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Is the living room the best dining room?

Megan Blandford

Donovan's restaurant in Melbourne opts for a less formal setting with a fireplace and couches.
Donovan's restaurant in Melbourne opts for a less formal setting with a fireplace and couches.Supplied

Eating dinner in the living room conjures an image of Roald Dahl's Matilda, the story in which eating on the couch involved "dinners in floppy aluminium containers with separate compartments for the stewed meat, the boiled potatoes and the peas".

It's an image we all have when we think about eating a meal away from the dining table. Dinner on the couch used to be the sign of an antisocial evening, with the TV blaring, stable tables on laps, and the family suffering through microwave dinners.

Loungeroom vibes dominate at Sydney's cosy Kittyhawk.
Loungeroom vibes dominate at Sydney's cosy Kittyhawk.Supplied
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Eating in the living room has come a long way since then, as we've learnt to combine comfort and practicality (and thankfully with much more style than that of times past).

Experts say that with limited space in modern homes, combined with our time poor lives, the dining room is the first thing to go from both the home itself and our lifestyles.

Less formality in our meals

Only have a coffee table? Take inspiration from traditional Japanese tatami rooms.
Only have a coffee table? Take inspiration from traditional Japanese tatami rooms.iStock

"Modern living is all about on-the-go convenience," says director and principal stylist at Vault Interiors, Justine Wilson. "This means families naturally spend less time gathering at a formal dining table and more often gravitate to the home's living spaces."

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Table centrepieces, cloth napkins, silverware, and the need to set the table, are all memories of a bygone era, it seems.

"Open plan home design is becoming more prevalent and the living spaces are generally less formal and distinctive zones are becoming multifunctional," says Wilson. "This means overall we tend to live in and inhabit our spaces in a more adaptable and flexible way. The result is that sit-down formal dinner table meals tend to be reserved for special events or entertaining guests, instead of a daily occurrence as they once were."

Island benches can double as dining tables.
Island benches can double as dining tables.Steven Siewert

How to create a living space for eating in

The living room hasn't traditionally been the most practical space for eating a meal in – but it's all about how you shift to what works for you now.

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"The key to a successful casual living room that works for meal times is to understand that this is a dominant shift in how we live and that the way forward is multi-functional spaces, which can work well and serve many purposes," says Wilson.

Share platters work well when entertaining in a shared living/dining zone.
Share platters work well when entertaining in a shared living/dining zone.Julian Kingma

There are many ways you can increase your living room's functionality, ready for your next meal.

Think about flow

The first thing to consider is your own home space: does the layout enable eating in the living room?

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"A simple way to incorporate dining into living is to have a more open plan kitchen area leading into the living area with a island bench that can be sat at to eat, but also close enough to be involved with members in the living zone," Wilson says.

Adaptable furniture

The furniture you use for your combined living and eating space could make all the difference. Wilson says: "If your layout is not open plan or a renovation is off the cards, look instead at adaptable furniture such as larger surface coffee tables that can double as dining tables."

Take inspiration from different cultures

There are some great ideas around the world that can help you see how to make it work. "Consider taking inspiration from traditional Japanese design, and place floor cushions under your coffee table to make the dining experience more comfortable," says Wilson.

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Protect your surfaces

The last thing you want is that delicious chocolate sauce staining your couch. "Think about protecting your furniture surfaces with trays, coasters or decorative placemats that will be practical, look appealing and make the dining experience more comfortable," says Wilson.

Think about the food you eat

Is your typical meal or entertaining style suited to eating in the living room? "Simple meals such as pasta, Japanese or sharing platters work really well shared in a living zone, however more traditional meals with lots of dishes and trimmings (such as a roast) will be better left to the formal dining zone to avoid mess and stress," Wilson says.

Restaurants inspired by living rooms

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Some restaurants are aiming to duplicate this home-style feel, decreasing the formality and focusing in on creating a friendly, social environment.

Hacienda in Sydney.
Hacienda in Sydney.Esteban La Tessa

Hacienda, Sydney

While the iconic Sydney views and Cuban architecture are, we're guessing, nothing like your own lounge room, you can't help but feel at home sinking into Hacienda's pastel couches. The rum-inspired cocktails and a menu dotted with smoky pork shoulder and char-grilled octopus add to making you feel like you're in the coolest lounge room in Australia.

Rosetta's resort-like outdoor dining area.
Rosetta's resort-like outdoor dining area.Supplied
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Rosetta, Melbourne

Neil Perry's Rosetta at Crown features Italian fare of fresh pasta, suckling pig and wood-fired meats. And it's all enjoyed while sitting back with friends in the comfortable, vibrant living room inspired setting that could be the poster image for setting up your own relaxed eating space at home.

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