Struggling w dining/living space.

gioia3854 · 2025-03-31T18:03:32+00:00

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Hi everyone,

I could really use your help figuring out how to divide this space—I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed!😰

Here’s what I’m thinking so far:
I'd love to place a round extendable table (that becomes an oval) in the windowed corner—ideally something in rosewood, Arne Vodder–style. On the wall next to it, I plan to install a mantel with a TV mounted above it. I'd love to conceal the TV behind custom cabinet doors with antique mirror panels, to keep the look elegant and clean.

I’m also toying with the idea of adding a large mirror—either on the wall next to the kitchen (open to suggestions!) or using IKEA’s square mirrors on the back of the kitchen cabinets. Or both!😅 I really love the idea of reflecting the water and the City to bring the outside in.

For the color palette, I’m imagining something soft, classic, and calming: light beige, sand, ivory, with sage and a light mid-blue (Pantone 5412 C) as accents. Thankfully, the kids are finally old enough not to smear crayons and ice cream on everything.🎉

The room is small, and I’m struggling to figure out where to place a sofa ( L-shaped sectional??) —and hopefully two accent armchairs. I’m considering a warm jute rug for the “dining area” and a second, larger rug to define the living space.

I’m also a bit stuck on the walls. I’d love to add some molding or wall accents to make the space feel a little more formal, while still keeping it warm and welcoming. Color?

The big windows measure about 15 ft, and the smaller corner window is 4 ft.

I’ve attached a few photos, and I’d be incredibly grateful for any suggestions, inspiration, or guidance!

Warmly,
Joy

PS it's a rental, but I can't live w the kitchen cabins…I'll conceal them somewhow. It's on a higher floor, same layout!

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Comments

tigerlillysmom2326

Your gorgeous new home will not accept formal additions, as it is so built to be modern. Don’t fight the architecture. You can of course put formal pieces in it, but I would start very slowly and not bring in anything I did not love. If you already have things you love try a few of them at a time. Since you have gorgeous floors, again wait to buy rugs. Remember scale and that one good thing is far better than many ‘fillers’.
Have fun!

gioia3854

Hi there!
Thank you so much for your reply—I really appreciated it. I’m very new to this platform and was feeling a little intimidated, but your message helped a lot.

You’re absolutely right: don’t fight the architecture is key, and I won’t! :)
Understanding scale is the key, agree—I also believe I shouldn't overthink, but rather feel the space.

I’m excited and looking forward to diving in! If someone else has other suggestions, these are greatly appreciated : )

InspiredCFSUK

Joy, your vision for this space sounds absolutely gorgeous warm, refined, and with a touch of mid-century charm. The layout challenge is totally understandable with the mix of needs (dining, living, TV placement), but I think you can make it work beautifully.

Your idea of placing the round/extendable table in the windowed corner is perfect. It will create an intimate, airy spot while making the most of the views. If you want to lean into that mid-century aesthetic, you might consider a pedestal base it’ll keep things visually light and open. A jute rug will help ground the space without overwhelming it.

Since it’s a rental and the space isn’t huge, an L-shaped sectional could work, but a slim-profile one maybe something with a bench seat to keep it sleek. Another option is a smaller sofa with two armchairs that you can easily move around. A large area rug will define the living zone and create that cozy, layered look.

The idea of reflecting the city and water is genius! If you go for mirrors on the back of the kitchen cabinets, it’ll visually extend the space. If you add another mirror elsewhere, I’d suggest something vintage or with a thin, minimal frame so it doesn’t compete with your planned textures.

Your palette is dreamy classic and timeless. Soft beige and sand will pair beautifully with the sage and Pantone blue. For molding, picture-frame or chair rail molding could add that bit of structure without being overpowering. If you want to add contrast, a slightly deeper tone on the lower half of the wall could be stunning.

Since you can’t change the cabinets, maybe adhesive panels or even fabric (secured with Velcro) could be a non-damaging way to disguise them

pam9426

I totally agree with you. That view is worth everything! I would keep it light Danish/Scandanavian Modern. I would keep any wall paint on the window walls very light pastel (very pale blue, very pale sage) so as not to distract from that view. Have you thought of maybe two small sofas instead of an L-Shape?

pam9426

Your view is worth everything - I would decorate around that. I would go with light and modern because of the architecture and light wood and light pastel wall color near the windows won't take away from the view. As for sofa - have you considered using 2 smaller sofas. I personally find them much easier to navigate than a big chunky L-Shape. As for the kitchen cabinet facing towards the windows maybe if you pu 2 or 3 very nice bar stools there the cabinet wouldn't be noticed.

Whatever you do I hope you post an update. Good Luck in your new Home!

TreyfVixen

Hey Joy

yes to some other comments. Go slow and see what the space can handle visually. I love the idea of a sectional - and also swivel chairs that can also swing to look and get lost in that view (I'm a NYC dweller too). I was going to say that you could consider using a sheer curtain on the lower half of the window for some privacy but you said you're on an upper foor. Confused - some of the photos are from a first flor view (was that the demo unit)?
I'm not a fan of sand or taupe color given the floors and the floors in your kitchen (TBH those colors make me sad generally). If you choose a higher sheen or higher VOC paint, the light will bounce more readily and imbue your home with even more light and warmth.

And a vibrant colored good sized rug in wool or other cozy material for lounging on and generally as an invitation (as the windows feel to be). No to jutte.

Kitchen: peel and stick wallpaper or contact paper on the cabinets. Peel and stick tiles on kitchen floor.

Clearly it all comes down to preference and I hope you find easy and joy in your place

leegee4768

Beautiful place with a stunning view. Your vision for the finishes and decor sound just perfect for the space.

My opinion is to fully mirror the wall next to the stove and put a nice Mid-C credenza or console in front of it. And fully mirror the wall above the bar/counter. If you want to cover the bar below, you might look into using spray starch and fabric. A friend of mine used that technique in a rental (before peel and stick wallpaper was so ubiquitous!). Then again, that might be harder to clean if you put bar height chairs there? Just a thought!

I would not attach mirrors to those cabinet doors because I'm just imagining the fingerprints my family would leave and leave me to be the only one bothered by them. Your mileage may vary, of course! Congratulations on your place.

digna7412

Because I was a Navy wife for many years, I learned to go with the flow when it came to lving accommodations. When I got married in 1962 when we were 22 years old. I moved from a 7300 sq.ft house with a large roof terrace, a basement full of antiques and the accompanying rats and roaches, 10 rooms plus formal and informal living rooms, a front and back balcony, kitchen, dining room accommodating 20 at the same table, and laundry room. We lived in a 1 bedroom apartment with a tiny kithchen and a small table with 2 chairs in the hallway in front of the kitchen. The kitchen only had a stove top with 2 burners, 1 plug we used for the toaster and coffee maker in turns, and a small sink, so the refrigerator was necessarily small too. We had 3 daughters a year apart and the first one came to live in our bedroom the first year. When I became pregnant again we realized we had to move, and found a slightly larger house in a neighborhood where other Navy wives lived. It had 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, huge fenced back yard and unfenced front yard and was perched on top of a small hill. I was in seventh heaven. But, I had learned to make the most out of small spaces. When my husband and I retired we had a >3200 sq ft house with 5 bedrooms, an office, a small sewing art and crafts room, family room, living room as big as a hangar, convenient well laid out kitchen, dining room, front porch and sunroom overlooking a magnificent view. When we sold that house we moved to our 750 sq.ft cabin in the High Desert and during the first 6 months learned to live in a tight space again for longer than a weekend. We're now living in a 3 bedroom, 2 baths house with a large dining room, larger living room, front and back yards, and 7.5 acres to ourselves. We filled in the pool since the wind filled it with sand and afteer replacing the pump twice decided it wasn't worth the expense, so now we have a large back area with a jaccuzzi which is more practical, and a turtle pond in the front. We all learn to change with the times and make the best out of what we have. Regarding walls paint, I prefer off white walls and use weathered white, wich has no beige in it since I detest beige. The main reason is that we own a substantial amount of art and I learned, visiting art museums and exhibits, it's the best background to display art.

les917538546

I guess I would first ask how many people are living in this space, and how often do you really think you will sit at the dining table? Unless the answers are more than two people and you will sit there for every meal, I would get a square or rectangular table and put it in front of the wood peninsula. I would not waste that view by weighting down the corner with all kinds of legs and bulk from the table and chairs. I would save that corner for a swivel chair and ottoman, side table or small chest, and a lamp, a great place to read, watch the world go by, work on a laptop. Again, do you NEED a sectional for seating lots of people? If not, a regular size couch and some great chairs is more flexible, especially if this is a rental situation and you don’t know what the next place may have for space and layout. I like the idea of mirrors on the white space above the peninsula. I would not do another mirror. The wall next to the kitchen seems like a great place for a moveable storage cart or island with shelves. Put the tv on the 67”wall next to the window, which means you could watch it from the LR seating, swivel chair, and dining seating. Get an fully articulating mount to help with that. Best wishes in your new space!

CJCreggsGoldfish

As others have said, the architecture will be unforgiving to anything but something in the same vein. I suggest going with a Japandi or California aesthetic, since that will vibe with your preferred colors and fit in with the innate style of the place.

gioia3854

Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful input! I think I just needed a little encouragement — thanks to you, I’ve decided not to sell my Saarinen-style tulip table and chairs. It’s such a beautiful piece with a white pedestal and Carrara marble top, and I would’ve ended up spending more than I wanted on a replacement.

I also loved your suggestion about the vintage mirror near the kitchen — and yes, I’m going to find a way to conceal those cabinets and the island. I found a great vendor on Etsy who specializes in that!

This afternoon I stopped by Home Depot to explore wall accents and molding and am waiting on a couple of quotes. I also found some beautiful (and affordable!) jute rugs at West Elm — and I’m going for it, thanks to your nudge.

Being new here, I can’t tell you how much it means to receive such warm, generous emails. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Warmly,
Gioia 😊

gioia3854

Ciao Pam!
Yes, I’ll definitely post the “after”! I’m moving at the end of June and have been brainstorming for a while — but I’m finally narrowing things down.

For the sofa, I’m torn between a low-back left arm sectional and a curved one. My heart is leaning toward the curved — it feels lighter, less bulky, and the small legs give it an airy look.

As for bar stools, I have two ideas: either a small-back, mid-century wood style or the transparent Kartell ones.

Can’t wait to pull it all together and share it with you all!
Grazie!
Gioia 😊

gioia3854

Hi there,

Thank you for your reply! Yes, I’m moving slowly with the process, even though I started brainstorming a couple of months ago.

The apartment is on the 7th floor, but I have access to the same layout on the 1st floor, so I’ve been able to take measurements and get a feel for the space. There's also a photo from the 5th floor that the agent sent me to help visualize the view :)

For the kitchen, I’m thinking black and white with some Fornasetti elements. The floors and some walls will be checkered using peel-and-stick tiles — I’ll have someone help with removing and restoring them when I move out. But honestly, I can’t even think that far ahead — I still have to move in, LOL!

Thanks again for your input!
Gioia (or Joy — same thing!) 😊

gioia3854

Thank you for your reply and input!
I love the idea of placing a small credenza or even a console in front of the mirror near the kitchen. I’ll definitely be adding lots of plants too — I love being surrounded by greenery and flowers!

And yes, you're absolutely right — I would never put mirrors on the cabinets. I'm a compulsive cleaner… it would be a total disaster! LOL.

Thanks again!
Gioia 🌿😊

gioia3854

Hi there,
Thank you so much for sharing your story — you’re a real trooper!

I’ll definitely take your advice and steer clear of beige for the wall. I’m still deciding between adding molding with art or molding with a light, stylish wallpaper.

Warmly,
Joy 😊

gioia3854

Hi there,
Thank you so much for your input!

I’ll be living there with my two teenage kids 😊 I’m Italian, so meals are a big deal — and I’m often hosting friends and out-of-town guests. The dining table is a sacred space for us — lol! I absolutely love the idea of eating and entertaining while facing that beautiful view. The river calms me, and the skyline gives me energy. I’m a dreamer, and light, color, and movement really fuel my creativity.

I have a Saarinen-style white Tulip table with a Carrara marble top and four tulip chairs, though I’m considering switching them out for Kartell. I love clean, open spaces, so a movable cart isn’t quite right — but a slim, stylish console might be perfect.

Thanks again — brainstorming like this is so inspiring!
Warmly,
Joy ☀️

gioia3854

Hi there,
Thank you for your input! And YES — I’m totally drawn to both California and Japanese aesthetics. I’ve already picked up a couple of Kusama prints and I’m waiting to see how they inspire me before choosing one or two accent colors.

The table is white, the sofa will be a soft, warm off-white, and I’ll have a large jute rug anchoring the space with the sofa, coffee table, and hopefully a swivel chair.

Warmly,
Joy ☺️

barbara8962

OMG!! Those windows and that view!! Sorry no help from me. I’m a struggling decorator myself.

DanielaAraya

I would love to see the furniture options you're weighing out! It looks like you have so many great ideas and suggestions here, and I'm sure it's going to turn out great. I'm so glad our community could rally to give you some support! ❤️

lillysomethingsx

I second this.