How to make the most of your Open-Space Interior

‘Living Open-Plan’

Why Go Open-Plan?

Why are we all going open-plan?

I think modern families require a convenient and multi-functional way of living, where everything is to hand and one vast space encompasses many functions of our lives, including cooking, dining, relaxing, playing and working…all in one space.

A well-balanced open plan space may include a kitchen, with casual breakfast bar seating, a dining space, living area and great access and views to the outdoor space too.

Open-plan spaces can also include a bar, pool table or games area and a multi-media centre if you love to socialise

You may prefer a library corner, play zone or somewhere to work from home.

Firstly, decide what aspects of your home your open-plan space needs to incorporate, then proportion the space accordingly.

Start with The Kitchen

There are so many design challenges to consider when planning a new space, many people don’t know where to start. My advice is to start with the kitchen;

This is most permanent and fixed part of the space, and by planning this area first, will make it easier for you to choose lighting schemes, flooring and other deisgn aspects as the project progresses.

Most open-plan kitchens incorporate an island, which can be any shape or size depending on the room available. Try to allow 1 metre walk-though space around the island and look at incorporating lots of worktop space, storage, appliances, seating, hob or sink …whatever you need to fit your lifestyle.

For lots of worktop and lots of storage, try a kitchen plan which features a tall bank of units. These can include eye-level ovens, fridges and lots of larder space.

The rest of the kitchen is then dedicated to worktop space.

Islands don’t have to be square and boring…try an angled layout which eats further into the room and creates interest. Angle your sofa to mimic the kitchen design and link the two areas together.

Or if you prefer something curvy, opt for shaped doors and worktops for a show-stopping kitchen island

Although an unusual kitchen, this bright yellow design features some great ideas…the wrap around peninsula (an island attached to one wall) allows for a great sense of space and light, whilst still providing lots of worktop space to spread out on.

To add a simple breakfast bar to your island, allow at least 30cm (1 foot) to provide space for knees to tuck under. Keeping the worktop at one level also keeps the counter space practical for preparing food.

Its important to decide which direction you’d like your guests to face when sat at the island. Should they face the cook, the garden, the TV or maybe each other?

Deciding this early in the design process can help to position and size the island correctly.

Islands don’t suit every kitchen space, and your kitchen may be better with a peninsula design. This kitchen shows a higher-level bar top for a contemporary feel, with open space underneath to allow the stools to face each other, and to increase the light through the kitchen.

Some people prefer sitting at chair height, rather than stools. Try butting a table and chairs against the side of the island to keep the feeling casual and relaxed.

Fitted booth-style seating is great for relaxed family time in the kitchen, especially if you have an awkward alcove to fill. Double up on hidden storage and use a breakfast table to keep it informal.

A booth fitted into the back of island is also a great space-saving solution.

You can incorporate the seating, table and island all as one without worrying about lots of walk-though floor space.

Create Zones

Open-plan spaces can feel vast and empty, so plan to ‘zone’ each function to give each part of the room its own identity and mood.

Using the structure of the building, you can zone an open airy living space from a practical kitchen.

Or use cleverly placed furniture to divide a messy work zone from the living space.

Placing large rugs in the living room helps to create a cosy ‘zone’ in an open-plan space. Double check your rug size before you buy as most spaces suit rugs slightly bigger than you may first think.

Playing around with the position of freestanding furniture can also help to ‘zone’ your spaces. By positioning a sofa in the centre of the room, with its back facing the rest of the space, you can create a cosy and sociable snug…this is a great way to position L-shape corner sofas too.

Here’s a really clever way to use colour to zone a corner of the room. Instead of painting the back of the kitchen walls as most people may do, the blue frame extends around the back of the units to section off the kitchen ‘zone’.

A semi-open plan space may suit you better than one vast open room. Internal double or bi-folding doors allow the space to be flexible around your lifestyle. They can also help you to section of a storage alcove or laundry area.

Internal pocket doors are also great to close off certain parts of the space, but when open, they disappear into the walls.

Floods of Light

One of the main reasons many like to live open-plan, is to flood the home with as much natural light as possible.

This may be the dream for some…wall to wall, floor to ceiling windows. This huge window allows natural light to pour into the room and creates its very own frame of art…ever changing view to the outdoors.

Bi-folding doors at the rear of your property allow you to access a level floor to the garden, and fold back to create the widest open window possible. Why not look at increasing the light further with a horizontal window at the ceiling height too?

A corner-plot extension may allow you to open up two walls to the outdoors, rather than one long back wall. This means more light may flood into the home, and may free up more wall space to play with inside.

Even in dark, small spaces, the natural light can pour indoors. Try floor to ceiling windows or doors, which then allow deeper and muted interiors to be used.

Remember to look up! Adding Velux roof lights, or even sky lanterns, will increase the natural light and will enhance every colour and texture of your interior.

Layered Lighting

Plan your lighting scheme far in advance of the start of your project to save rushed decisions. Layer the lighting scheme so you will have a mix of practical, decorative and enhancing lighting throughout the space, ceiling to change the mood and atmosphere of the open plan space whenever you choose.

A good example of layered lighting: practical ceiling spotlights, task lighting under the wall cabinets, decorative lights in the glazed units and drop lights over the island and table. By wiring to two or three separate switches, each section can be controlled to suit the mood you want to create.

Instead of ceiling spotlights, try laying LED strip lights along the top of wall units of tall cabinets to wash the walls and ceiling with light…without seeing the light fitting itself.

Take your time to choose from the many drop pendants on the market. Perhaps mix three together in a cluster, or try a uniform row of 5 or 6 for a long bar or table.

Lighting can be the most fun and interesting part of interior design. So take time to look at where your features will be, and then light them up! From a fitted bookcase, to a textured wall washed with up-lighting.

Wall lights don’t have to be old fashioned and dotted around the walls. Try clustering together on one walls to create a graphic modern feature. Or choose a novelty or quirky fitting to become a talking point.

Open Plan Flooring

One of the most common dilemmas for open plan spaces, is selecting the floor. We want it to look great, be durable, easy to maintain, hygienic, waterproof for the kitchen and warm in the living room. So choose your flooring carefully as it will cost a chunk of your budget and is the aspect you are unlikely to update for many years.

Real woods or wood-effect floors add warmth and texture. This flooring has been laid against the longest part of the room, giving an illusion of more depth to the space.

If you prefer tiles, be creative with the laying design; Diagonally laid tiles can help visually stretch a narrow space. And brick effect layouts can look more interesting, and help to hide walls which may not be perfectly level.

Creating a stepped level in your open plan space is an ideal opportunity to split the floor covering from tiles in the kitchen, to carpet in the lounge for example. Split floors also create a more interesting space, whether it steps up to a feature kitchen, or down into a cosy family snug .

There’s nothing wrong with splitting the floor in an open plan space if it suits your lifestyle. Remember to plan where the split should occur…try to border an island with the floor, rather than end the floor in line with it, which can make the kitchen feel a little squashed.

Or create an interesting shape like a wave or curve to make the flooring transition part of a design feature.

Consider a Vinyl floor - (Amtico and Karndean are just two well-known brands). It is practical and waterproof for the kitchen, but warmer than tiles for a living area.

Use Pops

of Colour & Pattern

The fun part of designing an open-plan space, is tying the whole room together to work as one. Using pops of colour and pattern dotted around the room with help to create a cohesive design.

Add a splash of bright colour in the kitchen with coloured glass on one feature wall. The bright colour can then be used in accessories throughout the room.

Paint a wall…but why not be creative and paint an unexpected wall like the archway? It will brighten a bland kitchen and will take the eye through to the open plan spaces.

This warm mustard yellow is one of the hottest kitchen trends for 2014. If you love a bold colour for the kitchen, be prepared for it to be the showcase of the open plan space.

It can then be toned down with simple neutral flooring and rich warm wooden tones.

For just a small amount of colour, choose the island, or one run of wall units to be a bold colour. This will be easier to change in the future if you tire of the colour.

Treat wooden finished with care, and in the same way you would a very bold and busy pattern. This striped zebrano wood is dominating the room, but its still well-balanced as the furniture and walls are all so minimal in colour and pattern.

Choose more than one accent colour to dot around your open plan space. You’ll find it easy to change the style with each season and it makes for a more interesting and fun colour scheme. Keep bright colours to accessories light lampshade, rugs and cushions to enjoy a scheme until you tire of it.

Take inspiration from a multi-coloured item, by dragging out your favourite colours onto furniture, lighting and seating cushions.

Although an elegant kitchen with muted shades of taupe, grey and white; this kitchen would look rather bland with neutral light fittings. Instead, this pop of deep green gives it real interest and is an easy colour to live with if you are not a fan of bright shades.

Summary

• Decide if open, or semi-open plan is for you and your family

• Start with the kitchen

• Create zones of space

• Flood the spaces with natural light

• Layer artificial lighting

• Add pops of colour and pattern throughout

Getting Inspired

Find Inspiration on Google Images, Pintrest, Houzz.com

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