Open floor living spaces are lately getting more and more traction. There’s a good reason for it. It makes your place look much bigger and at the same time creates an opportunity for more integrated living arrangements. However, with an open floor plan, decorating is becoming increasingly important. It’s used to make the distinction between different areas now when there are no walls to do so. Transitions between the areas are far more subtle, but they still need to exist if you want your home to be functional. This kind of setup creates its own aesthetic.
Areas
Designate specific areas for different purposes. It’s best to do this before you start any work, with a plan in front of you. This way, you can make sure that the areas are approximately equal in size and that there are clear pathways between them. The layout of your space should be based on the function of different areas. For instance, the dining room should be adjacent to the kitchen and the study could come after the library. This also, allows you to gently change the mood between the areas – it’s important to have them, but the transition should be smooth.
Symmetry
Once you’ve chosen the areas – think about the way they interact with each other. The goal is to have the same number of large pieces of furniture in each area. For instance, the kitchen counter should be parallel to the bar in the dining room and it should be parallel to the living room coffee table. Once this sort of balance is set, you can use smaller pieces to add contrast and create a sense of personal style.
Making it cozy
Open spaces can feel a bit cold and lacking in privacy. This can easily be fixed by creating a few cozy corners. Start with a large couch or sofa and don’t be afraid to add layers. A bright-colored flatweave runner rug will make the area comfortable and warm. Add a large wooden bookcase and a dim light and you got yourself a reading corner. If you want to go in a different direction – potted plants will create a similar old-fashioned feeling in the middle of your ultra-modern apartment. You can find blue porcelain vases, just like the ones your grandmother had.
Colors
Lack of walls may create a unique challenge when it comes to choosing the color pallet for your home. All the adjoining walls will have to be the same color because anything else would seem tacky. However, this also presents limitation when it comes to choosing the furniture color. You can’t make any abrupt changes because they will clash with the walls. It’s customary for the kitchen and the dining area to be darker with more wooden surfaces. Try to make the transition to the living area by slowly adding more sage green, silver and in the end white tones. This area will also have more natural light, which makes the transition seem more natural.
Open floor spaces allow for bolder and more eccentric decor, which can look really fantastic. However, the biggest advantage of a well-designed open space apartment is that it fosters communal activities and a sense of closeness among the occupants.
Sources:
https://www.onekingslane.com/live-love-home/ideas-for-open-floor-plans/
http://www.bhg.com/rooms/living-room/room-arranging/open-floor-plans/#page=3
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/1174159/list/good-spaces-mastering-the-open-floor-plan
http://www.houzz.com.au/ideabooks/27282063/list/16-clever-ways-to-create-zones-in-open-plan-spaces
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2627647/list/how-to-use-color-with-an-open-floor-plan
