lydyutohome
1001 sqf self designed creamy dreamy home in the breezy north🏡
Making room for a bright and airy dining space beside the living area
11650
We went for a soft, creamy theme throughout our home comprising warm neutrals, light textures, and lots of natural materials. Our dining area sits right next to the living room, which is not the typical layout, but it honestly made the most sense for us. In a 4-room resale where space is limited, placing the dining table outside the kitchen would’ve reduced the amount of walking space. Plus, we really wanted to leave enough room for our chihuahua to run around without dodging chair legs. 
Having the dining table just beside the TV/living area also gives us that cozy lounge vibe we wanted. It's perfect for casual nights when we just want to snack and watch a show at the table without feeling like we’ve moved to a totally separate zone. We installed 2 power sockets too for those days where we want to have steamboat, or for other purposes like doing admin stuff on our personal laptops. That way we don't need any extension cords which can be dangerous if someone trips on it. 
Extra space we got by placing the dining table beside the living area. 
To give the dining space a bit of its own identity so that there's still a conscious segregation of space despite it being right beside the living area, we turned a recessed wall into a 1m-wide indented arch. We diy painted it a blush-toned textured finish that we’re super proud of. It frames the area perfectly and adds just the right amount of warmth! 
Our 80cm-wide travertine table fits snugly in the arch, and we picked one with transparent acrylic legs to keep things looking light and open. The textured wall design still shows through, and it doesn’t feel like the table is eating into the space. The 1.8m length is great for when we have family over or just want more surface area to work with. 
Lighting-wise, we went for two mushroom-shaped pendant lamps, one medium, one large. We hung them at slightly different heights (the medium one drops about 8cm lower). It adds a nice layered feel without overwhelming the space. Tip: if you’re planning something similar, just be sure to account for the widest part of each pendant so they don’t end up bumping into each other. 
For seating, we mixed in three simple cream chairs and a 1.6m rattan bench on the side facing the living room. The bench keeps the layout looking neat and open, which really helps when the dining and living areas are side by side. The natural texture of the rattan also complements the travertine and pendant light texture. We chose it to add some visual interest so our creamy design doesn't look too boring and one dimensional. 
Close up of the rattan. So far this layout is working for us. It might mean sacrificing abit of sofa length but it's perfect for DINKS like us, and we can always add cosy one seaters when guests come :) What we liked especially: - We’ve got more open space for day-to-day living (and for our dog to run around) - Light colours and see-through materials help the space feel bigger - cozy lounge vibes perfect for snacks + shows right next to the TV as hubby and I are homebodies.
7 May
