7 must-try ideas for living room and dining room combos

Living room and dining room combos are becoming the norm in modern living areas and open-concept floor plans. You’ll see them everywhere, from studio apartments to spacious houses.

The trick to open floor plans is defining distinct areas without interrupting the flow in the combined living spaces. It’s all about creating balance using clever furniture placement and interior design ideas.

Here, we highlight some fantastic decorating ideas for living room and dining room combos for spaces of all sizes. Get ready to make the most of your home design.

Our top 7 living room and dining room combo ideas

These interior design ideas will help bring your living room and dining room combo to life. Because decorating open-concept living spaces doesn’t have to be difficult!

You don’t need to use all of them — pick the ones you think will impact your home decor most. 

1. Separate the spaces with a sectional

Using a sectional sofa in your living room seating area creates a visual barrier that separates it from your dining area. Position your dining room table behind the sectional, ideally between your kitchen and the living area.

Consider a small sectional if you’re working with limited square footage. Alternatively, combining your dining room area with your kitchen could solve the issue. Try using a sectional in the living room to create separate spaces and placing counter-height dining chairs along one side of a built-in kitchen island for your dining area.

2. Switch up the colors

Subtle changes to the color scheme between your living room and dining room designs can help make each room feel distinct. The easiest way to do this is by using different colors for the pieces of furniture in each area. This approach works well in areas with calm, neutral tones. 

Another simple way to do this is by using different-colored area rugs under the dining and coffee tables. Area rugs are the foundation for a room and can make an impact when you use different colors. 

If you’re a homeowner or can paint your rented space, changing your paint colors or adding an accent wall in one room can also be a fun way to change the color palette.

3. Create distinct focal points

The focal point of a room is where people naturally look or are drawn to when they enter a space. You create visual separation by giving your living and dining rooms distinct focal points.

For example, adding a showy centerpiece is a simple way to give your dining space a focal point. Or, if you have a small dining room set, an eye-catching pendant light or chandelier might bring it to life.

Natural focal points in the living room typically include the TV or fireplace — usually whatever the furniture is oriented toward. Hanging an eye-catching artwork is another excellent option for creating a focal point.

4. Go TV-free

Forgoing the TV in a modern living room frees up a lot of space while giving it a minimalist appeal. This won’t work for everyone, but it might work if you do most of your streaming on a tablet or another device.

This approach allows you to make even a small living room feel spacious. Add a pair of armchairs, a sofa, and a coffee table, and you’re good to go! We recommend a three-piece living room set for a matching ensemble to help define the space. You can keep it interesting by hanging a unique light fixture in the center of the living room.

If you have a large window and a good view, consider facing your sofa toward the natural light instead of away from it so you can look out at the world.

5. Use a round table

Round tables are ideal for limited square footage. They allow you to keep more space around your dining table and create a visual illusion of having a bigger room.

If your living room and kitchen take up most of your space, look for a corner or open area against a wall. This can be the perfect spot to nestle a four-person round dining table for family meals and dinner with friends.

6. Keep it bright

White living areas and bright lighting can help make small spaces feel large, inviting, and clean. Let in as much natural light as possible — if privacy is an issue, try sheer white curtains.

For those without many windows, multiple light sources paired with white walls can amplify the brightness in a room. Decorative mirrors are also a handy addition since they can boost the impact of a light or window. Bonus points if you pick a decorative mirror with built-in LED lights!

7. Merge spaces

Merging your living room and dining room combo is a wonderful way to make the most of an open floor plan with limited square footage. Your furniture placement should allow space for your dining table, dining chairs, and living room seating.

You can still apply other tips to differentiate between the spaces. For example, the space in the photo above uses white living room furniture and a natural wood dining table set for color differentiation. It also makes great use of bright lighting and light fixtures to create different focal points for each area.

Tips for living room and dining room combo decor

The ideas above point you in the right direction for creating a beautiful living room dining room combo in almost any space. But if you’d like some more inspiration, here are some extra tips for decorating your open space:

• Pick a design style: Changing up the colors and focal points is one thing, but you’ll usually want a uniform design style throughout your open space. Transitional, minimalist, Scandinavian, and rustic interior design are popular choices.
• Use creative storage: If you have limited space, creative storage solutions can be game-changers. From a coffee table with hidden storage to a floor lamp with added shelving, there are plenty of ways to store your belongings.
• Measure everything carefully: Before buying furniture and regardless of your square footage, record the measurements for your entire space and each separate area. Then, check the dimensions of the furniture you’ve selected by outlining them on the floor with masking tape to see how much room you’ll have to move around.
• Go with what you love: If you find furniture positioning that works for you, use it. Don’t worry about whether it looks like the homes in magazines or perfectly matches the ideas here. The most important part is that you love your living space.

Enjoy seamless style

With these living room and dining room combo ideas, you can transform your home into a harmonious haven and unlock the potential of your floor plan.

So go ahead and let your creativity flow. You have everything you need to mix and match and make your home a hub of comfort. Here’s to endless possibilities, unforgettable moments, and seamless style!

To realize your open floor plan dreams, check out the complete Coaster Furniture catalog for thousands of options for every room. And remember to use the store locator for convenient pickup or delivery.

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