Open-plan living: What to consider before creating a multifunctional space
Open-plan living is thought of by many as a way to incorporate living with dining, relaxing and entertaining. This multifunctional purpose of an open space invokes much interest with homeowners - but is open-plan living for you?
Water Farm, Smeeth
The concept of an open-plan space within the home attracts those who love the idea of being more sociable - which is the main motivation for creating an open home.
We are, in general, becoming much more imaginative with how we use our home space, with new concepts such as dividers and low walls which help to open up the area we have, whilst holding onto to a little tradition.
The recent 2021 census data has shown how open-plan living is climbing in popularity, with the number of households with 4 or less rooms (excluding bathrooms or toilets) doubling from just over 7.6 million to over 15.3 million.
As with all huge renovation ideas, there are many structural hurdles you may need to jump over, as well as considering yourself and your family too. Sandersons UK has compiled a collection of considerations for you to think about before you start making your own home’s living space totally open-plan.
Stockhill Road, Chilcompton
What do I need to consider when thinking about an open-plan space?
Smells
It is important to consider good ventilation when creating an open-plan living space. Not everybody likes lingering kitchen smells, and last night’s dinner may not be the first thing you want to smell when you wake up the next morning. Extractor fans placed near or above the kitchen hob is one of the most efficient ways to help rid your space of various smells that come from cooking.
Sound
Open-plan living can often end up being quite noisy, but there are actually many ways to reduce sound travel using a few key additions to your furnishings.
Curtains help deaden noise, rather than allowing it to bounce off big windows and glazed doors. Sheer fabrics will also help maintain light on top of enhancing a duller sound in your living space.
Rugs are a good way to quieten sounds, especially when covered on hard floors. The thicker the pile, the more soundproofing you will get in your home, with cut-pile rugs working better than a flat-weave design.
Lynwood Green, Whitfield
Designated zones in your open-plan living will help break up the noise. Creating a zoned effect will help contain noise to certain areas, so tunnel fire constructions are the kind of design you could try to keep the space both open yet minimising disruption.
Cladding your walls will add texture, which will help you reduce the effect large, flat surfaces have on amplifying sound. Timber-cladding as lining on your walls will dampen sounds and also makes for an interesting feature to your home.
Lighting
Open-plan living needs an abundance of natural light on offer, which also bodes well as a selling point for the property. Your home needs to feel bright and airy, so natural lighting works wonders. Skylights work well for this, bringing natural light down into the living space. French doors are also quite popular and work to draw light in as well as offer an extension of space in the summer months.
Your family
Open-plan living is popular amongst families with small children because it offers a safety net when cooking or working. As the space is open, children can play and grown ups can relax, knowing they are in sight but this can change as they get older and want more privacy. If friends come over or they want to do their homework, it can be more difficult to think about how to use the space wisely to keep everybody happy, but with the right tips and knowledge, open-plan living can work for so many families.
Pilgrims Way, Canterbury
Construction considerations for open-plan living
Knocking down walls
When you want to create an open space, walls will likely need to come down, but this isn’t as simple as just knocking them down and redesigning your new layout. You will need to determine if a wall is a load-bearing one, and you will find the answers in the loft or cellar, but the best way to find out is to check with a builder or structural engineer - that goes for any wall. They will be able to let you know how to knock the walls down, which ones are load-bearing, and how to support the weight of the roof, floor, external or other walls.
Building extensions
Extending your open-plan space is an option, but you will need specialists to come in and assess your current space and the current construction of it. Many homeowners want a simple extension of what they already have to be able to enjoy more space and add further versatility to what they already have, so you can feature this trend by adding space, style and value to your property with a building extension.
Power sockets
Open-plan living still requires power sockets, and sometimes you may need to think about features in your home space such as your kitchen island wall or a feature wall in the centre to offer a power socket. This means you don’t have unsightly or trip hazard wires coming across to the middle of the room for appliances.
Layout
Your open-plan space will need a logical flow to it, so thinking about your layout is so important. You won’t want a direct route to the garden past the television for example, so think about your family, your routines and what you each need from the open-plan space.
Zoning areas is a great way to keep one space looking and feeling different from another, whilst maintaining that freeflow of space you desire that accompanies open-plan living. So think about colours, patterns and textures to help you break up the different areas.
Remember to try and keep that living space cosy, as open-plan living can sometimes appear stark if not thought through properly enough beforehand. It is your space, so when you relax at the end of the day or have guests over, you will all want to feel ‘home.’
