Interior Advice for Open Plan Designs

Do you have too many cramped rooms with no real view or features? Would you like more space to connect and socialise more easily with family and friends? Then why not transform the ground floor of your home into an open plan concept; to create a sense of openness, communal living and a multifunctional space by taking the walls down between the dining, living and kitchen areas. 

Ideally, we would suggest having the lounge located with the best view of the garden and the kitchen in the middle with easy access to the dining area. Choose bifold doors into the garden giving you an optimum party space.

Yes, large areas can be more challenging to heat but by installing underfloor heating allows the whole space to keep at an ambient temperature and gives you more options for the placement of furniture.  Wood floors are easier to keep clean and are ideal for open plan living and by using clever herringbone wood boarders or jazzy rugs you can zone the different areas.

Think about placing furniture in the middle of an area rather than along the walls, use USB-powered lamps or arc lamps to avoid cable trip hazards but focus the light where it’s needed.  Like any room, storage is key in open plan design, and we can help design solutions that can house all the household’s media, clever ways to hide the daily detritus as well as areas to showcase your prized possessions; in something that is not only attractive but practical. Multifunctional joinery is fundamental in open plan areas, perhaps a comfy window seat with storage for the kids’ toys and books underneath. Clever kitchen cabinets featuring a coffee station. A wall unit disguises the 53-inch plasma screen but showcases your collection of first editions!

If a totally open plan concept doesn’t appeal, then choose a more flexible design by adding sliding doors, pocket doors or a Crittall steel window wall, allowing you to hive off areas when you need to whilst not compromising on the light or spaciousness of the open plan design.

The last thing one wants when settling down to watch the newest Netflix series is to have the waft of dinner pervade the air, so Invest in a good extractor fan to dispel kitchen smells. Make sure there is enough space to put away the pots and pans and think about statement lighting in the kitchen area, remember layered lighting is the thing – think mood, task, and feature lighting.

Large spaces can be echoey, particularly with wooden floors, so aim to have upholstered dining chairs along with the sofas and armchairs in the lounge area. Make sure you have curtains or roman blinds at the windows as all these fabrics will soak up any noise as will rugs; we can also advise you on acoustic wall coverings!  Try and keep to a colour palette throughout the open plan space in the same colour tones or theme, be it leafy jungle, stripes, bold jewel colours or calming neutrals, even though it’s a large space it has different requirements for each area, but it should feel cohesive when you walk in.