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Open-plan living is very popular. It’s a great way to make the most of your space, it can be ideal if you love to entertain, it can help you to spend more time with your family in a more communal home and it’s a chance to have brighter, airer rooms with plenty of space.
But without the right care and attention to décor, open-plan living spaces can become cluttered, messy, and disorganized. Far from looking trendy and sophisticated without the right choices, open plan can look chaotic. Here are some tips to help you to create an open-plan living space that works.
Consider Your Needs
Firstly, you must consider your needs and priorities. An open-plan space that works for one person, won’t be right for another. Ask yourself what you need from your living space, of course, a kitchen and a place to relax, but is eating together at a dining table important?
Do you plan to entertain often? Do you need a large square dining table for 6 to fit your family? Would you like a relaxation area or reading nook with armchairs recliners?
Open plan doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have a huge amount of space, and you might still have to prioritize your needs. Even if you have a lot of space, you may want to think carefully about defined zones, such as eating, cooking, and relaxing, instead of trying to do it all, as this could lead to a messy lack of cohesion.
Use Large Pieces of Furniture to Create Zones
Zones are a great way to give your room structure and to make sure everything has a home. This can make life easier, and tidier. Using large pieces of furniture to separate the zones gives you the benefits of walls, without having to lose space or close anything off.
A kitchen island is a great way to separate your kitchen and dining area, and a large sofa or freestanding bookshelf can separate the living space.
Use Art to Create Boundaries
What you choose to hang on your wall can be another way to separate zones with subtle boundaries. Hang photos and artwork from places that you’ve been to in your living area for comfort but consider more sophisticated wall hangings in the dining area. In the kitchen, you may choose to display cookbooks instead.
Find the Right Color Balance
We tend to choose color schemes for rooms and stick to them as much as possible. But sticking to a few colors in a large space can be boring. However, you don’t want too many colors or clashes, which could overwhelm the eye. Instead, try to find balance. Stick to neutral colors, adding different accents and shades as much as possible, limiting the bold colors that you use to one or two.
Find Quiet Appliances
Without doors and walls to block sounds you can become far more aware of how loud your appliances are. You won’t be able to relax on the sofa after dinner if there’s an incredibly loud dishwasher running in the same room. When your appliances need replacing, make sure you look for the quietest options.
There are many benefits to open-plan living, and you can achieve both style and function with some careful choices and subtle décor.
