In a small apartment it is difficult to find a place for a dining room; it is worth combining it with the living room and kitchen.
A small living room can be cozy and comfortable at the same time, even if you want a table in it. It is enough to choose the right furniture and arrange it in accordance with the best rules of interior design , choose colors, accessories and decorations, and you can create an interior that the owners of large, spacious living rooms will envy.
Below are many practical ideas on how to arrange a living room with a table. Here you will find tips on how to functionally arrange a table in a small living room, what furniture, colors and accessories to choose to optically enlarge the interior, and... how not to be deceived by the thought “surely everything will fit on this table.” Let our tips and ideas inspire you to design your living room in the best possible way.
What will you read about in the article?
- How to properly place a table in the living room?
- How to arrange a small living room with a table?
- Furniture for a small living room
- Modern small living room
- Small salons - colors, patterns and accessories
How to position a table in the living room
How to arrange the table in the living room so that there is easy access to each chair, so that there are convenient “paths” between the living room and the kitchen, and so that the entire arrangement looks coordinated and orderly?
Imagine the following picture. On one of the walls (let's say on the left) we have a kitchen along the entire length. Parallel to the kitchen, we place a table and chairs at a convenient distance. Immediately behind the table, in parallel, we place a sofa. Next is a coffee table, armchairs and other elements of living room equipment. Thanks to this solution, we use the space in the middle of the room and the entire layout is orderly and functional.
A slightly different arrangement of furniture is suggested when the sofa is against the wall. For example, on the left there is a built-in kitchen. Place the bar against the wall (parallel to the kitchen). Behind him, against the wall, as planned, is a sofa. In the same way, you can arrange a living room with a table.
If, in turn, you have a long, rather wide passage between the kitchen and the living area, then it is worthwhile - in the middle - to install (preferably) a round table and chairs. This way you have access from all sides and the space used is filled correctly.
Whether the table will separate the kitchen from the living room or you place it in a separate room that functions as a living room, it is always worth creating separate areas with appropriate lighting. For example, let a simple lamp with a shade hang above the table, and a lamp with a long handle “leans” over the coffee table. Let two smaller lamps with white lampshades hang above the table, and above the living room - one large one, with the same lampshade, but black.
Small living-dining room - how to arrange it correctly?
- Small living rooms are usually connected to a kitchen area, and then a dining table separates the kitchen area from the living area.
- The table can stand next to the kitchen, and behind it there is a sofa unfolded in front of the living room,
- It is also recommended to separate both zones with a closet. In the latter case, we will achieve a good effect if the cabinet is the same length as the sofa attached to it.
- If the room is long and wide enough, place the table “in the hallway.”
- In both the kitchen and living room, as well as in the separate living room, we separate the dining and relaxation areas using the right lighting.
In the living room connected to the kitchen , the table should be located as close to the kitchen as possible, and the sofa at the far side of the room.
In a small space, you can also use a high bar table with drawers that will visually separate the kitchen from the living room.
In long rooms it is worth using the transition to the dining room.
Properly selected lighting will emphasize the division of the room into separate areas of the kitchen, dining room and living room.
Selecting wallpaper and furniture for the living room
Walls and furnishings have the greatest impact on the perception of the living room, so you need to pay special attention to these points. When choosing wallpaper for the living room of an apartment, you need to proceed from the design style and remember these tips:
- For classic settings, wallpaper in pastel colors with distinct patterns or embossing is suitable; gilding and other similar decor are allowed.
- If the hall is decorated in an avant-garde direction, the best choice would be elements with a chaotic or abstract pattern; they can also have bright inserts.
- Modernism involves pastel or fairly bright wall decoration. But for small spaces, neutral solutions that do not attract unnecessary attention are more suitable.
- For minimalism, the best solution would be plain coatings without a pronounced texture. Most often they use monochrome colors, which are popular this season.
- Provence is a setting that creates the mood of provincial France, in which a pastel range of faded shades, as if bleached by the sun, is usually used. A pattern of small flowers will suit perfectly.
- High-tech and other futuristic trends imply manufacturability; wallpaper can be either with a metallic tint or plain, if the walls should be the background for other elements of the decor.
When choosing furniture, you also need to consider several recommendations. Everything here is quite simple, the main thing is to clearly understand what the finish will be like. It is important to remember the following:
- First of all, you need to consider the design style. It is also worth selecting all the elements that will be combined with each other, this is the only way to achieve the ideal result.
- Think over the arrangement and calculate the approximate dimensions of each element in order to clearly understand what is suitable and what is not.
- Choose a color scheme that matches the walls, floor and ceiling. Give preference to natural upholstery. You can use upholstered furniture as a color accent.
- It is worth considering the functionality of each element in advance in order to save space as much as possible and ensure a comfortable stay in the living room.
- Depending on the shape of the room, choose a furniture design; for quadrant rooms, you can use corner or semicircular sofas. For rectangular ones, classic straight designs are more suitable.
- If there is little space, a coffee table that folds out into a large dining table would be an excellent solution.
Important!
Do not overload a small room with furniture; it is better to choose small elements with clear outlines.
How to arrange a small living room with a table?
Round tables, which do not take up much space, can be rearranged quite freely in a small living room. The largest piece of furniture in your living room will likely be your sofa, so you'll need to fit other pieces of your furniture around it. We place it most often against the wall, but (as we showed earlier) this is not the only solution.
It would also be a good idea to create a small living room with a corner table - as long as its size and color are not too large. Thanks to this, you will get additional seating and use an awkward corner in the room. Both the sofa and the corner should not be too wide - otherwise they will take up a lot of space and will not give you any functionality.
For a small living room, it is better to choose furniture not from a set, but in other colors. Thanks to this, the interior will seem lighter and more interesting. Place large furniture, such as a sofa or bookcase, parallel to the walls, and smaller ones - such as ottomans, tables, chairs, assistants - at an angle. Thanks to this, you will have a pleasant impression and at the same time you will avoid the interior “under the ruler”.
New life for an old table
In order for the kitchen to look exclusive, they choose a more radical path, especially if the household has an old but good-quality wooden table. Restoration will save the furniture from being sent to the dacha, and will help the owners show their imagination. For those who are interested in the idea of updating and wondering how to decorate the table in the best way, you will be pleased to know that there are several different, but equally effective methods.
Rustic style Source ebayimg.com
Decoupage
Decoupage will come in handy if the interior is decorated in a rustic (Provence, country) or vintage style of Victorian romance (shabby chic). The technique involves fixing the application to a suitable surface. There are several types of decoupage, the simplest one impresses with its budget and ease of execution, and includes the following steps:
- The surface of the table is cleaned and leveled with sandpaper until perfectly smooth.
- An acrylic-based primer is applied to the prepared tabletop.
Decoupage on a round table Source build.4-u.info
Furniture for a small living room
When setting up a small living room with a table, you have two options to choose from. If most items can be stored in cabinets in other rooms, we focus on low, not very massive furniture. It enlarges and optically expands the room, and - of course - takes up little space. However, if the furniture is small in size and designed to hold a huge amount of stuff, it's better to face the truth: those things will be on top or perhaps (at best) in baskets or boxes.
And this is an easy way to clutter and optically reduce the interior. In this case, it is better to equip your small living room with tall, spacious cabinets and use smart solutions, which we will write about in the next paragraph.
Currently, there is a lot of multifunctional furniture in stores that is ideal for small interiors. We are talking about solutions such as poufs with a closed lid, sofas with a container or coffee tables with drawers. It is also a good idea to buy additional chairs for guests, which after use can be folded and put, for example, in a closet or hung on a special hook. If you want to optically enlarge the interior, you need to take a glass table and combine it with transparent plastic chairs.
In a small living room, minimalist furniture will look good with smooth, preferably glossy, fronts without handles. This will make the room seem more spacious. If you have an open bookcase in your living room, you'll want to make sure it's always neatly organized—and it's best to display books in rows that are easy to keep organized.
There's not always room for a chair in a small living room First of all, this will allow you to comfortably watch TV, but also turn towards the guests. Secondly, free lower space will make the chair lighter.
Ideas for decorating a living room in an apartment in 2022
The modern interior of the living room in the apartment is designed taking into account current trends in 2022. There can be quite a lot of options, but you need to take into account several ideas that are especially suitable at the moment and allow you to get not only an attractive, but also a functional modern hall interior:
- You should give preference to naturalness and discreet elegance. No fancy elements or massive furniture. All this looks luxurious, but bulky, which is extremely undesirable for interiors in the halls of apartments in Khrushchev-era buildings, where space is limited and it is desirable to use more rational solutions. Simple lines, thoughtfulness of each element, competent placement of accents - all this will allow you to get the best result.
- You should give preference to light, natural tones, which not only create a cozy atmosphere, but also allow you to visually expand the space. It must be remembered that overtly glossy or sparkling chrome elements are now out of date. Semi-matte, polished details will be more appropriate, so that even the interior of the hall in an apartment of 18 square meters. m. was perceived as spacious.
- If the living room will be used for different purposes, for example, as an office, a place for sports, etc., it is very important to properly zone the space. At the same time, you should not use traditional heavy partitions; it is much more reasonable to use transparent sliding structures or folding screens, which, if necessary, can simply be moved to the side.
- When looking at photos of the interiors of the living room in an apartment in 2022, you will notice that designers give preference to furniture with clear lines without decor or handles. If you choose glossy facades that open by pressing or using a sensor, you can achieve the effect of increasing space. This is especially noticeable if the decoration of the walls and furniture matches the color scheme.
- It is worth using as many modern solutions as possible to increase the comfort of your stay. Lamps that can be turned on and adjusted via a smartphone, a smart home system with a voice assistant and a huge number of functions - all this simplifies life and allows you to have the most comfortable stay. Another useful addition is the climate control system, which will be especially useful in the summer.
- Today's trend is the use of only natural materials or their high-quality imitation for finishing. This applies to both flooring and furniture, although in the second case there may be a variety of options. You can use both distinct and slightly visible textures, it all depends on the interior of the room in the apartment.
By the way!
It is better to discard old furniture if it does not fit into the new environment. This is a typical mistake when a person does not want to throw away some things, and in the end they spoil the entire impression of the hall.
Modern small living room
A small living room in a modern style is, first of all, furniture of simple shapes with a sleek, minimalist finish (no handles). 3-4 colors are currently fashionable. White or gray are often used. This combination looks fantastic with colorful accessories such as pillows, a vase or a pouf.
For a modern living room, we will choose furniture with a lacquered or glass facade or with a glued mirror. Currently, the most fashionable colors for the living room are white, gray, black, pastel colors and natural wood colors.
In a small living room, a sofa in a versatile, bright color (no patterns!) would be great, as long as you make it a main color piece—black, bottle green, or indigo.
Too many additions are certainly not suitable for a small living room, so if you want to add decorative elements to it, let them be items that also have a practical function: airy curtains, pendant lights, statement lamps, a mirror on the wall or unique colorful pillows on the couch.
Video description
About transforming an old kitchen table in the following video:
Ceramic tile
If the house has a supply of ceramic tiles of a suitable color, it can be used for countertop decor. The method is suitable for finishing a table not only in the kitchen, but also on the terrace, veranda or gazebo. There are no technological differences compared to installation on the floor or walls.
It is convenient to use liquid nails as an adhesive, but if you have a special tile adhesive, you can dilute it. To work, you will need spacers, crosses, and grout, preferably epoxy.
Table with tiles Source yandex.net
The ornament is thought out in advance. To add attractiveness, use combinations of plain and patterned tiles, and trim the edges with a border. The theme can be geometric or floral patterns, decorative panels, patchwork.
When you want something unusual, you should visit hardware stores and showrooms. From time to time there are promotions and sales of past collections and leftovers. At a reasonable price you can purchase original tiles from leading Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian brands.
Combined solution Source pinimg.com
Small living rooms - colors, patterns and accessories
There's no lie - gray has been a favorite color for many years when it comes to interior design. It brings peace and harmony, and the huge number of its shades, available both in furniture and in paints, finishing elements and accessories, allows it to be used in any interior. This would definitely work for a small living room too. One note: it is better not to decorate the interior entirely with gray (or its various shades). Even if they are warm colors, the room will seem cold and unfriendly.
To make a small living room seem larger, you can install tall, simple white baseboards. If you add white furniture and use glowing gray walls as a backdrop, you will have an extremely striking and trendy interior. A good way to optically enlarge the interior is to decorate one of the walls with panoramic wallpaper.
In a small living room, plain fabrics and upholstery will look good. Alternatively, you can afford to place a modern black and white geometric patterned rug under the table.
Palette in the interior of the hall in 2022
Color combinations are also subject to change. There are several of the most current options that most professionals adhere to. As for modern ideas for the interior of the hall, it is best to use the following solutions:
- The main color of this year is brown-beige. Despite its plainness, this color gives the interior coziness and tranquility; with different lighting options it is transformed, which is very important. This tone not only adds warmth and depth, but also acts as an excellent backdrop for bright accents.
- Another suitable option would be to combine ocher and yellow shades with neutral tones. This is a simple but stylish solution for different interiors, which goes well with all natural materials and allows you to create an unobtrusive and cozy environment.
- “Earth Palette” combines the colors of the sea, sky, soil and other natural tones, which allows you to create an atmosphere in which a person is very comfortable to be. Naturally, in such an environment any natural materials and textures would be appropriate. The choice of tones is simply huge.
- Professionals call the combination of gray and brown shades the “palette of trust.” This option allows you to create a cozy and harmonious space. Such combinations work especially well in interiors with a touch of luxury, as they are ideally combined with rich decoration, but they would also be appropriate in a modern room.
- You can combine red and pink tones with a neutral palette (“expressive palette”). This environment is energizing and creates a dynamic atmosphere that suits energetic people. This is a good solution for modern environments, often complemented by light flooring and clean lines.
By the way!
It is very important that all elements are combined, so even furniture should be selected according to the palette so that it fits perfectly into the rooms and creates a harmonious ensemble.
Extendable dining tables
With the advent of the first folding table, an active search began for various ways to transform a small tabletop into a large one. And today we have a wide choice. The modern transformable dining table is available in several options:
- folding
- folding
- sliding
The most striking example of a folding table is a book table. When folded, it turns into an impromptu bedside table, when half-extended it perfectly functions as a family dining table, and on holidays it can easily be turned into a spacious space for a feast.
Console table with a telescopic mechanism that folds out into a full-fledged dining table for 6 people
And finally, an option when one piece of the tabletop is superimposed on another. When unfolded, it creates the effect of a book unfolding.
Classic form factor and futuristic contours of a glossy table with gilded legs
Folding models are the most ergonomic. They are ideal for small apartments. They are attached to the wall, equipped with legs, and are almost invisible when folded. Their only drawback is the lack of mobility. This option is optimal for a single person or an elderly couple.
A small folding dining table is a great trick for saving space in a small home, with the only drawback - it is stationary
Popular with most, sliding dining tables are universal both in terms of use and as a stylish decorative interior object. They can be round and oval, rectangular and square. The sliding mechanism itself is usually simple and does not require much effort to transform: two or three movements, and the table for receiving guests is ready.
A round sliding table doubles the tabletop area if necessary, with minimal effort and very smooth movement of the fittings
Mechanisms of transforming tables
The range of transformers is represented by several types of tables.
In tables with a louvered mechanism, additional tabletop parts extend from the sides. This is the most convenient way of unfolding, which every family member can handle.
Tables equipped with an automatic mechanism allow the additional tabletop to extend automatically when the main part is moved.
Advice!
When choosing a transforming table, check the sliding mechanism in action, evaluate how comfortable it is for you to unfold it, and make sure that the parts are securely fastened.
Two in one: a minimalist dining table that hides a second surface under the tabletop for playing pool
