01/06/2023
Should I go open plan?
Open plan living has been a popular trend for several years now and doesn’t show signs of going away, but it’s not for everybody and needs to be carefully considered to be successful.
Open plan is where a layout is designed with multiple functional areas, such as the living room, dining room, and kitchen, combined into a single, larger space without the use of many walls or partitions. This concept promotes a sense of openness, flexibility, and connectedness within the living environment.
These are our 12 top tips to consider when thinking about adapting a property to an open plan design.
1. Consider the structural implications, open plan can be very expensive if you wish to hide away or really maximise the openings in original supporting walls. Work with your architect or structural engineer to ensure the layout you create works with your budget. Generally the more supporting structures you remove the more the cost rises exponentially.
2. Consider Spaciousness and Flow: Open plan living is often chosen to create a sense of spaciousness and fluidity in the living area. By removing physical barriers like walls, it allows natural light to flow through the space and enhances the perception of a larger area. Deep plans can have a tendency to be dark or have under utilised areas that end up being passage ways. Consider minimising wasted space, enhancing natural light and how the space connects to the outside world. If you are lucky enough to have a garden multiple views of the garden through doors and windows gives you a greater sense of connectivity and makes the outside garden feel larger.
3. Social Interaction: Open plan layouts encourage social interaction among family members and guests. The removal of walls allows for easy communication and visual connection between different functional zones, making it ideal for entertaining and hosting gatherings. Making things like the positioning of furniture like kitchen islands or similar important.
4. Consider what multifunctionality you want: With the absence of walls, open plan spaces can be designed to serve multiple purposes. For example, the dining area can seamlessly blend with the living area, enabling it to be used for both formal meals and casual lounging. But practicality can often be overlooked, great open plan spaces include the provision for utility spaces, pantries, storage space and a degree of flexibility.
5. Integration of the Kitchen: Open plan living often involves integrating the kitchen with the rest of the living area, making it a central focal point. This design allows the cook to engage with family members or guests while preparing meals and eliminates the isolation typically associated with traditional closed-off kitchens. However, some people do not like the smells associated with cooking to permeate into the soft furnishings and atmosphere of their wider living space. Whilst good extraction helps with this problem, another way to control this is to install a sliding partition wall system that can be extended when cooking strong smelling foods.
6. Consider Zoning and Visual Cues: Although open plan spaces lack physical divisions, designers often utilise various techniques to create subtle visual cues or zones within the larger area. Large open plan spaces without zoning can often look boring or lack visual interest. Zoning can be achieved through the use of different flooring materials, floor heights, lighting, furniture placement, or changes in ceiling height.
7. Flexible Furniture Arrangements: Open plan living provides flexibility in arranging furniture and defining functional areas. Mobile furniture pieces, such as room dividers, shelves, or screens, can be used to create temporary partitions or to designate specific zones as needed. The use of tables that can extend into other spaces to fit everyone in at family gatherings is a good tip.
8. Privacy and clutter considerations: While open plan living promotes connectivity, it's also important to consider privacy and tidiness. Some homeowners may opt for partial divisions or create separate areas for more private activities, such as home offices, reading nooks, or play areas for children. This can help mask visual clutter.
9. Acoustic Considerations: One challenge with open plan layouts is managing noise and maintaining acoustical comfort. Sound-absorbing materials, area rugs, curtains, and strategic placement of furniture can help to reduce noise levels and enhance overall comfort within the space. It is also really useful to move loud appliances such as washing machines to separate utility spaces where the noise can be controlled.
10. Lighting: Lighting plays a crucial role in open plan living design. Use a combination of natural light and artificial lighting to enhance the functionality and ambiance of the space. Incorporate a variety of lighting fixtures, such as overhead lights, pendant lights, recessed lights, and floor or table lamps, to provide different layers of illumination.
11. Create Visual Unity: Create visual harmony and cohesion within the open plan space. Choose a consistent color palette, flooring material, and design style that flows seamlessly throughout the entire area. This helps create a unified and visually pleasing environment.
12. Personalization: Open plan living spaces offer opportunities for personalization and self-expression. Incorporate elements that reflect your style and preferences, such as artwork, decorative accessories, or statement pieces of furniture. This helps to make the space feel unique and tailored to your taste.
It's worth noting that while open plan living has gained popularity, it may not be suitable for every living situation. Factors such as personal preferences, animals, lifestyle, and the needs of individuals or families should be considered when deciding whether to adopt an open plan design or the degree of open plan living adopted.
If you would like to consider remodelling your home arrange a free consultation with one of our architecture team at [email protected] we have all of the structural engineers, surveyors and architects in house to make your plans become a reality.
