Living room / Dining room layout

last year

Hi all! We are building a new home, and I just can't decide on furniture placement for the main living area. I know it seem premature to decide where to put furniture before the house it built, but it does affect floor outlets, light fixtures, and even window placement!

The photo is a rough idea of what I have so far. The windows on the right ride of the room can still be moved as needed. I like the idea of the island / table / beam / window being in a straight line, but it is making furniture placement along that wall difficult. (I would like room for a large china hutch) I am not at all attached to the living room furniture layout I show in this picture, I just put somethign there to see where the living room is. I am looking for help with this part!

The idea we are going for is an adjustable dining room size. We have a large family over for meals regularly, so we would like to be able to stretch out the table to accommodate 16 but have a more spacious living room for everyday when its just the 4 of us.

For now, the only TV will be in the downstairs family room, not the Living room pictured here. However, we want to have the option to add a TV in the future, somewhere on the Right wall, not above the fireplace. SO this is making couch / door / window placement tricky as well.

Any tips / ideas are appreciated! TIA

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PRO

Patricia Colwell Consulting

last year

I think it is a good idea to have plans for furniture in the planning stage of a new build . Maybe no specific pieces but for sure what you need. I would suggest a good independant KD to get that right. I think your LR can handle 2 sofas and 2 chairs if the sofas are perpendicular to the FP and the 2 chair facing it to start but a good combo for rearranging when needed .I do not love vaulted ceilings they create issues with noise and lighting fo no real reason other than looks and often make furniture placement awkward and heating and cooling can aslo be issues .

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Comments (12)

Elaine Doremus
last year
I have a similar situation in that I have a dining table with a leaf that can be expanded. I always center the table under the ceiling light to be sure it looks even. I do that each time I alter the size of the table, so it's easy. The layout is fine and you're ideas are good. Let's see what others say.
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chispa
last year
Not everything has to be lined up and symmetrical. Also, things won't appear perfectly lined up once you move from the one perfect viewing spot!
auntthelma
last year
The only place for a china hutch is he outside wall between the dining area and living area. It would work well there.
C. Wolf
Original Author
last year
Patricia -

I love the idea of 2 sofas perpendicular to the FP. My only hesitation with this layout is walking in from the foyer and being welcomed by the back of a sofa...
Lyn Nielson
last year
put a sofa table on the backside
Design Fan (NE z7a)
last year
The current dining and living room layouts seem like they will be a bit congested when you have traffic moving through the areas. To make some additional space:

+1 to two perpendicular sofas with a narrow sofa table on the side facing the foyer.

Don’t use end dining chairs with arms, use a chair that can slide further under the table when not in use.

Consider a double sliding french door rather than hinged french doors so you can position the dining room table a closer to the doors & deck.

Also consider sliding the hinged single door on the side deck closer to the corner (and across from the fireplace hearth). Or change the door swing to the opposite side.
C. Wolf
Original Author
last year
Design Fan -

Thanks for the tips. I am actually happy to hear that you think it might be congested, because I have been worried that an 18' x 34' room would be weirdly / uncomfortably HUGE.

That side door will be used for carrying wood into the fireplace, and I will definitely switch it to the opposite swing.
mcarroll16
last year
One solution might be rotating your dining table 90 degrees. Get a 48" wide table that expands to 12 or 13 feet long, with trestle or dual pedestal legs to maximize the seating capacity, and armless chairs as Design Fan suggested. With two people at each end of the table, you can definitely fit 14 in this arrangement. For 16, you will be tight, or you rotate the table and squeeze the living room furniture in close.

For a living room TV, have the door to the LR-side deck swing the other way, and put the TV on the deckside wall. You could have a sofas in a L shape facing the TV and the fireplace, and one swivel arm chair near that door.
PRO
Mae Day Organizing and Interior Design
last year
Congratulations on your new home! This is the right time to be thinking about all of this. It makes a big differance.
PRO
Bergen Furniture & Design
last year
It’s smart to think ahead! For flexible dining, center your table with extra space on both sides so you can expand it easily. Float your living room furniture closer to the fireplace to keep the right wall more open for a future TV setup. You could move the windows slightly wider apart to fit the china hutch between them without feeling crowded. Keep pathways clear and prioritize flow. A modular sectional could offer versatility for everyday lounging and larger gatherings. It sounds like your space will be beautiful and very functional with a few small adjustments.
PRO
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
last year
I always create a furniture plan concurrently with designing a room. It's much more efficient and prevents surprises after the house/room is built.

It would be good to see the entire first floor plan, as well as exterior elevations. I think that the door in the living room to the little porch is limiting what and where you can place furniture. The entire seating area could be moved closer to the fireplace if the door weren't there or if it were a window.

Agree that sliding/gliding French doors are more practical than in-swing doors, especially if you are concerned about space. You might avoid the crowded feel if you could widen the living/dining area a few feet. That's a question for the architect.