Open Plan Living Design Tips

As high end residential designers for almost 10 years now, JAC has seen the Great Room trend keep going and going. In fact, open floor plan ideas are here to stay, it's just the way we live now. It's modern and functional and aspirational because it allows for maximum space flow and communication of its occupants. It just makes sense in this busy world and allows us to connect visually in one big space versus just through our devices.

For us, being an open plan pro is the best way to decorate a space by creating a playful harmony between functional and artistic/form areas. One of our open floor plan decorating tips is to utilize elements at different scales, which creates an interesting experience that helps define the different areas and create dimension.

The living room and dining area can and should be open to each other. A low partition, a semi-open bookcase, or a beautiful piece of furniture can be a visual divider that defines a space without feeling restrictive. There is something fascinating about the flow of a space where boundaries are not absolute and it also helps us to harmonize our sense of the space.

Floating walls or see through bookshelves are another way to create division in a way that allows for maximum flexibility. These walls and/or shelves can then serve as a platform for displaying art and design details and even art!

Furniture placement is key—group sofas and chairs together with a console behind the sofa, for example, to break up the space visually. Bare in mind that low profile pieces help to keep the eye moving around the room and not being blocked off only which adds to the open plan feeling. Create a main dramatic focal point, whether it's an interesting fireplace, chandelier, or large window; this is important for creating impact in the room. Apart from that, open-plan spaces need a cohesive color scheme so that they don’t feel too busy. You can also help create a focal point with a wall treatment or wallpaper, then center your U shaped conversation area around that wall and boom, automatic focal point!

We don’t like to fill a space with too much furniture, but instead leave some space for the interiors to breath. By using a few statement-proportionate pieces, the room doesn’t need as much furniture and will look more impressive than having lots of small pieces. Just remember traffic flow is key in open living and also don't be afraid to leave open floor space, it's a nice way to create depth in the room.

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