How to Nail Open-Plan Living

Open-plan living is no stranger to the biggest interior design trends for the past 10+ years. The idea of a big room with lots of space, airy and fresh, for the whole family or for hosting is incredibly inviting. However, there are some tricks and tips we have learned in mastering the open-plan living style. There is a balance between free-flowing and structure that you have to weigh so you can elevate the sense of calm and togetherness this style of floor plan brings. Read below for some of our favorite ways to perfect your open-plan living space!

Invest in Quality Lighting

Lighting lifts the mood and sets the stage for a room's atmosphere. It can be used to define and unify spaces. Your lighting fixtures should be catered to suit the ambience of the home and adapted according to the purpose of the spaces.

Doors or No Doors?

To open up the space and blend otherwise distinct areas, removing your doors is a good option. You could also consider changing your doors to barn door style to eliminate the swinging door that gets in the way. To add more lighting, have those barn doors be frosted to add natural light to the ambiance of the room!

Consistency is Key

To keep things looking cohesive throughout the space to make it have that sense of togetherness, keep your color palettes, materials (such as flooring) and the overall theme of the room the same. Otherwise, you can end up with a confused looking space that looks like it is missing structure and divide. By sticking with a theme throughout your open space, it puts purpose and thought into the aesthetic for a less-chaotic, intuitive flow.

Create a Focal Point

Having a focal point will draw the eye to a feature in an open plan space. Consider a stone fireplace, an oversized window, or high ceilings. Every room should have some type of focal point. However, in an open plan home, it’s a way to create intimacy. Because furniture and fixtures can be created around a focal point.

For example, having well-considered furniture styled around a fireplace creates a delineated conversation area. It keeps the space open but also creates a more intimate environment.

Be Thoughtful On Size of Furniture

The last thing you want in an open floor plan is to have your furniture take up the entire space. After all, the whole point is to create a sense of openness. Cluttering that openness up with bulky furniture that is hard to maneuver throughout the room is not recommend. up the entire space. It is integral to pick furniture that is appropriately scaled for the areas they are to be installed in.

Open Shelving

To make rooms feel larger and more open, you can install open shelves into the walls. Do away with the upper cabinets, which can make a room feel small. Now comes a new challenge: how to decorate that open shelving. Maybe we will write a blog post on this to help you because that job is no easy feat! ;)

Rooms for Open Living

Some rooms you may want to avoid making open-living stye would include a bedroom or en suite, however if you are wanting to maintain an open plan master suite in the same room as the living space, we would strongly suggest to keep the en suite as a separate partitioned room. Other than that, have fun with your rooms and this style of space! Bathrooms are a newer trend with this style -- just make sure to keep your toilet in it's own space! Game rooms, living rooms, entertaining spaces, basements, and more!

Whether you are remodeling to create an open-living space in your home, or building and want this style applied we are here to help! We love designing and creating the perfect space for beautiful homes. Our team would love to assist you to make sure you are designing the space exactly how you envision it. Click HERE to contact us and book a consultation with our team today!