Open Floorplan Living / Dining Area Q

Erkamu · 2025-03-03T17:32:41+00:00

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Hi, all! I live in a 1950s home that was renovated by the previous owners in 2018. The living / dining / kitchen space is all open plan, which I love, but it's presented some interesting layout conundrums. It's a long narrow space, making it a awkward and I think limiting, but that's why I'm here, to get some advice. The photos are AI-generated from our realty listing, so the furniture isn't what we have in actuality, but it is the layout. Our dining room has a much larger rectangular wood dining table. I'm open to layout and wall color changes—Thanks for any suggestions!

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Comments

DanielaAraya

What kind of furniture are you working with in the living room? I like the layout in the image above, but I can understand the feeling of wanting to find something fresh and your own! For the dining area, is it a wild idea to have the rectangular table coming out from the side of the window? So basically the window and dining table combined make a T shape. Is there enough room for that? I wonder if that would help create some division (I tried this in my dining room before and it was a nice switchup!)

InspiredCFSUK

Your home looks beautiful, and I totally get what you mean about long, narrow spaces being tricky to arrange! Since your actual dining table is larger, one thing that might help is shifting the furniture layout a bit so everything flows better. Maybe rotating the dining table lengthwise to match the shape of the space would help create a more natural flow between zones.

For wall color, since you have an open-plan layout, a warm white or soft greige could help keep things feeling cohesive and airy. If you’re open to an accent wall, a subtle earthy tone could add some depth without making the space feel too enclosed.

Another idea if you feel like the living area is a bit tight is to swap out bulky furniture for pieces with lighter, more open bases (like a glass coffee table or armless chairs). It might make the space feel a little less confined.

If storage is a concern, built-ins or a narrow console behind the sofa could be great options too. Hope that helps, and I’d love to see what you end up doing!

Zephy

I have zero experience with this kind of home (more used to NYC apartments), but the layout looks really good to me — you have a conversation area where everyone can talk and see the TV and reach the coffee table, the traffic goes behind the couch and not through the conversation, there's lots of light and apparently acres of space. I'm not really sure what problem you're trying to solve! Does it look really long in person? I've heard that painting the short walls a warm color will make them appear to come closer, so maybe that would help balance the proportions.

maymelelam8768

Working with an open floor plan is more difficult than people think! (Speaking from experience)

You definitely have a beautiful space to work with and are already on track! I agree, repositioning the dining table, maybe even at an angle will help create a softer transition between spaces. I also like the idea of adding color or a gallery wall with art and photos. Everyone here has given tremendous advice. Start with one or two items that inspire you and build from there.

Erkamu

Hi, Daniela—thanks! I snapped some pictures today of the space with our actual furniture (please disregard the mess—we have a 3.5 year old, a dog, and a cat ;) )

Erkamu

All of these are great ideas—thank you!

DanielaAraya

Oh I love this even more seeing your actual furniture! I think you need something to distinguish the areas in your home more, like getting a larger area rug for your living room or installing a big pendant light above your dining table. You have a strong base, but now it's time to layer things more and play with scale. Filling up the TV wall with decorative elements like floor-to-ceiling bookshelves or wall sconces would help make that area feel less out of place. Do you need more storage? How do you feel about more art? I think you can always have more mood lighting, so wall sconces could be a fun place to start!