Open floor plan living is all the rage nowadays. From a kitchen-diner within the living room to a home office within the same space, individuals are slowly moving away from boxed-in rooms to open, airy and bright spaces.
Despite the increasing popularity, open-floor plan spaces can be a real pain to organize and decorate. However, just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Read on for handy tips on designing an open floor plan the right way.
Smart Design Tips for Awesome Open Floor Plan Living
With so much space and no clear defining lines, open floor plan living can get real messy. That isn’t the goal. There is a way to have space but also make it feel cozy. With the design tips for open floor plans below, your home can be as glamorous as the magazines:
1. Create Multiple Conversation Areas
Most open floor plan homes have one thing in common – they’re spacious, open, and airy. On the one hand, that’s what makes them so great, while on the other hand, it’s a downside because they lack intimacy.
The easiest way to solve this problem is to create multiple conversation areas while designing an open floor plan. Instead of one large seating area, design small, intimate spaces where individuals can hold a personal conversation.
For instance, if your space is extra roomy, add a few cozy barstools around the kitchen island and a dining table between the kitchen and the living room. The kitchen island seating area will be perfect for casual dining and conversations with the chef of the day, while the dining table is great for family dinners.
2. Go for Microzones
For this layout to work overall, microzones are your best friend. For instance, a sunken living area on an open floor plan not only makes it easier for you to position the kitchen and dining areas perfectly but also makes your sitting area feel like a separate hangout zone.
3. Play Around with Lighting
Proper lighting defines and divides an open floor plan into workable areas that seamlessly flow into each other. Play around with different types of light to create different zones.
For your kitchen area, use task lighting fixtures such as over-the-counter pendants or under-cabinet tape and puck lighting. These will direct light on your cooking surfaces and add visual appeal to your culinary area without being overly bright.
A fancy chandelier for your dining area creates excellent vertical definition and separates the dining space from the kitchen and the sitting areas, while a statement chandelier over the living area instills comfort and intimacy. You could also add accent lights such as floor lamps around the living area for enhanced comfort and ambiance.
4. Stick to a Color Palette but Experiment with Different Materials
If your goal is designing an open floor plan, choose one or two color palettes and stick to them. Cohesive color palettes, even in a closed floor plan, instill a sense of serenity and comfort. They also help separate different zones.
To enhance the effect, play around with different materials. For instance, if you choose grey and peach as the primary colors, you could use icy grey marble or granite on your kitchen island and countertops, a charcoal grey velvet rug around your dining area, and upholstered peach dining seats. The difference in texture and hues between the grey colors creates fantastic visual harmony, while the softly colored dining seats add a remarkable contrast.
5. Be Bold and Float Your Furniture
It’s tempting to want to push everything against the wall, but one design tip for open floor plans you’ll never go wrong with is floating your furniture. It creates visual space and makes it easier to divide the floor into different areas based on function.
Get Inspired and Let Professionals Help
When done right, this floor plan is among the most luxurious home layouts around. Hopefully, the design tips for an open floor plan highlighted above will inspire you to create a living space you’ll love. What’s more, you don’t have to handle the process alone, as our highly experienced Lumber Company group is just a dial away. Drop us a line today for more information.
