I hear
a lot of people asking how to set the layout of a room where the Living
room and Dining room are sharing the same space.
In
today's house, it is common to see the Shared Space Design as oppose to two separate rooms, one for living and the other for dining.
ieces furniture
How
can you decorate it and still keep it separate? Every room is different, I
cannot give you a generic answer. Something that will work for one space may
not work for the other, but I will do my best to give you guidelines to better
assist you laying out your room.
First
things first...Figure out what your needs are.
Do you
entertain a lot? Do you need a big dining table or will a
small expandable table be enough? Do you have a breakfast area in the
kitchen, maybe there is no need for another dining area? Is there going to
be a TV at the living room? etc. etc.
Second, measure your
room. If you can, sketch it on a piece of paper.
Remember
to include the measurements of all walls, doors and windows in your sketch
(to scale).
Sketch
your furniture (again, to scale) on a different piece of paper, cut them and
experiment with them in different positions on your plan (you can also do this
on your computer if you know how to use a simple drawing program). This
sketch (your floor plan) is also helpful for when you go and select
your furniture.
Third,
if the room is not in a rectangular shape, consider using the smaller
area for the dining area.
 |
Small room dedicated for both purposes -a mirror is placed above the fire place to give the illusion of bigger space |
For
a rectangular shaped room look for the architectural clues
in the room. For example a fire place
is usually the anchor for the Living room; Bay windows can
play a part in defining the Dining room. Where is the kitchen in relating to
the room, you don't want to go through the entire space just to serve food...;
and so on and so forth.
After
you figured out the designated space for each area, here are some ground rules
to decorate them.
Try
and design the areas so there is an anchor with light and an
area rug. Have a chandelier above your dining room table to define
it's space.
Create
focal point, or emphasize an existing one to make
the illusion of separation. For example, if there is a fire place,
decorate the living area around it.
You
can also use glass-top table with clear chairs to visually
expand the space and make it feel bigger and less clutter.
Furniture position - This is a tricky one. Some will say, face the big sofa
with it's back to the dining area.
 |
Luxury Room at Inter Continental NY |
The
sofa will create a visual separation between the areas, not everybody
like this idea and they want to keep the flow of the open space design, nothing
here is written in stone it can work both ways (In a long rectangular room I
would avoid it).
If you
do use the "floating sofa" design, place a console behind it
to use for storage to serve both zones.
Whatever
you do, do not clutter the room by trying to force too many pieces of furniture
into it, and always leave enough space around the furniture for people to move
freely.
Last
but not least, at your design you have to remember that both areas share the
same space. You want to pick up furniture and accessories that will give a cohesive
look. Try and avoid using too many different colors and shapes.
You
can also check out my post about decorating a big room before you
start, for more design ideas.
Till
next time,
Tali
