Style Guide: Open plan living is not always the best option
There are four ways to successfully pull off broken plan living without it looking like a mismatch.
Real estate agents for years have been drumming on about how amazing open plan living is, but there is a better option. Broken plan living is a more refined and considered layout making it one to watch that could add value to your home when renovating, building or buying.
There has been a massive call for broken plan living as dwelling in the same open room during the entire lockdown became repetitive and lacked diversity when the whole family was in the same room.
Broken plan living is specifically identifying activities in the home and carving off spaces specifically for those zones, without creating walls.
A perfect example of this would be an office space nook, lounge and dining all sharing the same space. Or children’s play area, family lounge and dining. You can achieve this layout in both a square or rectangular format. There are four ways to successfully pull off this format without it looking like a mismatch.
Don’t block the flow
A key element is that there is no furniture blocking the flow and that there is easy access to seating areas so avoid blockading zones with barriers that could disrupt this, instead you could use a rug or wallpaper to create a zone break. You could also break these space for further privacy with glass wing walls, floors to ceiling open storage, varied floor levels or flooring treatments.
Identifying an optimal position for heating and cooling the areas is something to consider as you want an even distribution throughout the layout without cold spots.
Lighting
When opting for a broken plan, invest in an electrician to add conveniently placed powerpoints where required so cabling is nicely concealed for those more task-based activities like workspace or entertainment viewing. Because you need different lighting if you are studying as opposed to entertaining guests at the dining table, a one-size-fits-all repetitive lighting layout won’t work in this layout. So take this opportunity to reimagine the lighting to optimise the spaces.
Storage
With so many activities in one space you can’t forget storage to keep the broken zones organised and functioning well.
Centralised storage won’t work because each of the zones will have different storage requirements, instead a blend of storage furniture units is the best approach. A wall unit for the lounge, buffet for the dining and a bespoke bookcase or inbuilt wall unit for your workspace or children’s nook designed specifically for your items. Furniture pieces such as bench seating or ottomans that are dual purpose will also be a handy addition to these spaces.
Be consistent
The last key element to pull off a broken plan is style consistency. You have to be intentional with furniture and decor.
From experience, an eclectic look makes the broken plan confusing and cluttered so it best to keep to one style. Streamline your palette with three core colours, and complement them with variations of the same hue to create a layered and considered design.
While having allocated rooms such as an office is an asset, if space is an issue it will be to your advantage to embrace the broken plan layout so prospective buyers can easily see where additional activities could be located beyond the traditional floorplan.
“Broken plan living is specifically identifying activities in the home and carving off spaces specifically for those zones, without creating walls.”