Ok, here's a suggestion--get two new upholstered armchairs for a seating area close to the two front windows. Have a small table between them with a lamp for reading. Close up the dining table and center it in the room the long way. (You'll obviously need to move the chandelier.) . When you have guests, open the table and use the armchairs as host/hostess chairs at the ends.

A buffet.

The way you split the new dining room doesn't really work to have dining and sitting area. It makes it look like a bowling alley with stuff lined up on either side. The room isn't that big!

It might work if you got a 60" round table and placed it closest to the kitchen. You would need to move the chandelier. Get a 60" round with leaves to make it a larger oval when needed.

Then have two chairs and a small table at the window end of the room.

A 60" round table needs to be a pedestal type and you have to carefully consider the size of the chairs. I have large chairs and can fit 6 comfortably around my 60" round table. I can squeeze in a seventh if needed. If you use smaller chairs you should fit 8.

I like chispa's idea too.

I would place creamy white cushions on the chairs and bench. Then I would place a buffet and 2 extra chairs on each side along the wall.

Another option

Definitely use Facebook marketplace to score your new dining room furniture - there are SO many nice pieces on there if you’re patient

lisedv's suggestion doesn't solve the problem of the OP wanting a seating/lounge area.

This is not a suitable space for a seating or lounge area. It is now a dining room.

we want a little seating area that's a little lounge style.

Why? Do you have nowhere else in your home to lounge?

If you could move the chandelier and purchase a new dining table then yes, you can make a little lounge area. Until you are able to do so, I'd just leave this as a dining room. You must have other areas to sit and lounge, yes? Don't force a non-necessity on a budget.

They have a large family room elsewhere.

I also wondered about the plan for a lounge area in the dining room. A buffet along that wall, as lisedv illustrated, makes far more sense in a dining room. I think having the table and light fixture off-center is fine. That allows space for a buffet and walk space.

can you talk a bit more about the lounge space? - is it a spot to put your feet up and read or is it a spot for after dinner drinks?

I’d be first tempted to get comfy upholstered chairs for the dining room table to increase the appeal of the room (we have velvet chairs in our DR and spend lots of time in there playing games etc)

My suggestion will only work if you rarely use your dining room table. I would move the bench to the other side of the table and push the table up to the wall. Fold down the ends of the table. If you do that it'll give you more room for a lounge area. You could even push it into the corner. Would you be able to raise/lower your light with S hooks? There is no reason to always have a full dining room table set up if it's only used occasionally. I have a table that goes from a console size to one that sits 10 (12 in a a pinch). At the moment I have it set up as a square to seat 4 for cards.

Center the darn DR table that makes sense there is no place for a lounge type seating that I can see and how weird anyway. get some nice DR chairs that look inviting , no bench ever and then people might just hang out in the DR at the table after dinner . A nice buffet much better use of the space .

Another off the wall suggestion, but maybe you could set your den up as a diningroom and then you could have a lounge (and maybe desk) area in the exisiting space. It really depends on your lifestyle. It you only use the diningroom once or twice a year and rarely use the den, it might work for you.

Thanks for everyone’s feedback and critiques.

@la_la girl I really like the idea of more cozy chairs. We have had a temporary couch there and have found ourselves lounging on it more than we though! I don’t really need a hutch or buffet bc we have tons of storage now, that’s why thinking a little lounge space.

@lisedv thank you for the visuals! Super helpful.

@chispa this is such a great layout and kind of what we are envisioning although we sort of made a quick decision with he placement of the light.

If you don’t need a hutch I would still do some kind of console table there and maybe add a chair or two.

If you find that you enjoy lounging in the dining room, why not? In the house I grew up in, we actually had a sofa in the dining room... It was a large room- but your room is large enough and I think the sofa and chairs setup that you have now is really fine.

You could perhaps move one of the black (?) chairs a bit closer to the sofa... But, since you have already spent time lounging in there - and since it is your space - you are really the best judge of where the seating might work best. And, if the room is already conducive to a lounging atmosphere - that is likely an indication that the setup you have now is working.

I searched my archives and found a couple of visuals I did a while back, with sofas in dining rooms. Maybe some inspiration for you.

It’s your space. Use it how you like. Best wishes.

@freedomplace1 Thank you! This is helpful. That’s my question too, why is it so taboo to have a little lounge space in there? I suppose what I’m looking for is style, sizing and placement then. Smaller couch (different than our big 3 seater) or chaise with pillows? Maybe another chair, or someone mentioned chairs interchangeably with the dining table. And a small table.

With a sofa...

@lisedv This is what I'm looking for! Do you think a 2 seater with a comfy velvet chair would work? Also - would we put a separate area rug under that space to "divide" the spaces, or is that too much?

I'd need to do a floor plan to answer you question. Visually, I think the added chair would be in the way.

Just added the floor plan:

A loveseat only seats 2 people consequently I think 2 chairs with a side table would look better and be more comfortable for people to sit and have a conversation with the chairs slightly angled.

I still think a buffet would be a better option.

You don't have enough room to do a sofa/loveseat parallel to the rectangular table. It looks like you temporarily squeezed a sofa into a dining room OR a dining table into a living room.

Don't be fooled by pretty AI renderings!

honestly I would address the dining set first - get it one that is updated with upholstered & much more comfortable chairs (the current backless bench says don't linger pretty loudly) - once you are happy with that, you can explore if you need to add anything else