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Home Decorating Furniture Design Dilemma

How should I lay out my combined dining + living room?

4 years ago

I'm moving into an apartment that has a combined open living space and I'm not sure how to situate my furniture since it's such an open floor plan. There's a space intended for a small dining table because there's a light fixture installed above it, but I'm not sure where to place the couch or media center. The fireplace and window placement is throwing me off too. Is it odd to place the TV and dining table along the same wall? Would love some design advice!

My furniture:

Rounding dining table

Low 3-drawer TV stand

3-seat sectional with right chaise

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Comments (2)

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Beth H. :
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
can you post a pic from the other direction? (stand next to fireplace)

can the round dining table be placed closest to the kitchen? maybe off to the right in the foreground of your first picture as shown in your floor plan?

are you putting a tv in there? where is the cable outlet?

this layout is rather long and narrow.

media cabinet lay out

do you have an area rug?

I like something like this to the left of the fireplace under the window

or behind the sofa along one of the walls

something like this would look cool. easy to hack w/Ikea Billy Bookcases.
decoenthusiaste
4 years ago
Is that track light installed for the dining table? Where is the TV connection?
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Furniture placement is key to a great functioning room. Question, is this a "great room" situation or do you have a living room and a family room? If you have both rooms, I suggest no TV in the living room. If the TV will be in the same room as the fireplace, and there is room, consider built-in cabinets on either side, or one side of the fireplace to incorporate the TV and accessories. If you can't afford built-ins at this time, as new homeowner's are usually low on cash, you might be able to find a nice TV cabinet that will work. I prefer a nice piece of artwork or a mirror over the fireplace. When placing furniture, consider the view, if any, and how the room is to be used. Never put a sofa in front of, and with it's back to a window. A very simple setting would be a nice sofa, two lounge chairs, coffee table, side table, and possibly floor lamps. My philosphy is to never buy a "set of furniture". Do an ecclectic mix. See one of my client's homes below. All the best to you in your new home!
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Let go of the idea that you have to have the sofa or any furniture at all against a wall. The best solution is to "float" the sofa, in your case, to face the fireplace. Get a really nice very large rug, put it in the middle of the room to anchor the space, and place the sofa and coffee table on it. Some shelving to the sides of the fireplace would be an ideal place to place a TV--on the right unless you have a huge TV. A nice easy chair on the left of the fireplace under the window with a floor lamp or shelf lamp behind it would make a cozy reading corner yet would add to your conversational grouping. Do a Google search on "floating a sofa"
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Just experiment with some inexpensive vinyl tablecloths to find a color you like best, OR, maybe you want to paint the table? or just the table top, to bring some light into the area. The dark furniture is absorbing the light, the painted wall color is providing. You may want a different dining set? https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/gracie-oaks-ridgley-7-piece-extendable-solid-wood-pub-table-set-w001171274.html?piid=364988432 There are many options in that size of set. Painting it would be the most labor intensive, adding light colored chair seat pads and a coordinating table cloth, table runner or placemats would be easiest, or just buy a light colored set of furniture. The bonus there is, they really don't show the dust as much as the darker wood does. LOL... But a set this color, as the link above is for, ----or the table runner and chair pads below this picture, might be the best short term solution since your dining set is very nice.. https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/mother-of-pearl-beaded-36-inch-table-runner-in-ivory/5316905?skuId=67414284&poc=3298507 with this and than find some slim ivory chair pads for the chair seats. You may find other sets or styles you like, I just think Mother Of Pearl is timeless and classy, not gaudy, and would be special in your dining area on the table top..
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