On the Couch With Gia Russo

1 Space, 2 Rooms

MHI: How do you deal with a combined living room/dining room?

GR: Combined living and dining rooms are easy to make functional for both uses. When setting the rooms, think of them separately, but make sure the space for furniture will work together and create good flow. Create an area within the space for the table, chairs, and a great lighting fixture. Across from the dining room, set the sofa, coffee table, and so on.

Before placing your furniture, look at the empty space and sketch a few different layouts that will work for your family. This is important because you want to make sure you don’t get stuck with furniture that is too big for the space.