Walls are vanishing from newer homes and the open-plan layouts are showing off multi-purpose areas, such as kitchens and dining rooms and living rooms that seamlessly flow into one another.
\nBut how do you decorate one large space \u2013 to make it comfortable and beautiful for eating, entertaining, relaxing and more?
\n\u201cThe key is continuity,\u201d says Kim Kiner, Vice President of Textile & Material Design and The Alustra\u00ae Collection for Hunter Douglas.
\nHere are some ways :<\/p>\n
Color<\/strong> Flooring<\/strong> Art & Accessories<\/strong> Furniture Arrangement<\/strong> Window Treatments<\/strong>
\nTo keep an open-plan interior open, the No. 1 element for achieving continuity is wall color, says New York designer Glenn Lawson says.
\nWhether \u201cwarm\u201d or \u201ccool,\u201d you can use the same one throughout or paint such architectural elements as pilasters, soffits and chair rails variations of the main color, from light to dark, Lawson says.
\nLarge furnishings such as sofas and area rugs are most successful when they are, color-wise, \u201ccousins\u201d of the walls, three shades of blue, for example, Lawson adds. \u201cThis way the eye keeps travelling throughout the space and is not interrupted by large disparate areas,\u201d Lawson says.
\nAlso, consider using pops of the same color, such as a grey sofa in the living room and then a grey chair-seat fabric at the dining table and a grey lamp shade in the library, suggests Shea Soucie of Soucie Horner in Chicago.
\n\u201cThread a single color \u2013 or varying shades of a color \u2013 throughout an open space, and you\u2019ll have a comforting sense of continuity as you move from one end of your home to the other,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhen you have an open-concept living space, it\u2019s important to keep the flooring material consistent so you don\u2019t chop up the flow of the space,\u201d Soucie says. \u201cYou can make it interesting by laying wood planks on the diagonal, for instance, or by setting reclaimed European tiles in a herringbone pattern. Whatever you choose, make it the same throughout the space.\u201d
\nRugs can then be layered on top to soften the look and add warmth. It can also help in identifying the rooms within too.
\n\u201cRugs are amazingly versatile,\u201d Soucie says. \u201cNo matter what kind you choose, they add personality, color, texture and style. And you don\u2019t have to restrict them to your floor by the way \u2013 you can hang a beautiful rug on the wall just like you would a piece of art!\u201d<\/p>\n
\nUse art or pillows to enhance the space, such as by repeating or contrasting with an existing color in the room. Add texture with the frame.
\nDon\u2019t just hang the artwork to the wall, though, says Karin Edwards of Karin H. Edwards in Des Moines. \u201cBring it into a space, resting it on ledges, tabletops, even the floor,\u201d she says.
\nLawson also likes to use glass, Lucite, polycarbonate and acrylic accessories.
\n\u201cThey can provide sculptural interest without blocking anything, which keeps the interior open,\u201d Lawson says. \u201cThink glass coffee tables and ghost chairs. Their presence is beautiful yet implied, adding form in subtle fashion.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cHow you position the furniture is crucial when developing beautiful, open-plan interiors,\u201d says Whitney Stewart of Whitney Stewart Interior Design in Washington, D.C. \u201cSeparate, but equally useful and good-looking \u2018zones\u2019 can be as simple as an entry table with a paneled screen behind it or as complex as an entire kitchen.\u201d
\nBring furniture \u201coff the walls,\u201d even in small spaces, and arrange it for a specific purpose, such as conversation, reading, or dining. She leaves an all\u00e9e on the periphery to act as a frame, which \u201cproduces a feeling of lightness and airiness,\u201d she notes. \u201cIt also makes it possible to put pieces on an angle, often more interesting, and provides lots of wall space for artwork.\u201d
\n\u201cOpen plans need unity,\u201d Edward adds \u201cDon\u2019t chop them up with too much color or too many materials; you want to see clearly from horizon to horizon. At the same time, comfort demands smaller zones for nesting. I like to look for bridges between one zone and the next. The usual console behind a sofa for instance can double as a second island or homework station for the kitchen with the simple addition of a stool tucked in below.\u201d
\nAlso, a large, rectangular table \u2013 like with stacks of books and a lamp \u2014 can be one of the easiest ways to separate two distinct rooms, she adds.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cWhatever window treatment you choose, shades, blinds, draperies, shutters or any combination thereof, arrange them with an eye toward the long view, that is the entire interior not solely one particular zone, to further unify the space,\u201d Kiner notes.
\nStewart often hangs draperies directly from the ceiling for an enclosed bedroom. When something more structured is required, a free-standing wall does the trick and retains the open look and feel. Not only useful if constructed with shelving, they can add greatly to the d\u00e9cor when painted one of the interior\u2019s accent colors.
\nSoucie uses a slew of systems to add excitement as well as usefulness to her projects. \u201cWe\u2019ve had great visual success hanging draperies from rods inside rooms, not just at windows,\u201d Soucie says. \u201cFor example, we once puddled gorgeous silk fabric in an entry hall between the front door and the staircase. It was a dramatic entrance and produced the\u00a0 idea of luxury and sophistication from the moment you crossed the threshold.\u201d
\nThe same can be done between a living room and dining room or int eh doorway to a hall leading to the bedrooms, Soucie adds. \u201cNo one expects to see draperies anywhere but in front of a window, so it\u2019s a pretty and fun way to add some unexpected charm,\u201d Soucie notes. \u201cAnd it\u2019s also a great way to soften a larger space and make it feel more intimate.\u201d<\/p>\n