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The open house concept refers to the way partition walls that usually separate the rooms are removed. Spaces such as the kitchen and dining room become joined together to create a larger area. This residential construction trend became more popular when it comes to newly built homes. The problem with open floor plans is that it’s not easy to make the rooms fit nicely together. It’s more challenging to decorate an open house concept given how you’ve got more elements to work with and the area is significantly larger compared to a normal-sized room.
There are many reasons why someone would go for this kind of space concept. Having a singular place can make things easier in terms of interaction with guests and keeping an eye on the children playing. This layout style can be very versatile and convenient. If you’re interested in learning how to decorate an open house concept more effectively, there are some decorating ideas you should try. It’s quite hard to figure out how to break up this space in a harmonious manner, so check out the following tips and tricks.
1. Plan Out Different Groupings
Before we move over to decorations, it’s important to analyze the area you’re working with and decide on how you wish to use the available space. There are differences when it comes to open floor plans as some will try to combine a living room with a dining room while others incorporate the kitchen in the dining room or another space.
While there is one big room that contains all the elements of these areas, it’s still recommended to have a good idea about each distinct grouping. This enables you to organize the space better and achieve visual balance. Think of each grouping for the room and decide how large should be and where it would fit best in the available space. You might find it helpful to add some visual cues, such as a furniture element, to divide the groupings.
2. Use Symmetry to Your Advantage
When you’re dealing with an expansive space, you might often run into the issue of an unbalanced look. This is where symmetry can be helpful to maintain a uniform visual effect. Instead of going for a single large sofa, two smaller couches of the same size will create a symmetrical look that’s more eye-catching.
A great addition to this seating area is the presence of the large dining table with matching chairs. Notice the way symmetry has been incorporated in this grouping as well as to craft an organized look for the entire area. Once you’ve got the main elements in place in an orderly fashion, you can let your creativity flow for the other decorations in the room. Add some touches of contrast with black vintage suitcases or make a bold statement with a gallery wall.
3. Color Coordination is Key
It’s easy to focus on details and smaller aspects of an open house concept, but don’t forget about the big picture. Even though the areas here have distinct roles, the overall aesthetic should maintain a cohesive look. And the simplest way to ensure that every design element fits well together is by focusing on color coordination. It’s recommended to keep the color scheme as consistent as possible to be easy on the eyes.
Making neutral tones dominate the open concept space represents good advice to follow. You can then add some bolder shades of color into the mix if you wish to add a personal touch and some visual interest. Stick to a monochromatic scheme and you will obtain a very beautiful look for your open concept house. It’s a nice opportunity to incorporate your favorite color that can be nicely accented with white, black, or a complementary tone to make its vivid richness stand out more.
Aside from color coordination, it’s also important to pay attention to patterns and textures. We recommend sticking to repeating variations of these if you wish to bring the look of the expansive space together. Even if the items of the groupings are very different, it’s vital to have at least one tie-in element. This is a fundamental aspect when it comes to good design for open floor plans.
4. Go for Area Rugs
Area rugs are excellent to provide comfort and warmth to any area in your home and they make great choices for open house concepts. This is due to their ability to define spaces. Add an area rug to act as a natural division for distinct groupings in your open concept space. While there are other elements you can use as room dividers, the best advantage of the area rug is its flexibility.
You can move it around more easily compared to a large piece of furniture and it can be used in a versatile manner as it’s not bound by the usual limitations of other items. Take an area rug and place it between a dining room and the living room in your open house concept. Then it will feel like you have separate rooms in the same large space. If you want to get extra fancy, get a Persian area rug such as this model from Amazon.
5. Include a Focal Point
Even though open concept spaces don’t follow the traditional room layout, this doesn’t mean you should forget about important interior design principles. Including a focal point represents a good example. In fact, it’s actually recommended to go the extra mile and create a focal point for each distinct grouping in the expansive space of the open floor plan. This is a good idea if you wish to draw some attention to your decorations and aesthetic choices.
There are multiple methods to try for adding focal points and one of the best is to focus on lighting fixtures. Instead of sticking to conventional models, why not take advantage of the available space and invest in larger lighting fixtures? One great example is this rustic-styled chandelier from Amazon that offers some steampunk vibes. It can fit well in an open space concept with an industrial theme. Alternatively, you can look to furniture or architectural elements to pick a centerpiece that draws the eye.
6. Work with Negative Space
To decorate an open house concept successfully, it’s essential not to overlook the role of negative space – empty areas surrounding each element of the room. The last thing you’d want for this kind of layout is to bring in too much clutter. It’s tempting to try to fill a large space with elements and decorations, but you can run into an unexpected effect as the cluttered look can blur separate groupings and feel too glaring to the eye.
It’s strongly recommended to focus on allowing some empty space in the open concept area when you plan for the room’s elements. One important role of negative space is to create pathways which also contribute to a light and airy vibe of an open room. Guests will appreciate the opportunity to rest their eyes and refocus as they move from a grouping to another with ease. Incorporate more double-duty furniture pieces that provide aesthetic value besides a functional one. It’s always better to err on the side of minimalism to avoid clutter.
7. Design Cozy Corners
An open floor plan gives you great creative control to design the space to your liking. Take a close look at those empty corners in the room and consider their role. If you find a corner that doesn’t really serve a particular purpose, perhaps you can get creative and make it a distinct area in the room. This is a good idea if you wish to incorporate some coziness in the wide open concept space.
The double wall of windows shown here has a significant contribution to the airy and open atmosphere of the area. Having plenty of natural light isn’t just great for the room’s aesthetic, but it’s also essential for plants such as indoor trees to thrive. You can create a dedicated corner for a lush display of potted greenery while the other side of the room shows off a stylish dining area.
8. Stick to a Single Flooring Type
Sticking to a single flooring type throughout the open house concept represents another important idea to consider if you wish to keep a consistent style. This is a good rule to follow as it makes the distinctive groupings of the room flow better while enhancing the sense of space in the area as well. Maintaining a consistent floor is especially recommended if you don’t want to create a distinctive transition space between groupings.
9. Try a Bold Approach
Lots of open house concepts focus on substantial furniture pieces and large elements to fill out the area in a stylish manner. That looks good and can fit well in most cases, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t venture out from the usual conventions and try out a bolder design approach. Slender wood pieces don’t normally occupy an entire open concept area, but their slim silhouettes can craft a unique design.
Consider this kind of look that focuses on wood designs if you wish to bring in some modern style and keep the room’s vibe light and airy. This is another great example of incorporating minimalism effectively and putting that negative space to good use as this type of design offers plenty of walk-around room.
10. Add a Casual Vibe to the Kitchen
If you have an open kitchen, the first choice when planning the layout is probably the classic kitchen and dining room arrangement. While there’s nothing wrong with that, you could consider a different approach to add some casual vibes to the open concept area. The kitchen island can be transformed into a little home bar if you add some fitting barstools.
Instead of the standard dining area, focus on building a less formal space with comfy seating options. The large sofa here is ideal for lounging and the vibrant color scheme adds some cozy charm that contrasts with the bright white of the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to include some creative patterns for the upholstery to match the colorful look. The patterned coffee table looks like it would belong in a Moroccan-styled interior.
