small living and dining room ideas

Smart Ideas for Small Living and Dining Room Spaces

Written by: Marwa Imtiaz

With small living and dining room ideas and tricks, you can transform a small room into an inviting gathering space. If you don’t have a dedicated dining room but instead have a corner in your kitchen or a blank wall, you can create a comfortable space for you and your guests to enjoy meals together. 

These small dining room ideas will help make the space appear larger, increase storage, and improve traffic flow.

Living Room and Dining Room Small Ideas

Accent with Art

Try hanging a sideboard on the wall and accenting it with decor. It takes up less room and allows you to add more decorative elements. You can use the floating shelf for wine bottles or side dishes during dinner parties.

Maximize Your Window Views

Place a table in front of a bay window or a row of windows. A low-height table will allow sunlight to stream in and let you enjoy the view while drinking your morning coffee.

Don’t Be Afraid of Blocking Windows

If you have a large window or a sliding door, setting up a dining area that partially blocks the space is okay. Using a bench can minimize the obstruction while still making the area functional.

Modern Dining Nook

For a minimalist look, use a table and chairs with a narrow and subtle build. This style creates a serene feel and can be enhanced with warm gray tones, a rug, and a gallery wall for added character. Place the table where there’s plenty of light for a small space. Install thin benches against the wall to save space, and add a chair on the outside for versatility.

Include a Workspace

If you use your dining table as a workstation during the day, arrange it to maximize productivity. Keep the area free of distractions, ideally in a quiet corner. A sconce over the table can provide additional lighting for reading or working, even on cloudy days.

Curl Up with a Book

Another great idea is to position a table next to a bookcase. This can encourage you to relax with a good book during lunch or dinner, making this setup feel like a cozy café corner.

Use Compact Chairs

Instead of choosing seating that takes up a lot of space, opt for seating that tucks right into the table and is minimal in size. These rolling chairs are found in a stunning historic Charleston house. They are ideal because they can tuck under the table but still make a statement due to their geometric design.

Cozy Up Your Space

Covering your dining chair with sheepskin is an inexpensive, simple hack that will instantly soften this nook.

Traditional Style Dining Room

Do not fret if your home is Traditional and does not have a formal Dining Room. With the right furnishings, you can create a traditional feel in any room. Classic upholstered chairs flanked by a stunning velvet banquet create a timeless, regal look.

Get Your Furniture Touch

If you’re working with a small area, you can be more creative and disregard some design rules. If you have furniture that touches, you may have too much. When there is limited square footage, this isn’t the case. Devin and Chad have their shelving unit next to their couch and dining table, but the space is still flowing. It looks eclectic and cozy.

The Layout can be Modified

Divide your main living area from your dining area with your couch. In this example, the sofa is positioned to allow for easy lounging and watching TV, while the separate dining table is located in a different section.

You can choose a narrow dining table

A narrow table can be the only option to fit a space in a dining room, and that’s perfectly fine. Narrow dining tables create intimate, dynamic gatherings as well as fun, maximalist tablescapes. While shopping for tables, consider that a 30-inch minimum dining table width is ideal. Anything smaller will make your guests feel cramped.

Transform a Coffee Table Into a Dining Space

Cara has a small, galley-style kitchen with a table for two people. However, she also has an alternative solution for larger gatherings. In her stylish and quaint living area, the coffee table (which is, in fact, a bench) can also be used to store food thanks to a wooden plate on top. She can serve guests or eat alone. The sturdy board allows you to rest your plates or cups without worrying about them falling or staining a bench.

Fold-Out High Top Table

Tables with high tops are not smaller than regular height tables but look lighter because of the space they provide under them. This table features hinges that allow the leg of the table to be folded and the whole table to be folded up to the wall. This option is great if you eat at a place different from the table. When you have guests, you can fold the table and tuck it back when you want more space.

Chic Accents

Add accents and accessories to your tabletop. Brass candle holders match this living room’s brass picture frame and lamp. Flowers placed in a vase will never fail to impress. Pink spiral candles give it a playful touch.

Select Extra Seating

Many small tables can accommodate four chairs. This setup proves you don’t have to spend much money to host an event.

Maximize the Entryway

Set up your table at the entrance to use as a console desk for mail and keys. Remember to clean it up at the end of every day.

Divide and Conquer

Consider splitting your living space in two to use one half as a temporary dining room. You may need less room to accommodate your sofa and coffee tables. Enjoy the best of both worlds.

Scatter Accessories

This cozy dining space incorporates a quilt ladder, a round mirror, and a lamp table, which helps bridge the gap between the living room and the dining area.

Play with colors and materials

Choose a set of tables and chairs that you like. You can have some fun with marble or pink, for instance. Modern dining arrangements do not need to be a serious affair. Consider decorating the table with a jar of flowers and a funky vase.

Small Dining Nook Ideas

Small dining areas are often created by carving nooks out of larger rooms. You can unify your dining space with other spaces using similar design features. This nook, located just one step from the adjacent kitchen, carries the sleek black-and-white color scheme but has plum accents. 

A silver-lined round light fixture with a contrasted square table and cabinetry adds an elegant touch. A minimalist chair and small dining room furniture can add to a kitchen banquette without taking up too much space.

Small Banquette Dining Area

Choose a table to follow the lines of a banquette bench in a smaller dining room for maximum seating and mobility. A banquette with rounded corners works well with an oval-shaped dining table. The rounded edges make it easier to enter and exit the banquette. Curtains on half of the bay window keep the room’s soft, natural lighting while adding character and privacy.

Colorful Small Dining Room

Pops of color can liven up even a small space. The vibrant pinks and oranges in this corner banquette save space and add vibrancy. A bold print of the Roman shade with matching throw pillows brings a contemporary feel to this corner.

Small Dining Booth

A dining booth is a smart way to maximize space and offer a place for relaxation and conversation. The windows surrounding the booth create the illusion of a larger dining area, allowing the room to be seen from the outside. White benches with striped cushion covers enhance the light, airy look. A simple pedestal table without legs on the corners makes the booth easy to enter and exit.

Vintage Small Dining Room

This small dining area is enhanced by a white corner banquette that blends seamlessly with the white walls, vintage decor, and white corners. Cream cushions and pillows with prints add texture and color to the corner. 

A dark table adds contrast to the white scheme while maintaining the room’s simplicity. Lights from small wall sconces provide subtle lighting, while canvas and framed artwork give the room more character.

Simple, Small Dining Area

A small Dining Room Idea is the perfect way to keep it simple. A chestnut pedestal table, set against a white background, adds a traditional and homey touch. 

A small banquette with a window seats up to three people and has drawers for extra storage. Simple, easy, and lightweight chairs allow seating around the entire table. A lantern light fixture brings attention to the area and distinguishes it from the rest.

Small Dining Ideas That Are Comfortable

Choose extra comfort when space is limited. The back cushions are mounted on the wall. While most banquettes come with seat cushions, the space in this room takes comfort to a new level. 

The drawers in the banquette’s base provide additional storage, and the three-sided bench wraps around the entire piece. The white bench inside the backdoor is slim and tucks into the table. It doesn’t protrude out onto the adjacent walkway.

FAQs

How can you divide a living room into a dining room in a small space?

Here are tips on how to separate the living and dining areas

  • Hypnotic lattice dividers.
  • Double-duty display units.
  • Use lights to make a bold statement.
  • The humble floor mat.
  • Panels to add a touch of earth.
  • Say it with an accent wall.
  • Mix styles of furniture.
  • Divide by color.

How can I maximize the space in my dining room?

How can you make the most of a small dining area? To maximize seating, choose banquettes or benches for a small dining area. Combine a corner bench with a circular table and add extra chairs to the outside side to seat more people. Add stools to the table to be easily removed when guests arrive.

How can I make the small living space in my home stylish?

Small living room ideas don’t mean you have to compromise on style. Scaling down the furniture and decor will help to avoid overwhelming the space. The trick is to start with a small number of pieces of furniture that are the correct size and then layer on various accessories. This will add texture and personality.

What is the name of a small kitchen?

A small dining room is called a dinette, depending on its location. A nook is usually in the home’s kitchen.

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