How to Design a Chic Small Dining and Living Room Combo That Save Space

A small space doesn’t have to lack style. The stereotype of a dull tiny apartment is not usually accurate. With proper planning, some of the most elegant homes are the most compact.

Combining the dinner and living areas is a challenge most apartment residents share. Fortunately, there are many clever and modern design solutions that solve the challenge without breaking the budget.

This article aims to present you with 12 sophisticated solutions for combining the living and dining spaces that are practical and proven to work. We are not using clever design tricks from magazines that will only look good for a photoshoot. Instead, we are focusing on functional design.

Let’s get started.

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Combining the Dining and Living Room Design

Before we show you the solutions, let’s explain why combining the dining and living space is a great strategy for small spaces.

If you no longer view your dining and living spaces as separate rooms, you will find that your entire space can be thought of as an uninterrupted design space. This new perspective can assist you to be more selective and creative in your furniture and design choices, allowing your home to feel much larger than it is in reality.

Creating the illusion of openness and luxury in a dining and living space that is small is absolutely possible with the right ideas.

1.Round Dining Tables Make Spaces Feel Larger

Of the many small dining room ideas, the easiest may be the most effective, a round dining table. Corners of square and rectangular tables create a crowded and tight feeling in small rooms. The absence of edges in a round dining table gives the room a more open feeling.

Round tables of a tulip or hairpin style light leg design create a more open look. The perception is that the table takes up less space and allows more floor space.

Pro Tip: Round dining tables with glass tops take up the least amount of space visually.

Learn more:Farmhouse Dining Table Ideas & Designs Transform Your Home

2.One of the Best Space Saving Ideas is a Foldable or Extendable Dining Table

Small living spaces require small dining tables and foldable tables save the most space. With space to walk around the table when it is not folded against the wall, a dining table is fully functional when guests arrive.

Dining tables that are extendable are great to have in small living spaces. The table remains small and functions as every day dining furniture, but has the ability to take up more space when more room is needed. This type of furniture has really changed the dining table ideas for small apartments.

The appeal of modern design and furnishings lies in their style and functionality. Attractive and functional elements can now coexist in your home.

3.Define Zones With a Simple Area Rug

Combining the living and dining spaces makes room design difficult, and most notably, it can be difficult to make the living space and dining space feel distinct. A dining table should not awkwardly occupy the middle of the living room.

The best solution is to use area rugs to define the spaces.

This design trick suggests a rug is placed beneath the sofa and coffee table while the dining space either remains rug-less or has a smaller rug placed beneath the dining table. This trick makes the living space and dining space feel distinct and separate.

This design trick can be used for any style, from minimalist, bohemian, and modern, and is favored by most interior designers.

4.Choose a Bench Instead of Dining Chairs

The design of traditional dining chairs takes up a lot of room in the dining and living space design. This makes dining space movement feel chaotic.

Bench seating can be used instead and is pushed beneath the table when not in use. Bench seating can accommodate more people than the dining chairs it replaces while design space remains virtually the same.

Better yet, benches, which have storage underneath, combine seating and concealed storage. This is the kind of innovative design for small space dining rooms that can really help you out.

5.Take Your Dining Table to The Walls

One of the most ingenious solutions for a small living room that also contains a dining area is a wall mounted dining table. When you are done eating, it can fold down and be virtually undetectable.

This solution is especially useful in studio apartments, where space is extra valuable. The rest of the day your space can feel open and uncluttered. Once you flip down the table, a dining area is created in mere seconds.

The wall mounted tables of today come in a variety of elegant designs. Some can be folded down and look like art pieces on the wall. It is a function and design in one.

6.Use Your Kitchen Island for Dining

If the kitchen in your small apartment opens up to the living space, consider an island that has bar stools as one of the most brilliant dining table ideas for an apartment.

The island can have dining space, additional counter space, and a natural break between the kitchen and living area. By adding a couple of bar stools, your dining space is set up and does not take up additional space.

This design holds particular appeal in urban studio apartments and in small open concept apartments. It is an attractive design that is functional.

7.Go Vertical With Storage and Shelving

Floor space is the most valuable resource in small combined dining and living rooms. To best utilize the available space, think vertically rather than horizontally.

Tall shelving units and floating shelves help store dining essentials, such as dishes, glasses, and table linens. With vertical rather than horizontal storage, floor space is left available for movement and for additional furnishings.

Floating shelves over the dining table help create a display area that can be styled and decorated with plants and candles.

This design helps create the illusion of taller ceilings.

8.Pick Light Colors to Make Everything Feel Bigger

Color can have an impact on perception of space. The right color design can make an apartment that is perceived as small feel large and bright.

In a small combined living and dining room, stick with a color palette in light and neutral shades. White, cream, gray, and beige can help make walls and ceilings appear further away and elevated.

Warm neutral palettes help achieve a cozy and open space. White and beige fabrics can help add texture.

Add color with accessories rather than wall paint. A colorful vase, bright cushions, or even a light fixture can make your room come alive and add personality without making your room feel small.

9.Use Mirrors Strategically

An old favorite in interior design that always works is a trick with mirrors. A large mirror in your combined small living and dining room, for example, can double the space in your room.

A mirror can sit beside your dining table, or even behind it, and will reflect light and depth. The mirror will make the room also feel bigger and be helpful if it’s a console or a sideboard.

The most effective positioning for your mirror will be if it reflects a light source or a window. This will help your room feel light and airy which is ideal for all small rooms and will maximize the effect of your mirror.

10.Create a Dining Nook in a Corner

A corner dining nook is also a great idea for a small dining room. This nook can help create a cozy feeling and is the best use for the small room.

Tucking your dining table to a corner rather than the middle gives room to an L-shaped bench. The bench can sit along the two walls and an L-shaped table. The layout also gives you your needed space for other furniture.

Corner dining nooks are a great way to create an intimate dining space. By adding a small pendant light and adding cushions to the nook, you can create a space that looks like it came from a boutique hotel.

11.Furniture Should Have Legs

Having furniture with legs rather than bases creates an illusion of more space. Furniture with bases block your view of the floor, and can easily make a room look small and cramped. All of the furniture in a room should have legs to keep the room looking more open.

When looking for furniture, make sure to check the bottom. Choose the furniture with legs every time.

12.Bring Spaces to Life with Plants

Adding plants to a small living space and dining room can be one of the best things to do for the room. Plants can add color and texture in a way that nothing else can. They can completely change the look of a room while being the perfect touch.

A tall plant in a corner can help draw the eye to the top of the room. They can add a lot of color while leaving your surfaces and floor space clear.

Plants assist with air purification and bringing Zen to a space. In an area where every piece of decor works hard, plants provide beauty, health, and style.

If you are not a skilled plant caregiver, try plants that are easier to care for, like pothos, snake plants, or peace lilies. They are beautiful and easier to care for.

Final Thoughts

Making your small dining and living room look beautiful and functional is something completely possible. No large budget is required and professional help is not a requirement. All that is needed are a few great ideas, and a bit of imagination.

Try one or two of the suggestions and witness the transformation. Many of the solutions are budget friendly and easy to implement.

Each of the suggestions is designed with purpose and intent in mind, so do not be discouraged by the smallness of your space. Small designed areas that have purpose are more delightful than large empty spaces can ever be.