Open plan design in homes breaks down barriers — literally. Since gaining popularity in the 1970s, this modern way of living has revolutionised how we interact in the home environment.
Rather than the kitchen, dining room and living room being separate spaces, open plan living removes the walls to create one vast family home hub, where you can spend time together without feeling cramped or confined.
Gone are the days when one poor soul was segregated in the kitchen to cook dinner while everyone else bundled into a separate living area. Fast forward to the modern interior layouts available today, where you can cook up a storm in an open plan kitchen while also enjoying the latest Netflix binge along with the rest of the family.
But for all the benefits gained by bringing everyone into the same space, it's vital to perfect your dream home styling to ensure your open-plan layout works in harmony. Let's look at 26 different open plan living spaces and explore what makes it so popular with Australian families.
Zone your open floor plan
Even though open space is the goal, in practice, you're still creating individual living zones within the floorplan to keep it cosy and functional. For added impact, each living zone should have a focal point, such as a feature wall or pendant lights.
Modern home designs create and define zones using carpets and thoughtful placement of furniture. To carve out the living room, arrange two separate sofas around the edges of one rug. The back of one couch should be facing the kitchen area to create a partition. This type of couch placement also helps to make the natural walkways you will follow through the home. It's important not to over clutter this space as open-plan living is ruined by having too much stuff.
Your dining table is a hero feature that makes it very clear you're entering an open plan living space. You can either place another rug in your dining area or create a contrast from the living room by leaving flooring exposed. Positioning your dining table close to the kitchen is a no brainer, but in an ideal world, it will also be near patio doors. That way, you can spill out onto an alfresco area and make use of the outdoor kitchen. A feature pendant light is a great way to make a dining space shine while softening the effect of high ceilings in an open space.
If you have a home office nook, keep it close to the kitchen for regular cuppas and snack breaks, and ideally near a window for good natural light and to help keep you feeling inspired. Do yourself a favour and keep your back to a distracting TV.
Beyond using rugs, lights and furniture to divide up the zones, don't forget the blank canvas offered by your walls. By splashing key walls with a lick of paint or stylish wallpaper, you can further draw out and characterise each space according to its respective daily use. For more living room ideas, or to get a look at different kitchen spaces, check out our Lookbook.
Go with the flow
Even though you've marked out individual spaces within your open-plan layout, you still want them to feel connected. If you place furniture away from walls and position the back of sofas towards the centre of the room, you can create clear corridors between individual zones. Doing so makes it easier to move through the space and encourages positive Feng Shui.
Think about repeating signature details within each space that tie the individual 'rooms' together. For instance, if your dining table is oak wood, pick up similar wood tones in your living area's coffee table. Consider using metallic or textural stone accessories throughout to add a pop of luxe.
While it's good practice to have a cohesive, neutral palette, introducing bright pops of colour or bold patterns provides a touch of personality and character. Circular or oval-shaped side tables, pouffes and dining tables can help soften the angles of a big rectangular box floor plan. As can rounded mirrors and curved floor lamps that reach over individual 'rooms'.
Modular furniture mounted on wheels can be a versatile way to reinvent your space and gives you the ability to switch things up as needed. Entertaining? Great, you can quickly move everything around to provide your guests with more room to party.
Tips for designing an open plan living space
Shape options
Open plan living is all about how you use your space, but not all blocks of land are equal. Based on the width and length of your block, your open plan living space may take on a different shape. The three most common shapes are:
- Square shape open-plan layout
- L-shape open-plan layout
- Long room open-plan layout
The above shapes refer to the kitchen, dining and living space. However, open plan areas can also incorporate outdoor living areas, study nooks and more. It’s important to think about which space works best for you.
Take advantage of your surroundings
The shape you choose should optimise your view. If you have a luscious garden, beach frontage, or live on a few acres, it’s important to position the open plan living space to take advantage of the views. You don’t want to sit on the couch with your back to the views, or have the dining room facing a fence.
Keep it low
You should also be conscious of your sightlines, which refers to your line of sight through the room. With open plan living, you want to avoid tall and bulky pieces of furniture. Large pieces can make rooms feel small. The whole point of open plan living was to create a sense of openness, so don’t ruin it by adding tall and blocky furniture.
Install plenty of storage options
Clutter is inevitable. Whether you live alone or with a large family, there’s no way to avoid bits and pieces piling up around your home. Open plan living rooms can feel messy very quickly, so you need to think of a way to combat this in the design stage. Take advantage of built-in joinery and cabinets with lots of storage, so everything has a place. Out of sight, out of mind!
Use the light
Try to allow as much natural light into your open plan living area as possible. Not only is it nice to sit and relax in a room filled with natural light, but it also helps to make your home look larger. Removing shadowy corners enhances open plan living, making it more impressive than it already is. If your block isn’t privy to natural lighting, make sure you install task lighting, down lights, pendant lighting and more… light it up!
Enhance your floor plan with a void
If you’re planning on building a double-storey home, you can add a void or vaulted ceiling to your open plan living space to create somethingincredible. Voids are becoming incredibly popular within modern design. When combined with open plan living, you essentially create a mezzanine inside your own home, and benefit from the visual appeal of tall ceilings.
If you're looking for more interior design ideas featuring open-plan living, visit one of our award-winning display homes, or check out our style gallery, where you can save and organise all your favourite Metricon home designs.
Alternatively, check out our fantastic open floorplans to see these concepts in action. We're proud to be an Australian new home builder focusing on bringing you open-plan homes. Find us in Melbourne, Sydney, Queensland and Adelaide.
