Designing a dining-cum-living area in a small flat

by Dipan
(Calcutta)

Hi

I got a flat where the main entrance opens up into a L shaped area surrounded by rooms and kitchen.

The area when looked from the main door seems something like L flipped horizontally and moved anticlockwise so that the short end projects towards you and the long arm points to your left.

Can somebody suggest how to utilize this place for a dining and drawing purpose. I have attached a rough design. Can somebody help?

Kind Regards

Dipan

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Comment
By Charlotte

25 October 2011

Hello Dipan

Thanks for sharing your layout. With an L-shaped room it should be easy to use one part for the dining area and one part for the living area.

Unfortunately I can't quite make out where the kitchen is on your plan. It is usually best, though, to have your dining area close to where you prepare food.

This means you have less distance to carry the food - so you are less likely to spill it on your new rug!

You can divide the 2 areas with some open shelving, a sofa or a console table. Try positioning this at a right angle to the wall, so that it projects into the room.

This will help each area - living area and dining area - feel like it is a separately defined area. Rather than living in one big jumble of a space.


Try to gather your furniture in groups according to the task you will be doing in that part of the room...

For example - you might have a dining table and chairs, with a sideboard or shelves behind...

Then in the living area you might have sofa and chairs grouped around a coffee table, fire or TV.

Do you have a focal point such as a fire? This would be the obvious place to position your seating area.

Or maybe you have a lovely view you'd like to see when dining, or when sat on your sofa.

Try not to have the furniture all lined up along each wall.

All these considerations can help you with how to design your room.

Now you've got a plan you can try out some layouts to see which works best for you.

Check your plan is to scale, then cut out birds-eye view furniture from paper to the correct scale and try out a few different options...

More about how to draw your layout and add furniture, here...

There are lots more tips on how to interior design an open-plan living and dining room, here...

I hope some of these ideas help you.

Please come back and ask again if you need more help or if you have any more questions.

Good luck with your makeover.

Best wishes

Charlotte :o)