One of the most loved aspects of modern design has been the introduction to open plan living spaces. Although in some countries it has been around a long while now, in other parts of the world it is still relatively new. But even for us who have been living with open plan design for many years it can still be tricky when it comes to knowing how to decorate and style such a large area that often occupies 3 rooms in one space!

Open plan living is easy to love, it encourages better family interactions and the integration of everyday life. It makes it easy for a parent to be cooking whilst the children study at the dining table, or for the host to cook and still mingle with guests. It stops people from feeling isolated and helps strengthen bonds. Another advantage is less walls, which means more natural light can enter from different directions into a room, making a healthier and lighter space. Open plan living also helps give us more space, having less walls taking up room means we can have a smaller room that still feels large. It works really well for units, flats and apartments. But it also works well for anyone who loves an open flow and feel to their home.

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But some say that open plan living comes with some real styling difficulties, without flow and focus an open plan area can just end up looking like a jumbled mess, or can feel cold, stark and lack personality. The biggest difficulty can be creating a warm environment in a large space.

Here are some tips to help you make open plan living work for you. 

  • Leave space between zones. You want each area to feel defined so it is clear which area is for dining, cooking, sitting etc. For a long room try an leave at least 800mm between each zone.
  • Use warm tones in the space if it is large, try to avoid really shiny tiles for flooring as these will make the space seem cold.
  • Add rugs to help define a zone. If you have continuous tiles or floorboards it is ideal to add a textured or patterned rug in your living space to add warmth and define the area. A rug can also work well under the dining table, just make it large enough for the chairs to be able to open up on. For living room rugs make it large enough for the legs of the couch to sit on. Or choose a stylish fur rug to add warmth and texture.
  • Although you want to define zones you also need a common thread. You can do this by carrying a touch of the same colour or tones through each zone. Repeat the use of colour and texture for each area.
  • Don’t make the TV the sole focus. You want to face furniture to encourage interaction, after all that is what open plan living is all about. Face the chairs or sofa towards where other people will be, or at least to face the outside views if you have them.
  • Bring the outside in. I always talk about this tip, and it works very well in open plan living as it keeps air fresh and it looks great. Try and place a pot plant on the opposite wall to your outside garden so that you have greenery all around you. Don’t be afraid you will kill it, just ask at your garden centre expert what plant works best inside and is really tough to kill!!!
  • One of the most important tips is to declutter your spaces. Do you really need all that stuff? Does you child need every toy out at once? Is there some things you could donate to charity? Having things around is lovely and you want it to feel like it is a home, not a show house, but unnecessary clutter just becomes ‘mess’. A decluttered space will make you feel more relaxed and will help you breathe better too. Give yourself space to move around.
  • Take advantage of open plan living, interact with each other, turn off the TV and get back to talking, it will make everyone happier.

I hope these tips helped, if you have any to share just leave a comment below as I would love to hear your thoughts.

Do you live in an open plan space? Do you like it? Or do you prefer separate living spaces?

Thanks for joining me, love Mackenzie xx

You may also enjoy;

Styling tips for a neutral palate. 

Style to the beat of your own drum.

Interior design tips for small spaces.

Hallway or Entrance design tips.

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