Here we share our combined living and dining room guide including tips on how to divide, layout, colors, useful ideas, open spaces, fireplaces, small, formal, and modern areas, and dividers.
What’s the charm when it comes to the combined living and dining room that made people want them? For people living in small homes and studio apartments, it is the best way to maximize space.
And for those with big homes, having an open living and dining room is stylish and gives them creative freedom to design the place however they want to.
This is the best thing about having a combined living and dining room. You can choose to mix and match the style of both rooms or you can do the exact opposite of that.
It is important to create a clear separation between each section of the room. Differentiating and separating the living room from the dining room requires creativity. Establishing each space can be done through a divider but you can also use colors and style to make the difference between them clear.
There are different ways you can make it clear which section is the living area and which one is the dining area. You only need to know how to establish each space and how to divide them.
How To Divide A Living Room And Dining Room Combo
The key to having a stylish combined living and dining room is knowing how to creatively differentiate them yet somehow create harmony in the room.
While it does not have a divider installed, the spaces for the living room and the dining room are established through the rugs.
You can emphasize these spaces and create clear division by using the following elements:
- Lattice dividers/screens
- Double-duty furniture (Acts as a divider too)
- Floor Mat/Rugs
- Lighting/Lights
- Accents of the Walls
- Wood Panelling
- Color Palette (Dividing with Color)
- Mix-up Furniture styles
There is also a clear mix-up of furniture styles between the two rooms. Another way to divide the living room and dining room is through their room layout.
Living Room And Dining Room Layout
Connecting the living room and the dining room offers convenience. And having them both in one room adds to that convenience, especially when it comes to gatherings and dinner parties.
For you to fully benefit from that convenience though, the layout of the room must also contribute to its functionality. You must consider the flow of the room when designing the room’s layout. Make sure both of the rooms though have direct flow towards the kitchen for easier transport of food.
You should also know what to use the rooms for before designing the layout. Will you be entertaining a lot of guests in the living room or would you want it to be a cozy space for your family?
The dining room and living room are separated by the grey couch and the white column. The kitchen is separated from the dining room through the lights.
Best Colors To Paint A Combined Living Room And Dining Room
While it’s true you need to establish a space for each living room and dining room, using paint to do that is not the best decision.
Whatever color you choose for your combined living room and dining room, paint them both in the same color. One way you can differentiate the living room from the dining room through paint is by accenting one room.
Treat both rooms as a single room and design a cohesive space. You can simply highlight each room in its own way. A more intentional holistic look for both rooms can offer the appeal of a better flow in the spaces.
While in different shades and accents, both rooms use one solid color. And this creates the feeling of harmony in the rooms compared to having different colors for each room that can in the end help them appear disjointed.
The color of the pieces of furniture even adds to the charm of the bold modern look. The white furniture and black paint of the living room and the black furniture and white paint of the dining room work excellently. Read more about our guide on what color goes with black furniture here.
Living And Dining Room Ideas
Are you still looking for living and dining room ideas? Combining your living room with your dining room can be an exciting project to work on. In working on this project though, you have to consider the following elements in order to be effective and successful.
Clever Furniture Placement: The pieces of furniture you choose can help you decorate the rooms and maximize the spaces for each room.
Accessorizing Each Room: All decor that you choose for the rooms should either be functional or at least or add to the value of the room and the home
Well-defined Zones: Establishing the spaces for the living room and the dining room is possible through different elements, including a rug or a divider. The themes, colors, and furniture can even be used to establish these zones for the rooms.
Balance for Each Room: Make sure that there is some sort of balance between the living room and dining room, especially since they are combined in one room. This can come in the form of the number of seats to the spaces they occupy in the room.
Harmonious Color Palette: Choose a color palette that is not only stylish but can also reflect what you want the room to reflect, whether you want it to be bold and modern or rustic and cozy.
Besides all of these elements to consider, you should also consider the kind of combined living room and dining room you are planning to build.
Open Living Room And Dining Room
Open spaces can be difficult to fill but the great thing about them is that they have great flow. The challenge is learning how to fill those that large space with warmth and personality. But this does not mean that you can just randomly install pieces of furniture. It can still look cluttered when designed wrongly.
The first thing that can help you is to create a layout floor plan for the open space. In this way, you will have a plan laid out before installing pieces of furniture and decorating the rooms. If you’re having a hard time, here are some ideas you can do for your open living room and dining room.
Fireplace Between Dining And Living Room
Fireplace! Who doesn’t love the fireplace at home? It adds warmth and a homey feel to a room. The best thing is that there are now modern fireplaces you can install at home, which offer warmth just like traditional fireplaces without its inconvenience.
Fireplaces are awesome room dividers primarily because they can distribute heat more evenly. And the aesthetic value it adds to the room is incredible. And you can install a fireplace in various ways.
The living room has the color theme black while the dining room has white. The fireplace is installed more on the living room side considering its color theme.
Small Dining And Living Room Combined
The challenge with a combined small dining and living room is maximizing whatever space is available. Two ways to do this is to:
Install Multi-Purpose Furniture: Skim through the market and choose furniture that works double-duty. It can be in the form of a TV stand that has storage space, storage couches, sofa tables, and bar seating.
Make Use of Decor for Room Definition: When defining the living room or the dining room, decor and accessories can do the trick. Adding a divider will just crowd the small space you have. Some use rugs while others prefer hanging lights and even artwork.
Formal Living Room And Dining Room
A formal living room and dining room will require excellent flow that can help you move seamlessly between the rooms to entertain guests. Make sure to have that flow yet at the same time not let the room appear empty just to accommodate movement.
Modern Living And Dining Room Combined
If you are leaning more towards a modern combined living and dining room, there are also ideas you can consider. Just like any other combined room, the key is to define the areas yet create a cohesive and harmonious design at the same time.
Living And Dining Room Divider Ideas
If you have enough room to use a divider, it is the ideal option to divide your living area from your dining area. It can’t appear to be forced installation though and must look like part of the room. In fact, it should give value and more appeal to the room.
Besides a real divider, there are other elements you can use if you don’t have one.
If that doesn’t help, the brown couch and line of stools set the border for both areas. See more related content at our article about how to choose the right couch colors for your living room on this page.