How to Decorate an Open Concept Living Dining Room

The open floor plan has been around since the 1950s. Today, it’s one of the most sought-after features for many homebuyers. This is particularly the case for open-plan spaces that combine the dining room and living room area, rather than the kitchen.

As with any other open floor plan configuration, the open-concept living and dining room provides multiple advantages, and these five open floor plan tips will help you reap the most benefits during your next remodel.

Keep reading to learn how to decorate an open-concept living dining room.

1. Create a Fresh Backdrop By Updating Walls & Flooring

The most dramatic changes are often achieved by relying on simple and effective upgrades. Updating your existing walls and floors is definitely the way to go if you want the most impactful results.

Set the tone for your open-concept living space by deciding on the color scheme you’re going with. Neutrals are always your safest bet, especially if you plan on selling your house soon.

Colors such as beige, gray, and white provide a perfect natural backdrop for your decor and furniture. Use lighter tints to achieve a soft and airy feel in a small room, or create drama in a larger room by going with dark, moody shades.

As for the floors, wall-to-wall carpets are the most wallet-friendly option. If you’re working with a bigger budget, consider installing hardwood flooring, which tends to increase property value. Finishes with low gloss work best for traditional living room and dining room areas, while glossier finishes represent an ideal option for modern homes.

2. Optimize Floor Space With Functional Furniture Arrangements

How you choose to arrange your furnishings will largely determine the overall flow of your open-concept living space. This is why you want to carefully consider your living dining room combo layout.

Start by calculating the available space you’re working with, factoring in everything, from rooms’ dimensions to electrical outlets to the windows, when creating your sketch.

Another thing to think about is how you’re going to utilize your living space on a daily basis and what your lifestyle needs are. For instance, if you need your space to be flexible, feel free to mix and match your furnishings instead of everything looking matchy-matchy.

Practical furnishings and a well-thought-out arrangement will help accommodate your needs. They’ll also help you optimize your floor space and make the most of what you’re working with.

3. Use a Similar Style of Furniture to Visually Connect the Two Areas

Furniture plays a vital role in making your living dining room combo work. As well as getting your furniture arrangement right, you also want to make sure the two rooms complement each other style-wise. Doing this well depends on your personal preferences and the overall vibe you’re going for.

For example, if you’re looking for furnishings that have a contemporary look to them or aiming for a more rustic, traditional feel, equipping your open-concept combo with handmade Amish dining room furniture is one of the best ways to ensure all your needs are met.

Other than the meticulous craft and custom design, Amish furnishings are also known for being comfortable and durable, which is why they are often kept in the family for generations.

Whichever your style preferences may be, make sure to use similar style furnishings in both areas, and build your room around them. This will visually connect the two areas, thus ensuring a seamless transition.

4. Rely On Decorative Accents to Add Visual Interest

Your decor selection also goes a long way in ensuring a sense of continuity in the two seemingly separate areas. It’ll also help create visual interest and freshen up your living space.

Decorative accents play a vital role in improving the dining room living room combo’s texture and boosting its overall appeal. They also make a home feel cozier. For example, updating your living room sofa with a couple of throw pillows and a blanket, decorating the dining area with statement-making artwork and mirrors, or enhancing different corners of your open-floor living space with flowers and greenery,

For maximum impact, rely on a couple of your favorite elements that you’ll introduce repeatedly throughout the space. Doing so will tie the areas together into a cohesive whole, resulting in a well-thought-out living space.

5. Define the Two Areas By Separating Them Visually

While it’s important that the two areas are linked, there are occasions when you need your dining room and living room to look and feel like two separate areas. Barriers and other partitions can come in handy when you want to create a sense of privacy in an open-plan space – both visually and physically.

Console tables, open bookcases, and decorative dividers are ideal for breaking up the two rooms. While area rugs and painted/molded ceilings present a more subtle, yet equally effective, alternative for creating optical borders. This helps visually signal to inhabitants the two separate areas.

Wrapping Up

Knowing how to decorate an open-concept living-dining room is important, especially if you’re selling a home. While you should always decorate a home you’re living in how you want it to look, open-plan rooms can feel lifeless when not decorated well.

Coming up with an effective living room dining room combo design is all about ensuring that the elements flow together. Keep these tips in mind during your next remodeling project, and you’ll have no trouble designing a space that’s equal parts practical and stylish.

Are you decorating your home in preparation for a sale? At Brotherly Love Real Estate, we buy houses as is for a fair price. You can sell a house quickly to us (in as little as 21 days) and skip closing fees.

Give our expert team of real estate agents a call today at (215) 769-9875 to learn more.