention and be functional as well as cozy and inviting. However, the challenge of a combined living room and dining room also leaves a lot of scope for creativity. A dining area in the living room leaves plenty of room for creative design options.
Visually separate the living room and dining room: 5 ideas for more privacy and coziness
A dining area combined with a living area is absolutely not uncommon. In many modern apartments, the rooms flow into one another and follow an open floor plan. This means you often benefit from a spacious, airy and light-flooded living ambience.
To prevent your living room from becoming confusing and unstructured, it is important tovisually separate the individual areas from each other.This creates more privacy and comfort in your living space. We’ll show you how you can do it easily.
Idea 1: Use room dividers flexibly and easily
Shelves or the sofa are not only a visual highlight in every living room – thepieces of furnitureare also perfect as stylish room dividers. This allows you to separate two functional areas from each other without immediately striving for a strict separation. If you place your sofa freely in the room or place your dining table behind ashelf, you can achieve an open design despite the visual separation. Largeplantsare alsoideal for separation. Of course, you still have the classic option of dividing your room with a room divider or screen.
Idea 2: Separate the living and dining areas with islands made of carpets
If your living room is rather small, you can choose different carpets instead of a room divider. These visually highlight the furniture on it and thus delimit the area. The easiest way to separate the dining table and sofa is to use a large rug. When it comes to shape and color, it’s all about personal taste! When it comes to size, you should make sure that your entire area fits on the “island”. So the dining table including the chairs should fit completely on it.
Idea 3: Visual separation through colors
Now color comes into play! To be precise, wall color. By designing the walls in a contrasting way, you can excellently separate the areas in the living room and dining room from each other. At the same time, the colorful concept can also be transferred to furniture and decoration. This creates a completely different effect in your room – depending on which area you are in.
Idea 4: Create contrasts through breaks in style
If you can’t decide on a living style, then opt for a modern break in style. This also offers you a great opportunity to divide a room. Through style and color you can create an elegant demarcation between the living and dining areas. This visual separation looks particularly harmonious if, for example, you place a retro chic sofa next to a rattan seating area.Feel free to mix modern elements with vintage pieces or rusticwooden furniture. Just make sure not to mix too many materials and styles – limit yourself to 2-3 of your choice.
Idea 5: Light and lighting
Different light sourcescan also be used to separate the dining and living areas. Cold white or neutral white light is particularly suitable in the dining room, which makes the plates shine. In the living room, however, warm white light looks cozy and inviting. A quirky pendant light above the dining table can create a fabulous effect, while the living area can look great with a floor lamp. At the same time, different light intensities ensure a clear separation of the individual areas. Don’t forget the effect ofcandlesand other indirect light sources.
Decorate your living-dining room
The decoration possibilities in a combined living and dining room are almost endless. Because here you have the freedom to design two functional areas in just one room. Withvases,lampsandpicturesyou can achieve great design effects in just a few simple steps. Give your dining areaa touch of personality in no timewith beautifulaccessories, such as plants or matching table decorations. You can change any area with little effort and immediately create a completely new, fresh overall picture.
In general, you should pay attention to a harmonious concept in which the decoration does not appear too overloaded in relation to the room. You definitely won’t go wrong with beautiful vases and your favorite flowers and will bring freshness into the room.Maximize the coziness in your living-dining room withtextilesas decoration.
Setting up a large living-dining room: Our ideas
The aim was to create a living and dining room with an inviting, feel-good atmosphere: an attractive look with modern design colors and materials as well as a harmonious feeling of space.
Ideas for colors and materials
Interior designer Jasper wanted to create a reflection of the magnificent, calming views. That’s why he used natural materials such as wood, stone and linen. The colors are also reserved and radiate calm: dark wood tones, brown and black. Warm materials and colors were used for the accessories.
Choose the furniture and decorations
The furniture is subtle and minimalist, but sometimes stands out because of its organic shapes. Accents are set through lamps and decorations. If the furniture is discreet, you can finally let off steam here. Soft materials in the form of textiles create a cozy atmosphere – the must for this: a carpet! It separates the living area from the dining area.
Setting up a large living room and dining room – the result
Set up a large living room and dining room step-by-step
- Think about how big the furniture in the sofa corner and the dining area should be. Then select them discreetly.
- If you have a large room, you should just make sure to use cozy accessories such as a carpet. Choose one for each area – the carpets can be large!
- Now it’s the turn of the lighting – here you can go for extravagance and choose eye-catchers. Also make sure there is enough lighting – a large room needs a lot of light sources to make it comfortable.
- Decoration! Cushions and other textiles such as plaids ensure coziness. The wall decoration is just as important.
TUKA Studio: Tips from interior professionals for small living-dining rooms
Small rooms and especially small living rooms have specific needs. We’ll tell you which tips you need to keep in mind if you also want to integrate a dining table:
- Arectangular table that is placed with its front side against the walloffers enough space and also uses the space stylishly.
- Especially in small living-dining rooms, a large rectangular table can still be cramped. It can help toswitch to a round dining table. With a round table there is no seating arrangement, each chair can be placed in the way that suits best.
- Rely onmultifunctional furniture. Folding furniture or pull-out furniture, such as a table, is ideal.
- The sofa is ideal as a centerpiece in the middle of the room in a small living-dining room.
Our other tips for the living-dining room
When furnishing your living-dining room, there are several factors that influence the design. The size of the room, style, color idea and appropriate lighting design play a major role here.
If you would like more living ideas for the living dining area, you can alsoget advice from ourTUKA Studio Interior Design Service.Here are her other tips:
Note the small size of the living-dining room
In a small room you should, on the one hand, work with lighter colors and, on the other hand, choose a round table. A decorative mirror can enlarge the room. The dining group should of course be chosen in proportion to the room, just like the rest of the furniture.
Choose a suitable style
Do you like rustic wooden elements, linen fabrics and light colors? Then it is advisable to design your living-dining room completely in country house style. If you like working with golden accents, velvet fabrics and extravagant decorations, then you will find yourself in the glam style. If you are a fan of straight shapes and reserved looks, then a modern look or the Scandi style are just right for you.
Matching colors
For a fresh and natural atmosphere, we recommend using light green or blue tones. These can be found in both the wall design and the seat upholstery. Delicate red tones such as terracotta, earth tones and orange tones are suitable for a warm atmosphere. If you like it a little more colorful, you can also reach into the paint pot and combine several bright colors. This is particularly suitable for chairs of the same shape.
Natural materials
Solid wood is particularly popular in the living-dining room as it contributes to a cozy atmosphere. We recommend oak or wild oak (solid) for the dining table. If you choose the same material for the other furniture, the whole thing looks like a set, only more individual.
Good light: The right lighting
Several light sources are also recommended in the living-dining room to create more coziness. A hanging light above the dining table provides enough light while eating and is even more practical if it is dimmable. Of course, indirect light for contemplative hours can also be provided with table lamps on chests of drawers or consoles behind. And how about an arc lamp next to the sofa?
