How to Design an Open Floor plan

An open floor concept typically refers to a plan that turns the kitchen, dining room, and living room into one unified space. Choosing this type of plan is a perfect way to enhance the feel of a room by creating a more efficient, usable living space. Additionally, an open floor plan is ideal for entertaining, as the undivided rooms encourage more social interaction between spaces.

In order to make an open floor plan both stylish and functional, it is important to make cohesive design decisions in terms of furniture and décor. Here are some tips to ensure that your open floor plan highlights its advantages without lacking warmth or intimacy.

1. Define space with rugs

Area rugs are a great way to create “rooms” within an open floor plan. They work to delineate conservation spaces and provide subtle boundaries without compromising visual airspace. Using area rugs to separate planes can make the openness of the floor plan seem like it has distinct areas.

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2. Create cohesion

While separating an open-floor plan using area rugs, it’s important that each spatial area flows with the others. Choosing a consistent color scheme and repeating elements in each section can help to achieve cohesion in each individual space of the open floor plan.

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3. It’s all about lighting

When determining how to divide spaces in an open floor plan, it’s important to light each area distinctively. Pendant lighting in the kitchen and dining area works to vertically define the space, while floor and table lamps in the living room illuminate the area without sacrificing the cohesion and warmth of the entire space.

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Mark Nyblom