Small Living Room & Dining Room Combo Layout Ideas

Are you living in a studio apartment - or just trying to make the most of the space in your small house? If so, you’re probably seeking some small living room dining room combo layout ideas.

Arranging furniture in a living room dining room combo isn’t easy. It takes careful consideration and strategic shopping. However, it can be done. And when done correctly, you can enjoy a living room dining room combo that is both functional and aesthetic! 

To help you pull this off and create a space you’re proud to show off, we’re going to teach you how to arrange furniture in a living room dining room combo to maximize space. The tips we’ll provide below will help you bring your home decor to life in a feasible manner - no matter how tight you are on space. 

First, let’s start with a quick overview of what you can expect from creating a small living room dining room combo layout.

Is a Small Living Room Dining Room Combo Layout Possible?

The first hurdle you may encounter when trying to create a living room dining room combo layout is simply believing that it’s possible. After all, how can two such different functions fit into one small space?

The answer is: with some creativity and careful planning, creating your own small living room dining room combo layout is entirely possible!

While you might not have the same amount of square footage to work with as you would in separate rooms, there are still plenty of ways to make a living room dining room combo work for your home. You just need to get a little creative with how you utilize the space. 

For example, you might choose to put the dining table in the living room and use built-in shelving or an armoire for storage in the dining room. Or, you might use a smaller couch and chairs to create a conversation area in the living room while still having space for a dining table.

The options are endless - all you need is a little imagination and some guidance on how to best utilize the space you have. And that’s where we come in! We’ll provide you with some of the best small dining room living room combo ideas in just a few moments. First, we need to stress the impotence of proper furniture placement for living room dining combos.

The Importance of Proper Furniture Placement for Living Room Dining Combo

As you can probably imagine, the importance of proper furniture placement for living room dining combo cannot be overlooked. Choose the wrong furniture and the space will look thrown together and cluttered. Worse, it'll be too tight - and it won't function well as either a dining room or a living room. 

On the other hand, place your furniture correctly and you'll have a chic, stylish, and functional small living room dining room combo that will make all your guests jealous. So how do you achieve proper furniture placement?

The key is to focus on creating distinct areas for both the living room and dining room functions while still maintaining an open feel. To do this, start by placing your larger pieces of furniture first. These include items like couches, chairs, shelves, and tables. Once you have these in place, you can begin to fill in with smaller pieces like lamps, end tables, rugs, and decor.

When shopping for furniture, always keep space limitations in mind. Look for slimmed-down versions of classic pieces, like a small loveseat instead of a full-sized couch or a round dining table instead of a rectangle.

And don’t forget - in a small space, every inch counts! So, be sure to measure furniture before you buy it and make sure it will fit in the space you have available. In fact, we encourage you to measure twice to avoid the frustration and disappointment of your items arriving only to discover they don't quite fit.

We'll touch on this more later on - but you're going to want to lean on some multi-functional furniture. For example, you can have your dining room table serve as the centerpiece for your dining/living room combo - and this table can be used for entertaining guests and playing games, too. With that said, let's get into the nitty-gritty of today's discussion: how to arrange furniture in a living room dining room combo.

How to Arrange Furniture in a Living Room Dining Room Combo: Ideas & Inspiration

Ready to learn about arranging furniture in a living room dining room combo? We're about to share our personal favorite small living room dining room combo layout ideas to help you maximize the space you have and kill two birds with one stone (or one room, perhaps?).

First things first - let’s talk about creating a focal point in your dining room/living room combo layout.

Create a Focal Point & Place Your Furniture Around it

In any room - whether it's a living room, dining room, or bedroom - it's important to create a focal point. This is an area that will draw the eye and serve as the main focus of the space. In a living room dining room combo, your focal point might be a fireplace, a piece of art, or a large window with a view.

Once you've identified your focal point, you can begin to arrange your furniture around it. For example, if you have a fireplace, you might want to position your couch and chairs so they're facing it. Or, if you have a large window, you might want to place your dining table in front of it to take advantage of the natural light.

Create Separate Zones Separated by Your Furniture

Another small living room dining room combo layout idea is to create separate zones for the living room and dining room functions. This can be done in a number of ways, but one of the most common is to use furniture placement to define the space. For example, you might place your couch and chairs in one area to create a living room space and then use your dining table and chairs to create a dining space. You can put the back of your sofa to your dining table in this type of layout.

You can also use rugs, shelves, or other pieces of furniture to help delineate the two areas. Just remember - the goal is to maintain an open feel while still creating distinct spaces for both functions. 

One particular small living room dining room combo layout idea worth trying is putting area rugs under the dining table and under the sofa/coffee table to separate the spaces. This helps divide the spaces even further - allowing each to shine in its own regard. 

If You’re Blending the Dining Room & Living Room Space Together, Create Cohesion

Creating two separate zones for living and dining is one way to go about arranging furniture in a living room dining room combo. However, maybe you want to blend the two spaces together in a cohesive manner. This may be the only option depending on how large of a room you’re working with. And when done correctly, this tandem living/dining room space can look amazing!

You should essentially do the opposite of what we recommended above, in this case. Rather than using furniture to close the living room off from the dining room, you can turn your sofas/chairs towards each other with a small table in the middle - and place your dining room parallel to these sofas/chairs. This approach is particularly effective in open-concept spaces.

Rely on Minimalism for Furniture & Decor

You know the old adage that less is more? It couldn’t be more true - especially when learning how to arrange furniture in a living room dining room combo! Even with perfect furniture placement for living room dining combo, you only have so much space to work with. At a certain point, you may need to consider eliminating pieces of furniture. 

Maybe that means eliminating a loveseat & sofa combination and just using a single couch instead. Or, maybe you’ll have to get by with just a coffee table - instead of side tables on each end of your couch. Look for ways to eliminate unnecessary furniture.

Similarly, you should focus on minimalism from a decor standpoint, too. The more decor you have on the walls or hanging from the ceiling, the tighter your space will feel. And chances are when arranging furniture in a living room dining room combo, things are gonna be pretty cramped as is! Stick with statement pieces to do the talking.

Use Multi-Functional Pieces Throughout the Space

As we mentioned earlier, one of the best ways to make the most of a small space is to choose multi-functional pieces. And this is especially true for a living room dining room combo. You can’t afford to have multiple pieces of furniture that could be doing the same thing - you need more innovative home furniture that will help you make the most of your space. 

For example, instead of having a separate coffee table and dining table, you might opt for a dining table that doubles as a coffee table. Or, you might choose a board game display shelf that can be used as both a bookshelf, storage shelf for your games, and a buffet for entertaining guests - all at once.

One idea in particular that stands out is to let your dining room table serve as the centerpiece for your space - especially if the goal of this room is to bring the family together for some much-needed bonding time or to entertain guests when they come over. Whether you’re hosting a game night or getting a Dungeons and Dragons table setup, having a multi-functional table will transform your space. You’ll be able to go from dining to playing in seconds.

Looking for a specific recommendation? The Bandpass Design gaming dining table is an excellent candidate for anyone seeking dining room living room combo ideas. It’s perfect for the homeowner or apartment dweller that entertains guests frequently - or simply plays games amongst family members on a regular basis. The dining top removes to unveil a stunning, masterfully crafted playing surface underneath - complete with individual player stations, drink holders, and a felt surface that can be raised or lowered with ease. You can customize the table to integrate it seamlessly into your home, too.

Now - in terms of actually choosing your table shape we recommend rectangular - as rounded tables tend to create wasted space in the middle. You should also consider the size of your dining table to make sure it fits - as we mentioned earlier. Finally, make sure you have the best chairs for your table to ensure a seamless look and comfortable seating arrangement!

Final Thoughts on Arranging Furniture in a Living Room Dining Room Combo

We hope this breakdown on arranging furniture in a living room dining room combo helped provide you with some inspiration for your own home. 

As you can see, learning how to arrange furniture in a living room dining room combo to maximize space isn’t as challenging as you may have thought. In fact, with some careful consideration, strategic shopping, and the perfect placement, you’ll create a combo room that doesn’t just look stunning - it functions incredibly as both a living room and a dining room.

Remember these small living room dining room combo layout ideas and you’ll be well on your way to making it happen in your own home - best of luck!