How to Put Together an Open Concept Living Room

Open-concept living is now widely accepted as the standard, rather than being regarded as a novel fashion that was once exclusive to hipster-chic loft apartments in industrial styles. However, while the concept of having a great number of separate rooms is now considered archaic, open floor plans are not always the best solution.

The primary reason for this can be attributed to poor planning and an inability to foresee how the new space is actually going to function on a day-to-day basis; however, it is imperative that functionality take precedence over aesthetics at all times. If you want to make an open floor plan work for you, it's important to think about what you'll need and how it can best support your lifestyle, rather than simply emulating something you've seen elsewhere.

With an open floor plan, there are no walls, so the rooms flow together. This layout makes the house feel warm and welcoming and makes it easy to move from room to room, but it can also be hard to decorate. Learn how to make your living room look better if it has an open floor plan by following these tips on how to connect different areas, set up zones, and create a unique style in open spaces.

Think About The Design 

When planning the layout of a living room with an open concept, you should consider the entire area, including any adjacent spaces, as a single large room. It is not necessary for the wall paint, wood finishes, and furniture styles to be an exact match from room to room, but they should connect for an effect that is aesthetically pleasing.

This means that rather than think that you’ll have this design scheme in the living room and this one in the dining room, you should try to come up with something that works overall. It’s best if you can decide on your design in advance rather than making it up as you go along. In this way, you won’t make any mistakes, and your rooms will work together much more easily. 

Consider Your Furniture Arrangement 

Through the careful arrangement of furniture, a living room with an open floor plan can be made to feel cosier and more intimate. Create the impression of a smaller, more inviting space by clustering the sofa and chairs closely together and arranging the seats so that they face each other. This setting is ideal for hosting game nights and having casual conversations, especially if you opt for contemporary corner sofas. The placement of an area rug in the living room that has a pattern or colour that coordinates with the rest of the room can help define it even further.

In an open-concept living room, a sofa placed in the right spot can help you move from one space to the next. Put a console table along the back of the sofa to make it look bigger and give it more storage space. Put baskets with extra blankets, TV remotes, and other things you need under the table to make the living room look like it has more furniture. Placement of furniture in an open-concept room is important for both how it looks and how it works.

The Flow Is Crucial

People like open-concept plans because they let you (and your eyes) move easily from one area to another. Think about the sizes you'll need to make this work in your home. Make paths that are at least 36 inches wide and safely guide people through the different areas. Make sure your line of sight isn't blocked by paying attention to the height of furniture and where hanging light fixtures fall. The better the flow through the room(s), the more comfortable and user-friendly your home will be.

Colour Will Need To Be Planned In Advance

Each room in your home should have at least one design element that is carried over to the next. To save money on your living room remodel, take design cues from your kitchen. In the adjoining sitting area, use the same colour scheme as the kitchen but with softer textures. 

We mentioned earlier how connecting the spaces in your home is paramount when it comes to an open plan layout, and by taking at least one element from one room and using it in the next, you can create the ideal look, even if the walls are technically still standing. This will also help you narrow down your options when it comes to your colour choices, for example; if your kitchen’s scheme is sage and grey, you’ll know you can’t suddenly introduce blue and burgundy in the room next to it.

Don’t Forget To Add Focal Points 

Everything might start to run together when you have an open floor plan for the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Include a focal point in each of the spaces that are adjacent to one another for added definition. These distinguishing features draw the eye while simultaneously enhancing functionality. 

There are many different ideas you can incorporate into your open plan layout that will work, and it will depend on the style of your home and décor choices, as well as the amount of space you have to play with. Some ideas might include a feature wall, mirrors, hanging decorations, a quirky backsplash, or perhaps even panelling or a large picture window to let in plenty of light and from where you can see your garden. As long as it’s something different and potentially quite bold, it may well work, so let your imagination run wild at this point. This is perhaps the one feature that doesn’t have to match anything else, although, of course, if you want the design to be entirely cohesive, you can ensure there are continuity points.  

Keep It Flexible 

The best open-plan designs have ways to close off spaces when they aren't needed. Sliding doors, or even better, pocket doors that slide into holes in the walls when they're not in use, are a great way to keep open plan layouts flexible. Bifold doors are also an option, but they take up a little more room than sliding doors. Glazed walls and doors are also a good idea because they let light move through the layout and keep different areas separate.

Hope this helps!

Until next time,
Saph x