skip to main content

Building a Home Design Dilemma living room

Small Living Room as a future Dining Room

5 years ago

Hi everyone. We are still in the construction phrase of our home. We decided to use our 11.5 ft x 9.5 ft, which is located at the front of the house/opposite our 15ft x 13.5 ft kitchen, space as a temporary living room which will be converted to a dining room

My questions are:

1. Will the sq footage be suitable for the temp. living room and will it be suitable for a permanent dining room or should we extend?

2. Do you have any design plans for such a sq footage (for either or)?

3. Floor plans for such a size for the living/dining room will be appreciated.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

PRO
Virgil Carter Fine Art
5 years ago
That space is too small for either living or dining.

Good luck on your project.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
5 years ago
My questions are:

1. How far are you into the construction phase?

2. Why are you using a dining room for a temporary living room?

3. How did you get this far?
Related Discussions
painting living and dining room in very small bungalow
Q
Comments (11)
I totally agree with RL Relocation. A light color (doesn't have to be white or off white) will highlight the great woodwork and floors, which are a signature feature of your bungalow. There are lots of blues and greens out there that would work - and you don't have to limit yourself to those two - if you happen to love lavender for example. You have already looked at a blue similar (but darker) to the blue in the lampshade - so that is a starting point. Also the green on that throw pillow. I suggest this a lot, but if it were my house I would also be looking for a nice complimentary color to put on the ceilings. Ceiling white is so boring and often really doesn't look good with the rest of the room. For example - my kitchen walls are a pale green-blue, with whitish trim, and on the ceiling I used Valspar Transparent (which doesn't look IRL anything like the color shown online, unless they have changed it since 2013). In the can it looks pale blue, but in my north facing room kitchen it is a soft warm greenish off white. There are lots of examples of rooms with colored ceilings on line-- take a look.
...See More
Help with Arranging/Decorating Open yet small living and dining room
Q
Comments (5)
Where and how do you access the sofas? It looks like there is barely any room to walk around them to go sit down. And from where do you enter? Is that big round thing on the right supposed to be a hanging lamp from ceiling? If so, that space needs to be utilized. Or is it a round table?? Are those windows next to it? And the dark square shape in front of kitchen counter - is it a chair or... what? First, since your kitchen counter and wall to the patio are both angled, could you angle your loveseat and place it where the TV is now? Then, we'll just have to help you figure out where to put TV and big sofa, haha. You do have a bit too much furniture for this space, if the dimensions are scaled correctly. Can you sell the sofa and get a smaller one? These pieces look gigantic in that space. Photos of room would be helpful. I can see this image big and fine on my laptop, but room pics would help.
...See More
Dining room..creating space in a small dining room /sitting room area
Q
Comments (3)
Without an actual to scale plan of the space there is no way of knowing what will fit and I love the low cabinet with the art BTW. I think you might be able to put a round table in the DR but I need measurements of the spaces I never like fake greenery or flowers and the mirror is really not reflecting anything worth seeing twice
...See More
New house. Living room and Dining room too small.
Q
Comments (26)
Hi. No reason you cannot create a to scale floor plan now. Any decision in the living room needs to be done in conjunction with the new plan for the porch. (where door openings are positioned are important). 2 love seats are not functional. They are not facing the tv and adults that are not a couple don't like sitting in them. The best arrangement is always a sofa and 2 chairs. Having said that, if, for some reason you love having a chaise, then the argument could be made for that. I recommend a removable chaise for future flexibility. If you really don't have guests or it is seldom, you could use only the sofa in the room and bring in extra chairs for when guests visit.
...See More
PRO
Anglophilia
5 years ago
My guest bedroom is that size. It "just" holds two twin-sized beds with a dressing table under the winter in-between, and a chest of drawers. It would be ridiculous as a LR or a DR. It's fine as a guest room as guests don't say long and I do have a folding luggage rack I put in front of the closets so they have a place for their suitcase.
izzylicijohn
Original Author
5 years ago
The plan is to extend actually. But I was wondering if it was possible to still hold out on a size for a period of time. But based on your comments I realise the best thing will be to extend. We were planning to extend the 9.5 feet to 16ft. so can an 11.5 x 16 work for a dining?
chicagoans
5 years ago
"can 11.5 x 16 work for dining?"

That's going to be hard for anyone else to answer without seeing your floor plan, because you may need to account for walkways, door swings, etc. (Also we don't know the size and shape of the table you are trying to fit, how many people you want to seat, or if there will be other furniture in the room.) In general, I've seen guidelines of 30" to 48" from table edge to wall, with 30" being the minimum and more being better. Horizontally at least 24" per person with more at the ends (for leg room), and possibly more depending on the size of your chairs and your guests.

Create a layout drawn to scale, with your table drawn to scale in it.

Related Stories

SMALL HOMES Room of the Day: Living-Dining Room Redo Helps a Client Begin to Heal

By Becky Harris

After a tragic loss, a woman sets out on the road to recovery by improving her condo

LIVING ROOMS Living Room Meets Dining Room: The New Way to Eat In

By Toronto Interior Design Group

Banquette seating, folding tables and clever seating options can create a comfortable dining room right in your main living space

LIVING ROOMS Lay Out Your Living Room: Floor Plan Ideas for Rooms Small to Large

By Charmean Neithart Interiors

Take the guesswork — and backbreaking experimenting — out of furniture arranging with these living room layout concepts

ROOM OF THE DAY Room of the Day: Patience Pays Off in a Midcentury Living-Dining Room

By Annie Thornton

Prioritizing lighting and a bookcase, and then taking time to select furnishings, yields a thoughtfully put-together space

KIDS’ SPACES Who Says a Dining Room Has to Be a Dining Room?

By Becky Harris

Chucking the builder’s floor plan, a family reassigns rooms to work better for their needs

DINING ROOMS Room of the Day: Hand-Painted Walls Set This Dining Room Apart

By Morgan Province

A bold design and small accents make this square room the perfect place to have fun

THE HARDWORKING HOME Room of the Day: Multifunctional Living Room With Hidden Secrets

By Becky Harris

With clever built-ins and concealed storage, a condo living room serves as lounge, library, office and dining area

ROOM OF THE DAY Room of the Day: Bright Red Dining Room Glows in Fog City

By Annie Thornton

Mist can put a damper on the mood in San Francisco, but this lively room fires up the energy

ROOM OF THE DAY Room of the Day: Making Over a Harlem Living Room From 3,000 Miles Away

By Mitchell Parker

Using photos, video and email, San Francisco designer Jacqueline Palmer created a stylish living room for a New York City entrepreneur

HOUZZ TV LIVE Peek Inside a Designer’s Eclectic Dining Room and Powder Room

By Mitchell Parker

In this video, Jules Duffy talks about converting a garage into a dining space and creating a powder room ‘experience’

Sponsored

More Discussions

Roof Framing Looks Worrisome

12

Help me locate this tile manufacturer or where to find it please pleas

7

It's May 2024. How is your build going?

24

Help with kitchen design! Prep sink vs pot filler??

32

Design Proportion Dilemma

8