Written by Sophie Clemson

Open plan rooms have grown increasingly popular over the years and usually become the hub of the family home. When working with customers who need help designing their open plan room, a question they usually ask is, ‘How do I create a flow?’. This is an important factor to consider for open plan rooms because having a flow will create a cohesive and well designed space. We’re sharing with you our interior tips and tricks so you can create an open plan that flows beautifully. 

1. Why creating a flow in your open plan room is important

2. Choose a colour palette and stick to it

3. Use one type of flooring

4. Keep it cohesive with your style 

5. Be practical with your open plan layout 

6. Choose complementary hardware

7. Open plan room lighting 

8. Make sure the height of furniture doesn’t block sight lines

9. Ask an expert for help

Why creating a flow in your open plan room is important

Creating a flow is essential for a successful open plan room. If your room is missing continuity and flow, it will feel disjointed and flat. It's important for the room to flow not only in terms of style but also practicality. You should be able to navigate around the room without encountering any obstacles. When an open plan room all flows throughout, it will look cohesive and well put together.

Choose a colour palette and stick to it

Choosing a colour palette at the start of your project will give you clear direction in the beginning. Have a look on Pinterest for some colour inspiration and ideas. Once you’ve chosen a colour palette, stick to it, this will help you create a flow throughout your open plan room. Choose multiple colours that work together, and even if you're choosing a neutral colour palette, you can still have an interesting colour scheme by using different tones. Have a thread of colour that carries your eye through the space in all the zones, this will create continuity, which is why it's important to choose a colour palette early on. Having a colour scheme that flows throughout the room will make it feel well designed and put together. 

Use one type of flooring

Your open plan room will have different areas, such as a kitchen, dining room, and living room, and it's important to zone these spaces. However, avoid doing this with different types of flooring. If you have multiple types of flooring in one open plan room, it is going to feel disjointed and can look dated. It will make the room feel smaller by sectioning it with different floors, which will defeat the purpose of having a big open plan room. Instead, use large rugs to zone each area within the room, such as under the dining table and in the living space. 

Keep it cohesive with your style 

When you’ve been scrolling through Pinterest and Instagram for interior inspiration and saving different images, you’ll probably start to notice you have a common theme and style that you’re being drawn to. For your open plan room to be cohesive, keep the style the same throughout, this doesn’t mean you can’t mix it up, such as with a transitional or eclectic style. You want the pieces in the room to harmoniously work together which will create a flow. 

Be practical with your open plan layout 

You want to remember not to overfill your open plan room, as it needs to be functional and practical. When deciding on a furniture layout, you want to make sure you don’t block any walkways so that you have an actual flow to walk around the whole space without feeling like there's lots of narrow corridors. Make it feel open by leaving enough space to walk around the room and in between each area. Depending on what stage you’re at in your open plan room project, you may find using masking tape helpful to mark out on the floor where everything will be. You can physically walk between each piece of furniture to see if it's going to work and be practical.

Choose complementary hardware

In an open plan room, you will have lots of hardware decisions to make, from your kitchen handles, taps, lighting, light switches, door handles, and much more. You want all of the hardware to work together, but this doesn’t mean it all has to match and be the same. You can use a mix by choosing complementary finishes. For example, brass and black hardware are a great combination, the brass will add warmth and the black will add a modern edge. If you’re currently looking for hardware, we recommend browsing through Plank Hardware and Dowsing & Reynolds. 

Open plan room lighting 

Lighting is key to zoning your open plan room. It can make your space feel cosy and provide a warm atmosphere. You will want to have downlights for practical lighting but also pendants to zone and add to the overall design. If you’re in the renovation stage of an open plan room, really consider the lighting and how it's going to flow in the room. As it will most likely be a large space, make sure you have enough light switches so you don’t have to run across the room to turn the lights on! Always allow for plenty of plug sockets for table and floor lamps so you can layer up the lighting. 

Make sure the height of furniture doesn’t block sight lines

You want to keep your room feeling open therefore, you want to make sure the furniture doesn’t block any sight lines. For instance, have a tall bank of cupboards in the kitchen towards the back of the space or choose a sofa that isn’t too high so it isn’t creating a block in the room. Of course you want to add different heights to the room in order to keep it visually appealing, but make sure it’s not creating a divide or barriers in the open plan room.

Ask an expert for help

Designing any room can be hard work and time consuming. It can be hard to know where to start, and by the time you’ve scrolled through Pinterest and different websites searching for the pieces you need, it can feel quite overwhelming. The good news is that at The Living House we can bring clarity to your project and make sure you have a beautiful open plan room design that flows, is practical, and works for the whole family. We will provide you with a plan of action from getting the layout right to choosing colour schemes and furniture, so you can implement a design for your open plan room with confidence knowing that it’s all going to flow and work together.

If you’re wanting to make changes to your home, take a look at our affordable online interior design packages to give you all the help you need. Whether you’re considering a full redesign or a refresh, we can take the stress away, and give you the confidence to move forward. We can work to any budget large or small, saving you money along the way and ensuring you get the results you want and expect!

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