If you're a homeowner in the UK who's been desperately wanting to create a more open, airy feel in your living spaces, you're not alone. A recent survey by Houzz found that over 58% of renovating homeowners are opening up their main floors by combining the kitchen and living room into one grand room.
Open concept living is all the rage, and for good reason - who doesn't want a versatile space that facilitates seamless entertaining and brings the whole family together? But making this modern layout work requires careful planning, especially when it comes to your furniture choices.
"The open concept forces you to be much more intentional with your design decisions," says Karen Thedford, principal designer at London's Bloomingdale's Interior Design House. "Every piece plays a bigger role in creating flow and delineating distinct areas within the greater space."
In other words, your furniture is the key to preventing your new open concept abode from feeling like one big empty warehouse. Let's explore some tips from the pros on how to select pieces that will warm up and organize your open plan with style.
Define Different Zones
"Physically separating your open concept into different activity zones is crucial," advises John Hutchinson of Hutchinson Design in Manchester. He suggests using large upholstered pieces to distinguish areas like the living room from the kitchen.
A huge sectional sofa is a perfect "zone anchor" for creating a cosy TV viewing area within the larger room. Face it towards the kitchen to help integrate the space. Just make sure to leave enough floor area behind the sofa for traffic flow.
On the flip side, having too many large furniture pieces can make the space feel cramped. "I'm seeing a lot of homeowners ditch the traditional space-hogging entertainment centres for clean built-in shelving or a sleek media console," notes Thedford. "It creates a much more open vibe."
Unify With Consistency
While delineating different zones, you'll also want some design consistency to tie the whole open concept together. Replicating certain materials, colours and styles throughout your furniture can create a cohesive, pulled-together look.
"Using the same wood tones for your kitchen cabinetry, dining table, and occasional tables is an easy way to bring it all harmoniously together," recommends Hutchinson. Matching upholstery fabrics between your sofa, arm chairs and bar stools can also go a long way.
But don't go too matchy-matchy – you still want each area to have its own personality. As Thedford suggests, "Think of it like putting together an outfit with complimentary patterns and colours rather than wearing exactly the same prints from head to toe."
Lighten Up
One of the biggest benefits of an open floor plan is the beautiful natural light that can flow throughout. But furnish it inadequately, and you'll end up with a dark, cramped space that feels tiny again. Lighter colour palettes and materials tend to brighten and enlarge.
Consider swapping out your heavy drapes for grand sheer panels that let the sunshine pour in. Opt for slender-legged, transparent glass and acrylic occasional tables. Even a thin-armed sofa or chairs with open bases will prevent the room from feeling weighed down by too much visual heft.
"I'm seeing a huge resurgence in vintage-inspired cane, rattan, and bamboo pieces," notes Thedford. "They add wonderful texture but keep things feeling light and airy."
Scale It Right
With few walls or vertical boundaries, it can be tricky achieving a sense of cosiness in an open concept. That's where proper furniture scale comes in – going too small can make it feel unintentionally sparse while too large can overwhelm.
As Hutchinson advises, "Your sofa or sectional should be scaled quite generously to hold the centre of the space. But then you can balance it out with more moderately sized accent chairs, ottomans and side tables for a 'gezellig' feel."
If furniture sizing still feels off, add in elements to ground the space like an oversized area rug to cosy things up, or incorporate vertical height with dramatic floor lamps or oversized art.
The bottom line? Embrace the open concept trend, but furnish it thoughtfully. With the right furniture plan, you can turn your cavernous great room into an inviting, multifunctional living space to gather and make lasting memories.
Or as designer Karen Thedford jokes, "No more getting trapped on the sofa when your partner cooks a cauliflower curry again. At least with an open concept, you can escape to the kitchen and open every window!"