Dining area with built in cabinetry

Living room with blue wall

Dining table placement in family room

hi. I would love some input.

Length: Cabinetry to sliding door is 13 ft; Sliding door 8ft and then to the wall is 7 ft approx

Dining room is 10 ft wide

Living area is 12.5 ft wide

Hope this helps along with the floor plan I attached in original post.

That's a tricky floorplan--so much passthrough/deadspace. I think your plan to swap family and dining room is a good one. The only issue is that the original dining area looks very tight for a TV space, unless you really don't need a sofa for TV time. I would consider putting the TV in the living room on the blue wall, with a swivel mount that allows you to turn it. Sofa against the stair railing. In the dining room I'd put four chairs around a generous round coffee table and have that be a cocktail lounge, game room, etc.

Just want to add that your furniture is lovely, and a fantastic fit in that space. I think your yellow sofa works pretty well with that blue wall--better than many more neutral fabrics would.

Appreciate your feedback. Your recommendation to make the dining room a lounge is exactly what my husband wants :)

Any thoughts on how to tie the (new) dining area? It feels scattered to me with no focal point or a wall to center on. I am hoping a linear chandelier would address it. What about the colors - is black too dark given the walls and kitchen cabinetry?

I'm nervous to comment on the new dining area--it a challenge that feels above my skill level. But since I'm the only person here, my suggestions would be to look for ways to add a little weight and coziness to that area, to make it feel purposeful as a dining space.

• Some art that fills much of that wall, even though it won't be symetrical with the table. A new chandelier, vertical or round, IF you can swag it so it's centered over the table.
• If you can't move the fixture, I would use a nice semi-flush mount. It will cast good light without calling attention to the off-center placement.
• Rug. I'm not usually a fan of rugs for dining areas, but here it could make a big difference in grounding this space. Check though that you have room--you don't want the rug extending into the walkway in front of that door.
• A round table would fit the space better and again, help distract from the lack of a center. But only if the current furniture can be used elsewhere. It doesn't make sense to buy all new for a rental.
• I like the black seating. It provides some of the weight that you need. Try to echo it--black frames on your art, black lighting fixture.

Lovely! Thanks so much. It's a validation of ideas I have been considering.