This post shows you 15 ways you can decorate a long, narrow living room and dining room in your home.
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15 Easy Ways to Decorate a Long Narrow Living Room and Dining Room Combo
If you’re searching for ways to decorate a long narrow living/dining room in your home, it is likely that you have a newer build with modern concepts of space and design. Though it’s not always the case, many newer homes go with an open-concept or galley design where the living room and dining room go together.
In old character homes, you would often find distinct rooms or living quarters, each with its own purpose that created a clear separation between spaces like the living room and dining room.
In contrast, modern homes prioritize maximizing space, often resulting in open-concept designs that lose traditional enclosed rooms, such as combining the kitchen, living room, and dining room into a single larger space.
These spaces can become narrowed, particularly in builds like townhomes and apartment buildings where living spaces are divided and built up vertically.
In this guide, I’ll help you navigate this modern layout by offering practical and stylish solutions to style a long narrow living and dining room, and transforming it into distinct, functional zones that maintain both flow and separation in your home.
This post will show you:
How to arrange a long living room dining room combo?
How to style a long, narrow living room?
How to separate a long room and dining room combo?
How to make a living room and dining room together?
How to Decorate a Long Narrow Living Room and Dining Room Combo
1. Create Zones With Rugs
Using rugs is a fantastic way to delineate different areas within your long narrow space. A large rug under your dining table can anchor the dining area, while a separate rug in the living room helps create a cozy seating zone.
If you have young ones or just want to watch out for spills, consider a washable rug for the dining room area that you can just throw into the washing machine (such as Ruggable, Revival Rugs, or RugsUSA) to keep the area looking tidy.
Place a large area rug in the living room section to define the seating area. Position the front legs of the sofa and chairs on the rug to anchor the space and create a cozy, unified look.
One rule of design worth noting is that using a large rug actually makes your space appear larger.
2. Strategic Furniture Placement
I’ll be honest: the way you place your furniture plays a huge role in how your space looks and flows. You will want to use your furniture to its full advantage to help you create defined living areas.
For example, place the sofa with its back to the dining area to act as a divider. This natural separation can help delineate the two spaces.
In a narrow room, positioning the dining table against one of the longer walls can save space and prevent the area from feeling cramped. You can use benches instead of chairs on one or both sides of the table to further streamline the look.
However, you will want to avoid pushing all furniture against the walls. Floating furniture arrangements, such as placing a sofa in the middle of the room with a cute console table behind it, can create more defined seating areas (and it looks great!).
Choose furniture with a slim profile to avoid overwhelming narrow spaces.
Look for sleek, modern pieces that offer functionality without bulk. For example, select a narrow console table or a streamlined coffee table.
Don’t worry if something isn’t working in the space right away. Play around and move things until you feel it’s right. The great thing about furniture is, you can always move it!
3. Create Symmetry
Ok, hear me out: creating symmetry may sound like an overwhelming concept, but I promise it’s actually quite simple when its broken down into steps.
When thinking about symmetry, consider balance. What tends to create balance? Often times it’s two of something, or a mirroring of something. If you like a sense of order in your home, this design style could work well for you.
Here’s how you can easily achieve this:
Pairing Furniture: Use identical armchairs, side tables, and lamps to create mirrored arrangements on either side of the room.
Use Focal Points: Create a focal point in each zone. For example, a fireplace or TV in the living area, or the dining table in the dining area, and arrange furniture symmetrically around it.
Matching Decor: Hang cohesive wall art or install matching shelves and lighting fixtures on both sides of the room to reinforce symmetry.
Balanced Layout: Arrange furniture to balance each side, like placing a sofa opposite two chairs, or centering the dining table with evenly spaced chairs.
Consistent Height: Look for furniture pieces with similar heights to create a uniform appearance and seamless visual flow.
For example, in your living area, pair the sofa with matching chairs, side tables, and lamps. You can do large artwork above the sofa, or a media console with symmetrical decor.
In your dining area, center the dining table with equal chairs on each side and a central pendant light. You can match the sideboards with twin lamps or symmetrical decor.
Why identical pairings? Again, we have to refer back to balance. Pairing sofas or chairs, and using identical side tables or lamps can help you create a harmonious and organized look in a narrow room.
4. Use Mirrors to Expand the Space
Mirrors reflect light and can make your space appear larger and more open.
Position a large mirror on one of the longer walls to create the illusion of depth and light.
This is great if you have a wall that you aren’t sure what to do with.
Also, If you don’t like wall art in your home, you can add beautiful mirrors to the walls for some decor and additional light.
5. Vertical Storage
In a long narrow room, vertical storage is your friend!
Use tall shelving, bookshelves, or wall-mounted storage units to save floor space and keep your room organized.
This is a great way to display decor and maximize your storage in the room.
6. Space Saving Furniture
Choose furniture that serves multiple purposes. You will save the most space if you go for furniture that serves more than one purpose and/or has a storage component to it.
For example, a storage ottoman or a sofa bed can provide functionality to your space without taking up extra room.
Look for a coffee table that lifts up for additional storage. It can also serve as a mini-desk if you need your computer or work items nearby.
Then when you’re done, it’s easy to tuck everything away and keep the area tidy.
7. Floating Shelves
Floating shelves are a clever way to use empty wall space. They’re perfect for adding display space without making the room feel cluttered.
They can hold things like books, photo frames, decor items, or smaller plants.
8. Use Shelves As Room Divider
I love how this looks and think it’s seriously clever!
Use open-back bookcase or shelving as a room divider to create temporary separation between the living and dining areas.
Why an open-back bookcase? It helps maintain a sene of openness, provides storage without creating visual barriers, and lets the light pass through.
Not only does it look stylish, but it’s also a great way to separate the rooms in a temporary way. This is perfect for if you want to avoid installing a permanent structure in your space.
I wish I had this in my first apartment; I could have really used it!
9. Light Fixtures to Draw the Eye Upward
Lighting plays a large role in the mood and vibe of a room.
Consider installing light fixtures that draw the eye upward, such as pendant lights or chandeliers. This can make the ceiling appear higher and the room more spacious.
A light fixture can also help to create a distinct dining area, such as hanging a pendant light or chandelier over the dining table.
You can also use floor or table lamps to create a cozy ambiance and further separate the living and dining zones.
In a narrow room, I would HIGHLY recommend layered lighting. If you don’t already know, layered lighting is just a mix of overhead lighting, task lighting, and accent lights.
Picture a pendant light above the dining table (overhead lighting), a floor lamp directed at a lounge chair (task lighting), and a paper lamp illuminating a dark corner of the room (accent lighting).
Layering your lights can really make a narrow space feel more inviting and less like you’re in the doctor’s office!
10. Reading Nook
Designate a small area in the room for reading or relaxing. While it’s not necessarily a must, I think it’s a great way to add a functional zone without taking up too much space.
Add a comfy chair, small side table, and a cute lamp. Wa-lah! A cozy nook!
11. Large Artwork
Large pieces of art can create a focal point and add personality to your space without making it feel cluttered and closed-in.
Look for statement pieces that complement your decor style and that you genuinely love looking at. There are so many incredible options readily available!
I’m all about these beautiful landscapes that look like vintage oil paintings:
12. Furniture with Legs
Did you know that furniture with exposed legs can actually make your space look larger? Yep, it’s true!
For a long narrow living room and dining room, I would opt for furniture with exposed legs instead of pieces that sit directly on the floor. Believe it or not, it creates a sense of space and openness because you can visually see under the furniture.
If light can pass through or around the object, it creates openness.
Sometimes the littlest details make all the difference in a room.
13. Wall-Mounted TV
Mounting your TV on the wall can save valuable floor space and create a clean, uncluttered look.
Then you can add a sleek TV storage underneath with some cute decor! Any additional storage you can add to a narrow room is a plus.
If you mount your TV to the wall, just remember to take measurements to ensure you get the correct fitting brackets. There are so many handy TV mounting kits out there, you shouldn’t have any problems finding one for the size of your television.
14. Tall Curtains
If you want to know a design trick that makes your ceilings appear higher: it’s all in the curtains.
Hanging curtains from the height of the ceiling to floor level actually gives the illusion that the ceiling is higher and the windows are larger.
I love light, airy fabrics or light filtering curtains because they keep the room feeling spacious.
If you don’t want stark white curtains in your living room, neutrals like linen, ecru, and oatmeal work really well.
If you like a bold look, pair dark curtains against light walls for more of a focal point. Darker colors won’t let the light pass through as much as lighter colors, so this can be helpful if your room is very very bright.
If you want additional privacy, you can get black-out curtains, or install window blinds in addition to tall curtains for the same effect.
15. Compact Dining Table
I love this look! It’s perfect for a long narrow dining room and it looks like a French bistro. I love the bistro chairs, cute pillows, and vase with fresh flowers. Plus, decorating it in a unique way makes the dining area feel special and distinct within the larger room.
If you really want to maximize your space, using a smaller sized dining table will be the best bet.
A round table fits easily into tight corners, allowing for better flow and movement around the room.
You can also use a compact, extendable or drop-leaf dining table that you can expand when you have guests, but keep smaller for everyday use.
There are many versatile options you can choose. How you style it makes a huge difference too!
Decorating a long narrow living room and dining room combo doesn’t have to be daunting. With these 15 easy tips, you can transform your space into a stylish, functional area that you’ll love spending time in.
Happy decorating!
This post showed you 15 easy ways to decorate a long narrow living room and dining room.
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