Modern and Stylish Living Room Design — Tips from Interior Designers

Tips from Interior Designers

A well-designed dining-living room can be very modern and stylish, just like in the photo below. The key is to follow simple tips from interior designers.

Photo 1 — Living Room-Dining Room Design

Photo 2 — Living Room-Dining Room Design

• Firstly, a living room combined with a dining area must be zoned. This way, you can separate the dining zone even without building walls. The dining area will no longer blend with other zones (like a workspace or relaxation zone). You can isolate the dining area using a bookshelf, sofa backrest, bar counter, or just a light partition.

Photo 3 — Isolating the Dining Zone with a Sofa

• Secondly, you can highlight the dining space using decor and color. A different color, while staying consistent with the overall style of the living room, can emphasize the floor, a section of the wall, or ceiling. You can even do all of these together. For this, wallpapers (photo wallpapers), laminate, stone, mosaic, or wooden panels can be used.

Photo 4 — Photo Wallpapers in the Dining Room

• Thirdly, you can separate the dining zone using a level floor or ceiling structures. For example, you could raise the dining area on a small podium or add a lowered section to a suspended ceiling or ceiling decorative beams.

Photo 5 — Ceiling Structures Visually Highlight the Dining Zone

• Fourthly, lighting is an excellent way to define zones. You can install a separate lighting unit above the dining table using ceiling structures mentioned earlier. For example, spotlights around the table clearly define the dining zone.

Photo 6 — The Dining Zone Can Be Highlighted with Lighting

Where to Place the Dining Table?

If your living room has spacious niches or bay windows, you can place the dining area there. A niche or bay window makes the dining zone more cozy and romantic. Dinner by candlelight in such a dining room will be unforgettable.

But if not, placing the dining table in a suitable corner of the room is also helpful. You can further separate the dining area with a small partition. In such cases, a corner furniture set is useful.

While not as practical as a regular table with chairs, a corner furniture set offers an additional opportunity to visually separate the dining zone from the rest of the living room.

Photo 7 — Dining Room in a Bay Window

Photo 8 — Dining Room in a Niche

If the dining table is against a wall, that wall can be decorated with theme-appropriate paintings or a wall mirror. The reflection of the table in the mirror will enhance any hostess's experience—making the table appear larger and more abundant.

Adding a faux window with a fitting image (French or Prague streets, lavender fields, or mountain lake views) can also add charm. Decorative shelves or individual shelves are often mounted on the wall in this area to hold souvenirs and beautiful tableware.

Photo 9 — Decorating the Dining Zone