Open Plan Living and Dining Room Ideas

The feeling of luxury and class within your home  is easy to achieve if you follow popular design trends and arrange your home so that the common areas are open and spacious. The open concept living and dining combination is becoming more common in homes, and is the perfect arrangement for hosting dinner parties, or encouraging social interactions with the family. Here are some tips on planning an open concept living and dining room area.  

Choose the Best View

Part of designing and planning an open concept living and dining area is taking the view of each room into consideration. Ensure that the furniture is arranged in such a way that it offers the ideal view. If you have a television, be sure to place your couch so that you and your family can all enjoy watching your favourite shows. Also focus on facing the dining table towards the window to give your dinner guests a great view while they eat. Arranging the furniture correctly will make the layout more practical, and it will enhance the enjoyment of the open concept style. .

Incorporate Similar Decor

Creating the perfect connection between rooms requires attention to the colour schemes and decor of both rooms. To create the perfect transition from the living room to the dining area, ensure that at least one element of decor is similar to the next room. Whether it is an overall colour scheme, or throw pillows in the living room that match the flowers on your table, matching an element of decor will make the transition smoother from one open concept room to the next.

Ensure Divisions are Partial

Creating a separation between rooms that still maintains the open concept can be achieved in many ways. When planning the division, ensure that the design allows for easy conversational flow between rooms, but also creates a clear line where one room ends and the next begins. Using partial walls, breakfast bars and strategically set islands are only some of the ways to achieve this.  

Add a Decorative Touch

As the dining room table is a large piece of furniture, it draws lots of attention, so it is important to ensure that when not in use, it adds an extra element of complimentary decor. To achieve this, place a nice accent on the table such as flowers or a fruit arrangement that matches the colours of the living room. This will create a smooth transition between rooms and will take the central focus off of the table.

Plan Different Lighting Schemes


There is a fundamental difference between the types of lighting in your dining room and living room. When planning an open concept combination ensure that the lighting schemes for both areas are appropriate for the activities you will be doing. Choosing different lighting schemes for each separate area will create more of a divide between the rooms and will make your daily activities more enjoyable.

An open concept living and dining room area is easy to plan if you have an idea of how to make it a smooth transition with partial separation. Planning the right lighting, using similar decor and using partial divisions will ensure that your open concept combination is functional and comfortable. For more ideas on how to plan an open concept living and dining area in your home, visit the Caliber Homes Blog.