How to Fit a Dining Table in a Small Living Room? 8 Easy & Practical Solutions

How do you place a dining room table in a living room? Is there a way it could fit and still look good if the room is small? Easy, practical interior design tips and tricks on how to fit a dining table in a small living room.

How to Fit a Dining Table in a Small Living Room?

Yeah, sure, you really want to buy that mahogany dining room table you just saw on your last trip to IKEA, but do you know if it will fit in your small living room? Being short on space can often be quite annoying when you want to buy new furniture and decorative pieces, or rearrange old ones. However, with a little imagination, and a few interior design tricks up your sleeve, you can sometimes even make your living room look bigger by creating the perfect dining table layout. How to do it? Just follow my lead.

Place the Table in a Location That Would Act As a Room Divider

The first thing you can do to best arrange a dining table in your small living room is to place it in a location where it can act as a room divider. Most often this happens with the living room and kitchen. And all the better, as your dining table will be closer to the kitchen, so you can easily place the food and drinks that have been prepared. You can even use decors to separate the dining space from the rooms. Put a rug under, hang a chandelier over the table, whatever you feel like.

Arranging the Couch for a Defined Living Room Dining Space

If you have a couch in your small living room, you can set it up in a way that would allow the dining table to be placed behind it. If you do this, you create a defined space for the table. When arranging it, make sure there is approximately 30” of space around the perimeter of the dining table. You will be able to comfortably pull out a chair and sit without banging into anything if you pay attention to this rule.

Also read: How to Arrange a Small Bedroom? – 5 Expert Tips for a Space Saving Layout!

What NOT to Do When You Are Arranging Your Dining Space

When you are deciding where to place a dining table in your small living room, be sure not to place it in areas where there is high traffic. Don’t arrange a table in front of doorways, hallways and places where you know it can get easily crowded. If an eating table is placed in such spaces, it won’t be functional, nor will you yourself and your guests feel comfortable.

How to Fit a Dining Table in a Small Living Room with a Fold Away

Want to make it easier on yourself? If you lack space in your living room, but don’t want to go without a table where all your friends can dine when coming over, a great idea would be to purchase a fold-away dining table. Such a design is great for small flats, as you can easily store it away when not in use, and bring it out when needed. When you are finished dining, you simply clean the table, fold it again and put it back into storage. Isn’t that neat?

Remove Your Living Room Coffee Table If It Is Not in Use

Do you have a coffee table placed in your small living room? My flat is also quite small, as I live alone, and sometimes it can get cramped with the dining and coffee table sharing one room. Lately I’ve been thinking of removing my coffee table, as I barely use it anyway, and replacing it with a fold-away. Not only will I be getting rid of something I don’t feel like I need, but my living room will look and feel more spacious. I advise you to do the same!

Create an Informal Dining Space in Your Small Living Room

Would you mind if the dining layout was a bit more informal? If not, you can easily set up a dining space in front of your sofa. In such situations, you can invest in sofa tables, which I can say are quite comfortable if your sofa is not too low-positioned. However, they can often be a bit pricey. Or you can even use your coffee table to set up a spot for afternoon tea and relaxed quiet dinners.

Invest in a Compact Bistro Table for Two If You Live by Yourself

If you live by yourself, and don’t have many guests over, a budget-friendly option would be to invest in a bistro table for two. They can fit easily almost anywhere, and if you have a balcony you can get a bistro table fit for the outside, and bring it in whenever needed. Pull out a chair or two when you are inviting guests for dinner or drinks.