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Narrow-Room Solution: Split It Up
Breakups can be therapeutic when they yield distinct living and dining areas and great style to boot
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor based out of Hershey, PA. Come visit me at 'A Nest for All Seasons' where I write about design, photography and modern garden living!
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor... More »
Many classic American homes are blessed (cursed?) with a long, narrow combination living room and dining room. Those rooms can be hard to decorate because they seem too slim and provide no natural division points. The challenge is to delineate the two spaces while keeping the look cohesive.
How do you combine the two without sacrificing function or aesthetics? Furniture arrangement, area rugs and height differences can have a big impact on the way the space works. Read on for some great ideas for splitting up the square footage.
How do you combine the two without sacrificing function or aesthetics? Furniture arrangement, area rugs and height differences can have a big impact on the way the space works. Read on for some great ideas for splitting up the square footage.
| You can create distinct zones in a long, narrow room. The trick to this setup: The table sits perpendicular to the sofa so the spaces seem separate. The horizontal placement of the table also keeps the room from looking awkward. |
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| If your dining room backs right up to your kitchen, you can also use this little trick. Setting a long table perpendicular to the line of cabinetry defines the dining space. |
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by Susan M. Davis
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| This technique also works with an island bar, placed to separate the two spaces visually and physically. |
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| This example uses two strategies to create three distinct spaces. The dining room table lines up with the kitchen island for consistency, but is placed perpendicular to the sofa, providing a stopping point for the eye. The three elements work together with the grid window to provide a pleasing arrangement. |
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| Working with the long, straight lines can also be effective. Here, placing the sofa and table on the same vertical line creates a hallway that mirrors the staircase. A tone-on-tone area rug separates the living room from the dining room. |
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| Choosing an area rug the same color as a tabletop is a great way to tie two spaces together while keeping them distinct. The rug solidifies a collection of mismatched furniture. Meanwhile, the consistency of the dining room chairs defines the eating area. |
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| Try using rounded shapes to offset the rectangular shape of a room like this. A circular dining table allows more seating in a small space and breaks up all the straight lines, which delineates the spaces. |
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| Echoing a round dining table with a circular coffee table and mirror provides a link between the two spaces, while a rectangular rug separates them. |
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by Gary Hutton
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| Elevating part of the room can be the perfect way to separate spaces. In this narrow room, the dining area sits several steps higher than the living area. |
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| Try putting your sofa at an angle to divide spaces and create a walkway between them. Balance the seating with an additional chair and ground the arrangement with a showy area rug. |
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Delineating a dining space from the rest of a large living space can be as simple as painting blocks on the wall. This simple treatment creates a distinct dining "room" and adds a color punch to a white-on-white palette.
See more white-on-white rooms
See more white-on-white rooms
by MW Interiors
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Whether through the use of art, unusual furniture placement or small architectural changes, it is possible to make a narrow room work. When planning your combination living-dining room, remember to consider shape, furniture alignment and color to design a space that works for you.
More:
Arranging Furniture in a Long, Narrow Room
Architect's Toolbox: Beautifully Layered Spaces
14 Ways to Maximize a Skinny Space
More:
Arranging Furniture in a Long, Narrow Room
Architect's Toolbox: Beautifully Layered Spaces
14 Ways to Maximize a Skinny Space
Comments
crawfish You call that narrow?
14 months ago · Like
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rachelart the rooms are huge compared to most long rooms
14 months ago · Like
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sguest35 Wondering how to place rugs in a long room that has two separate seating areas. My front door divides the room. The rooms I have found on houzz show dining spaces, but we are looking at creating two seating areas. Thanks.
5 months ago · Like
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Amy Renea Would love to see photos sguest! Two rugs placed parallel to each other with the front door cutting a path down the middle will work in many situations, but it depends on the size/shape/angles and functions of each individual space :)
5 months ago · Like
sguest35 decided to post my question. See my post http://www.houzz.com/discussions/272908
5 months ago · Like
· 1
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pochemudapochemu Narrow.... really? I am not sure what narrow really means in the Real World.
7 weeks ago · Like
Ideabook published on March 14, 2012.
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