How do I orient my living & dining room?
I just moved into a new apartment about a month ago. I’ve been having a hard time figuring out how to orient everything, and I would really appreciate any helpful advice! I am open to anything.
I’m having two main issues: (1) how to orient the living room so that it feels like a coherent and comfy space, and (2) how to squeeze a small dining area behind the couch and next to the kitchen / counter.
For some context, the couch is 7 ft long. The tape measurer in the photo is extended by 10 ft. The floors are bamboo. I’m likely going to mount the tv. Also, most of these photos were taken in 0.5x zoom, so they make the space look a bit larger than in reality.
(1) I feel like this is the only place where a couch and TV will fit, right? I’m thinking if I get a big rug to pull the couch and TV together it’ll make that space feel more coherent (and a coffee table ofc). I’m thinking a muted red / terracotta Persian or Turkish style (let me know if you think another style would look better!) However, I’m not really sure what size or how to place the rug. Since the couch is resting against the wall, would the rug also need to touch the wall? Should I pull the couch off the wall a little? The problem with that is then there’s not much space between the couch and the kitchen counter. How far should the rug extend out from the couch on the front and exposed side? Should the rug go underneath the TV console or stop right before it?
(2) I’m not sure whether I should try to fit a dining table into this space (under the pendant lamp) at all, but the space feels pretty empty without it. If I were to get something, I was thinking maybe a narrow table to rest under the windows, and a bench for seating, so I can push it under the table to conserve space. Does that sound like that a good idea, or do you have any other suggestions?
I’m going to a flea market today to search for a rug, so I’ll be monitoring this post for input and responding to any questions! Thanks in advance - I love the Reddit community.