How to Decorate a Combined Living and Dining Room

Combined living and dining areas serve multiple purposes and are ideal for entertaining. When you're looking to decorate one of these large rooms, it's easy to feel overwhelmed because of the amount of space you need to fill. Instead of letting the space scare you, let it inspire you to see it differently. Once you know how to arrange furniture and work with colors, it's easy to make a comfortable and welcoming shared living space. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Paint the walls in both rooms the same color. Select a color that will work well with the colors in both your living and dining areas. Golden colors and yellow will add warmth to these rooms, while white is crisp and will make these rooms feel more spacious. Blue is calming and green is energetic. The most important thing is to choose colors you enjoy.

2

Assess how you can merge both areas through colors and fabrics. You don't have to buy new furniture but you do need to combine elements from both spaces to make the room feel more unified. Try to use fabrics that share at least one color. If green is a dominant color in your rugs, try to use that same shade of green in both areas in window treatments, pillows or upholstery.

3

Hang the same window treatments in both areas. This is an easy way to make the area feel more like a combined area.

4

Arrange living room furniture around a coffee table to establish a defined area for the living room. Center the front feet of the sofa on the edge of an area rug and place tables, chairs and lights around the rug. The rug will help anchor this area as well as provide an area for visiting.

5

Decorate both areas in the same theme. To keep the areas from looking mismatched and junky, decorate in the same theme. Spread your shabby chic pieces throughout both areas for a cohesive look. If you have several modern pieces, be sure to use them in both areas.

6

Keep furniture pieces together comfortably. If your combined living area feels too large for the amount of furniture you have, try not to worry about filling the space as much as creating defined, comfortable areas. Keep the sofa close enough to the coffee table to be useful and keep the tables close enough to the chairs to be functional.

7

Use greenery to keep the rooms feeling warm and welcoming. If the two areas are large, they may feel stale. Plants eliminate this chill in most rooms because green brings a touch of nature inside.