Airy, spacious and versatile, open-concept living rooms are a popular design choice for the modern home, but a successful scheme requires careful and considered planning. Whether you’re after a sprawling, sociable hub for the whole family or a multitasking setup in a small city apartment, we’ve rounded up the best-kept design secrets to help you transform an empty interior into a warm and welcoming living space. Click or scroll through for inspiration…
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It’s all about you
Before you begin creating your dream open-plan interior, take a moment to consider how you will use it from day to day. Do you want to make the ultimate entertaining space, or a relaxing haven for cosy nights in? An open-plan layout can add real wow-factor to a home, but remember that the space has to work for you and your lifestyle, too. Understand your main needs and think about how many people will be using each space and for what purpose.
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Work around invisible walls
Once you’ve decided on a layout that works for you and your lifestyle, it’s time to think about zones and furnishings. It might sound obvious, but visualise the space as a series of rooms. Imagine where walls would be located and use this as a basis for furniture arrangement and zoning. Assign each space with a purpose, in order to maximise every inch of interior space.
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Bring in a bold contrast
If you want to create carefully defined living areas within a free-flowing space, don’t be afraid to give different functional zones radically different personalities. In this contrasting scheme, the kitchen features moody grey plaster-effect walls, dark wood furnishings and coordinating appliances. Meanwhile, the adjacent lounge offers a completely different ambience with its bright white walls, light pine shelving and colourful statement furniture.
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Design around your dimensions
Not every multifunctional living space is square or rectangular – instead of trying to make your room fit into a formulaic open-concept layout, embrace unusual dimensions and create a design that works with the eccentricities of your space. In the U-shaped floor plan of this Scandinavian loft for rent via Alvhem, a long dining table fits snuggly in the thoroughfare between the kitchen zone and the lounge.
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Move up with a mezzanine
If you have particularly high ceilings or are converting an airy warehouse-style space, think about incorporating a mezzanine floor into your design. Whether used as a seating nook, library or study, it will allow you to create a more intimate area within your airy open-plan living room. In this scheme, metal wire fencing adds an industrial feel while still allowing an easy flow between the two levels.
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Slip in storage
Don’t be afraid of squeezing more functional zones into your open-concept layout. This compact room divider has been fitted with coat hooks and shoe cubbies, as well as higher shelves for bags and accessories. Not only does it add valuable storage space, but it helps define the transition between the kitchen and dining area in this snug multipurpose room too.
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Zone with furniture
Use furniture to zone off an airy open-plan space in need of structure. This modern living area is divided into thirds thanks to carefully arranged fixtures – the breakfast bar separates the kitchen and dining zones, while the sofa creates an intimate seating nook that’s distanced from the busy culinary space.
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Sink the floor
If you prefer modern open-plan living spaces with no walls or room dividers, there are other ways you can create a subtle distinction between functional areas. In this light-filled multiuse room, the sleek kitchen and dining area sit at floor level, while the floor has been lowered to create a cosy sunken TV area – a modern take on a mid-century conversation pit.
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Bring in botanicals
While accent colours can unify distinct zones in a large, open-plan room, they’re not the only tool in a decorator’s arsenal. If you’re more of a minimalist, instead of disrupting a crisp, clean scheme with superfluous hues, why not turn to Mother Nature instead? Vibrant foliage and houseplants are a great way to create a visual connection between different areas without compromising on a streamlined aesthetic.
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Make lighting striking
Consider how you’re going to light your space right from the get-go in order to plan for the electrical wiring and sockets required. Options include stylish pendant lighting to illuminate a kitchen island, a cluster of pendant lights over a dining table, downlighters over the worktops and brighter spots that can be dimmed in your main lounge area.
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Add a double-sided fireplace
Try to give each distinct area of your room its own focal point. In the kitchen, it could be the island unit or the range cooker. In the dining space, it might be a dramatic pendant light. In the living area, a fireplace is ideal. Here, a fireplace has been built into a small partition wall between the dining and living space for a designer look. And, if you thought you needed a chimney for a fireplace, think again: the latest bio-ethanol fires don’t require a flue and can be placed anywhere.
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Keep thoroughfares clear
An open-plan room is often a busy space with lots of foot traffic. Keep floors and walkthroughs clear by choosing slimline sideboards and fixing the TV onto the wall. As audiovisual technology moves on, television sets are getting thinner and lighter so they are much easier to mount. Narrow, unobtrusive furnishings are a particularly good idea if you have young children around.
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Add a corner sofa
While there are so many styles of sofa to choose from, a large corner or L-shaped sofa is a great way to zone off your lounge in an airy open-plan space. For something practical and durable, go for a tactile family-friendly fabric like leather. An inviting focal point, complete the relaxed vibe with a rug, coffee table and plenty of soft cushions.
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Install a stove
Due to the lack of walls, open-plan living rooms can become cold and drafty quickly. Add warmth and a rosy glow to the open space with a wood-burning stove. A traditional style with a classic fireplace surround will create a focal feature, or go for a standalone, contemporary version that can be installed almost anywhere.
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Go dark and dramatic
A large open space with plenty of light creates a fabulous canvas to experiment with colour. Dark paint shades will create a cosy and inviting vibe when teamed with warm oak flooring. Add to the ambience with pendant feature lights and gentle spotlighting overhead to boost the moody atmosphere in the evening.
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Add texture
If your open-plan room was originally designed for a use other than living in, it might require a little bit more softness and comfort to make it a space you’ll want to spend lots of time in. Make sure it has plenty of homely character by using natural elements such as wood flooring, textured soft furnishings and lush houseplants. Add cushions to sofas, go for long drapes and layer rugs to make it cosy and inviting.
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Make walls mesmerising
Use wall art to visually divide open-plan areas into discreet zones. Gallery walls with family photographs will personalise your living areas, whereas neon wall lighting looks quirky and adds atmosphere to dining or home office areas.
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Partition with glass
Sliding glass doors or panels are a very effective way of dividing an open-plan space into smaller zones while ensuring plenty of light flows through the entire area. Here, a dividing wall has been half-glazed with panels to separate the living area from the kitchen-diner without the space feeling like two disconnected rooms.
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Slot in an eating space
Make furniture multifunctional. The slimline design of this bistro-style bar table is perfect for a quick meal and also makes good use of space by separating the kitchen from the living room in a small area. This one has extra storage shelves on the side to keep tableware. It can then be easily moved to the side of the room when more floor space is required.
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Amp up accent colours
If your open-plan room has a neutral backdrop like this one, add character and opt for hues within the same tonal family across different textures. To balance out the scheme, choose one or two bright shades to incorporate across the various zones in your open-plan space. Here, matching dining chairs, sofa cushions and wall art make the fun teal and yellow colour scheme the star of this room.
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Choose an L-shaped layout
If you’re extending your home or knocking down or repositioning walls to create a whole new open-plan space, think about making it L-shaped. It’s easier to break a room up if it isn’t a standard square or rectangle shape. An L-shaped room will allow you to create a hidden eating or sitting space in a corner – this layout tucks the kitchen neatly away when required.
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Make the stairs the star
Stairs can add a striking architectural feature to open-plan rooms. This industrial-style open-plan living room has a rustic vibe thanks to the factory-style iron staircase and exposed brick wall. The apothecary drawers and metal coffee table bring the whole look together.
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Make the staircase disappear
At the other end of the scale, if you prefer your staircase to blend into the backdrop paint the steps and bannister the same colour as the walls. Here, this minimalist staircase has open risers and a ceiling-hung balustrade so it appears to float in the room, offering a stylish and space-saving addition to this contemporary open-plan living room.
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Choose a monochrome palette
When it comes to the heart of the home, living rooms are overtaking kitchens so a stylish open-plan communal space that provides room for relaxing, working, exercising and dining is the key to success. This industrial-style open-concept room uses easygoing modern furniture, cosy texture and lush greenery to make it homely. The large space is then pulled together with black accents and a soft white palette.
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Add a privacy curtain
A clever way to create temporary walls, curtains are affordable and very easy to install. Add a curtain track to the area of the room you’d like to screen off and hang made-to-measure curtains or voiles to get the right floor-to-ceiling length. If the zone is in the middle of the room, choose a double-sided design that looks good from both sides.
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Create a coherent backdrop
Help create a flow in a small open-plan space by making sure the backdrop is predominantly the same colour. Here, walls, kitchen cupboards and furniture are variants of the same tone to make the room feel spacious and cohesive. Two statement chairs and a panel of wallpaper add pretty and subtle interest.
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Bring in a barn door
Give your open-plan living space a rustic touch by installing a barn door. Sometimes a little privacy might be needed, so sliding a barn door into place as a temporary divide between zones is an on-trend solution – just the ticket for a cosy movie night or an intimate dinner.
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Inspire a theme
Create a cohesive look with a mix of natural materials. A sun-bleached white backdrop, a well-loved leather sofa and a surfboard propped against a wall make the owners of this open-plan living room feel like they are at the beach. A rattan rocking chair and jute rug layer up earthy raw materials and a cute children’s desk and sunny yellow bar stools mean everyone can spend time together.
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Ultilise the side return
A small expansion such as a side return extension will enlarge an open-plan space to accommodate a kitchen-diner and living space in one. It’s a popular route to open-plan living in older homes – if your home is dark, opt for a skylight in the ceiling to flood the space with light.
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Take walls two-tone
Unify a small open-plan living room with an on-trend paint technique. When space is tight, look to the upper portion of the walls and the ceiling. Paint this upper area a refreshing shade to make a statement across the entire room. Choose crisp white for the lower parts of the walls to create contrast; it will also reflect the light and maximise the feeling of space. Blonde wood and white furniture set against the walls add to the vibrancy of this invigorating room.
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Impart plenty of personality
Large open-plan living rooms can lack character so adding personal objects will make the space feel homely. Soft grey makes a neutral base for this vast picture wall, creating a flexible focal point that anchors the scheme. Mid-century furniture and pops of mustard and blue add to the eclectic look of this inviting family space.
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Bring in bookcases
Open-plan living rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows are usually light-filled and airy, however, storage space can become tricky. One solution is to place back-to-back bookshelves in the centre of the room as a divider. Glass doors will keep colour-coordinated books dust-free and why not install ambient lighting on top to create an atmospheric evening glow too?
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Install bi-folding doors
To maximise light flow and create a stylish indoor-outdoor living space in the summer months, install large floor-to-ceiling sliding, bi-folding or Crittall-style glass doors. When opened up, your outside seating area will feel like a natural extension of your kitchen and living space.
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Style up a snug
Without careful styling, an open-plan room can feel box-like and impersonal. To avoid this, subtly zone each portion of the room to create intimate spaces within the larger area. For example, a partition wall, as shown here, can define the dining area, while seating is gently anchored by a soft rug.
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Play with paint
A bold feature wall makes a striking addition to a home and creates a clear visual link between adjacent living areas. Painting the walls opposite each other the same deep blue hue elongates this small space, but be sure to balance the rich tone with a neutral one to keep the space light and airy.
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Zone functional areas with flooring
A larger open-plan space allows you to be more creative with your flooring options. It’s possible to mix and match different types of flooring to help separate living zones, as long as the flooring types complement each other and create a cohesive flow. Here, porcelain tiles have been used in the kitchen area, blending into warm wood floors elsewhere. The patchwork-effect floor is then repeated in the central space to define the living area.
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Dine around a circular table
Narrow open-plan rooms will benefit from swapping out a standard dinner table for a round design. The curved edges take up much less floor space, creating a mini kitchen-diner in an especially snug area. Here, a built-in bench allows the table to sit towards the side of the room to allow plenty of passage for through traffic.
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Opt for uplifting colours
Define living zones by changing the wall colours of each section to suit the mood. Soothing green behind a sofa in a living space will help you relax, while a soft heather tone in the kitchen teamed with white cabinets is lighter and brighter for food preparation and cooking.
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Create cohesion with wallpaper
If your multiuse space feels unharmonious and disjointed, a bold design choice can be the unifying element you need. This Art Deco-inspired Farrow & Ball wallpaper helps tie together the kitchen and dining space with ease, creating a colourful feature wall that balances out the crisp white table and island.
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Celebrate structural features
If your open-plan space has characterful features like exposed beams or support columns, don’t try to disguise them. Instead, let these architectural quirks enhance your scheme for a completely unique interior. In this beautiful barn conversion, characterful woodwork and an original brick hearth frame a charming country-style living space.
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Conceal your kitchen
For a cohesive open-plan space, make the kitchen area as unobtrusive as possible with clever design and sleek finishes. Here, the kitchen units run along the back wall and are raised off the floor. The unit fronts are simple, contemporary and handleless, plus they fit in with the scheme’s chocolate brown tonal palette. When not in use, this kitchen has the air of a smart sideboard at the edge of the dining space. This would look equally as good in a classic white or sleek black scheme.
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Pick flooring for all zones
Using the same flooring throughout your open-plan living room will maximise the sense of space. Choose a coherent material that is slip-resistant and will withstand spillages in the kitchen, yet look timeless and soothing in the living area.
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Divide with shelving
To give a large room instant shape and structure, use freestanding furniture to differentiate the various areas. A simple shelving unit placed between the lounge and dining space is an easy way to zone a large multiuse space, plus it’ll give you practical extra storage.
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Make room for all
When planning your space, think about creating a scheme that complements your lifestyle. This plain rectangular room has been transformed into an inviting hub that’s perfect for family life. Two sofas are socially positioned in an L-shape, while wall-hung storage will keep a busy space organised from day to day.
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Slot in a desk
A home without walls means you may have to factor in multipurpose spaces. Create a hardworking home office that’s still part of the wider scheme with a desk that’s in keeping with your décor. Don’t neglect smart storage either, as it’ll be on display all the time. If privacy is an issue, you could close off the area with a curtain or freestanding screen.
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Streamline appliances
When your kitchen is part of a larger living space, it’s regularly on show to visitors. It’s not ideal if guests can see your socks spinning around in your washing machine, and you don’t want your white goods to make such a din that you can’t hear the TV, either. Go for integrated machines that can be hidden behind cupboard doors and buy the quietest possible models. Integrated fridges, freezers and dishwashers will also make your kitchen look sleeker.
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Duplicate furniture
Consistency is key and will make your open-plan home look streamlined and elegant. Create a visual link between spaces by choosing matching furniture. Here, pale neutral walls allow black fixtures and accessories to become the main feature, seamlessly blending one zone into another.
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Put a peninsula to work
A peninsular unit that juts out at a right angle from a wall of units can help you to create a natural barrier between your kitchen and the rest of the space. It can also provide useful additional countertop and storage space for the kitchen while doubling up as a breakfast bar too.
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Let the light in
In large open spaces with windows limited to one aspect, the area in the middle can often be starved of light. Installing a skylight or a glass lantern can make the world of difference, bathing the heart of the room in natural light. Install electric blinds on those lightwells too, so when you do want a cosy feel at night it’s easy to shut out the outside world.
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Wheel in furniture
The great thing about an open-plan space is that it can be easily rearranged to set a whole new scene as and when you need. If you want your room to be really versatile, invest in furniture with wheels. This coffee table, for example, can be easily pushed against the wall within seconds. It’s also possible to purchase sofas, dining tables, bookshelves and even island units that are on castors.
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Step it up
Consider your interior floor plan. Creating a split-level floor in your open-plan space will help to discreetly zone off different areas. Here, a small step takes you up to the light-filled living area. Meanwhile, a step down could be used as a transition into a cosy snug or a more formal dining space.
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Make room for play
The beauty of an open-plan living area is that it allows you to watch over young children playing and older kids doing homework, while you kick back and relax or get on with other tasks. Consider including a playmat, study desk or even a games zone in your layout. To avoid the space being completely taken over by toys and tech, invest in boxes or baskets that can be tucked away out of sight.
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Plump for a partition
In an open-plan studio flat or small space, a half-wall can work well to screen off the kitchen from the rest of the room without blocking out any light. A neat little breakfast bar has been created on one side of this wall, while the other side supports the TV, which faces out into a cosy living area.
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Maximise extraction
It’s wonderful to be able to cook and entertain simultaneously and an open-plan space allows you to do that with ease. What you don’t want though is for the whole room to smell of whatever you’re cooking, so it’s important to equip your kitchen with a high-powered extractor to whisk all those odours away.
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Don’t skimp on storage
Keeping an open-plan space tidy can be a challenge – especially if you have a family. The easiest way to stay organised is to have a place for everything. This means investing in a mix of hidden storage and display areas for those more attractive items. Here, the kitchen units, broken up by open-shelving, have been taken right up to the ceiling so there’s no redundant space.
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Roll out a rug
If you have the same flooring throughout, rugs are a cheap and easy way to help zone your areas. As a guide, the rug should be no wider or narrower than the furniture that’s placed on it. Always make sure there is a small border of flooring visible at the edges, which will create the illusion of more space too.
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Suspend from the ceiling
Using the ceiling to suspend items can be a very effective way of dividing up a large multiuse room, and making use of all available space. Here, the ceiling over the island holds the extractor fan and a striking glass display unit. Pan racks fixed to the ceiling would work in a similar space-efficient way. However, this trick is most effective in rooms with high ceilings, otherwise it can overcrowd a space.
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Colour-code zones
If you want to create a distinction between your living zones without ending up with a jarring, disconnected scheme, decorate each individual area with different hues. Here, deep blue and powder pink armchairs define this sitting area, while pale sage accents dominate the kitchen. Pops of yellow create a cohesive link between the two spaces.
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Choose space-savvy furniture
For open-plan rooms where space is at a premium, consider investing in clever furnishings that have been specially made for snug schemes. This angular IKEA table frees up the thoroughfare with its unique triangular design, which can also extend to double the length to accommodate guests when needed.
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Keep it clean
When it comes to open-plan living, less really is more. The size of your space, and the way you use it, should help you to design an open-plan interior that is effortless for everyday living. Keep clutter and unnecessary furnishings to a minimum. Consider the flow of the room and arrange your furnishings accordingly, keeping them in proportion so as not to overwhelm the space. Are there some items that really don’t work in the space? If so, let them go and instead stick with a clean and simple aesthetic.
