12 Expert Tips for Stylish & Functional Open Space Design | Design Solutions
12 Ideas to Make Your Open Space Look Stylish, Functional and Elegant
Introduction
hi welcome back to Design solution blog in today's article we'll see 12 ideas and tricks to make your open space look stylish functional and elegant the open space concept is a common feature in contemporary spaces i love it because you can make the space feel fluid bigger brighter and modern however since we have a completely blank canvas it could be challenging to create a fluid layout in today's article we'll see the necessary things to consider to achieve a functional and stylish open space if you are new to my channel welcome to our design community i'm said akuri architect interior and lighting designer don't forget to subscribe and turn on the notifications bell so you don't miss out on the upcoming interior design lessons are you ready let's start.
1. Determine How You'll Use the Space
the starting point of an open space concept is to define each area depending on how you use it for example suppose you have a kitchen dining room and living room together in that case you must know how much seating you'll need for the dining table how it relates to the kitchen island and how you and your family use the living room to determine a layout that works for you for example if you use your living room to talk enjoy having dinner parties and share with family and friends a distribution with openness to the dining room may be an excellent alternative to connect and use both areas simultaneously
look at this example the dining and living room feels integrated everything looks very organic since the round table gives a sensation of fluidity both areas look in harmony and complement each other on the other hand if you enjoy watching tv with your family in the living room you can use a low back sofa to define the dining and living room areas
it's crucial to consider the dimensions of your space to select furniture in scale and proportions appropriate to the available area especially in small spaces where it's vital to prioritize the most used areas to enhance the room's functionality
if your area is more significant it's essential to understand everything as a single space in ample spaces avoid putting the furniture against the wall better yet concentrate on the areas in the center to allow flow through the different zones the point is that you understand the shape and size of the space and how you will use it to optimize furniture distribution how you use the different areas tells you what type of layout and amount of furniture is ideal for your specific case
2. Be Consistent With the Design Style
in open spaces the key point is to make the living room dining room and kitchen speak to each other they must have a similar visual language and style suppose the dining room is minimalist it doesn't make sense to have a living room with a glam style because the contrast between both is too strong and it will visually divide your space however it doesn't mean that you can't make styles at all what i mean is that if you're going to combine two different styles you must mix them with the same proportion throughout the whole space we don't want an area of one style and the other with another we need a homogeneous mix choose one style as the dominant that you'll use in 80 of the space and another style as secondary which you'll use in 20 mix them well and use it evenly in the whole room
3. Use a Consistent Color Palette
another vital point to consider in open spaces is establishing a consistent color palette go for a neutral tone for all the walls a consistent color will help everything feel cohesive and unified then you can choose two or three accent colors these serve to distinguish and give personality to your open space medium to small furniture fabrics rocks and other accessories are ideal for using accent colors remember that consistency when using color is vital to create a cohesive space especially in open spaces
if we have the walls painted in different shades and a palette without coordination the room will feel clutter our brain will divide the areas by the different colors and the concept of unity will be lost remember that color is the most powerful tool in interior design and the greatest unifier so pay attention to it in this example the consistency of the use of white on the walls makes the space feel like a unit it feels airy spacious and bright medium elements such as the kitchen island furniture and details are used to add a touch of blue giving the space character and personality it looks elegant unified and stylish
4. Use Common Threads to Connect All Areas
we must make our living room dining room and kitchen speak to each other we need common threads but without feeling too forced or combined it sounds a bit complicated but achieving it is super simple choose some texture material color or shapes and use them throughout the space uniformly for example you can use the same accent color for cushions in the living room a vase over the dining table a painting between both areas or a flower arrangement repetition such as this helps in carrying our eyes around the whole room the objective is to connect similar elements this is a design principle known as rhythm this is a great trick because our brain will group all matching elements in the space consequently we'll perceive this space as a unit it's essential that you consider the things that you already have in the room such as the kitchen counter top the island a wall covering the color of your doors floors etc you should consider these textures when including new ones look at this example in which this technique was used very well notice that the teal color of the sofa connects with the kitchen cabinets and the paintings in the dining room look how the warm materials of the coffee table connects with the cushions the stools the shelves the dining room table and even the paintings also have a similar tone likewise black accents are used in the window frame the detail in the rug the side table the kitchen faucet and one or another decorative details everything is evenly distributed it feels balanced unified and harmonious apart from the repetition of colors shapes and textures the repetitive patterns can help unify the home when selecting patterns for rocks curtains and cushions think of the entire space
5. Be Consistent With the Flooring
like using a unifying color for the walls being consistent in the floors color is fundamental in open spaces even more if we're talking about small spaces having the same floor makes the room feel more spacious elegant and clean however breaking this rule to define the kitchen area for example can be helpful in some spaces still the difference in color and texture between the two floors mustn't be abrupt choosing similar textures within the same hue or color family is ideal for defining spaces without dividing them everything should feel natural and fluid so we must look for uniformity to achieve this
6. Define the Areas
defining each area doesn't mean that we need a divider or wall we can define our spaces throughout a rock furniture or architectural features rocks are my favorites for defining areas in an open space because they are simple and add style suppose your dining room area is entirely open to the living room anchoring one area or both with a large rock can be an excellent alternative combine them throw colors and patterns that complement each other
How to Combine Rugs?
- you can combine rocks with different patterns that share the same tones
- you can use the same texture but different shapes for example a rectangular rug for the living room and a round rock for the dining room in the same texture
- you can use one in a solid color and another with some pattern or color combination that complements the other
when choosing the rocks picking the right size is crucial remember that in the living room all the furniture must be on the rug or at least the front legs of all sitting pieces to anchor the composition and the rug in the dining room must be able to contain the table and chairs otherwise everything will look unbalanced and disproportionate
another way to define the areas is by using furniture you can use a sofa to define the living and dining room you can use a couple of ottomans or a pinch make sure they are low to avoid interrupting the visual permeability between both spaces
another way to subtly define each area is to be guided by architectural features for example if you have a mezzanine you can place your living room in the highest area and the dining room in the lowest part many residences come with this type of design and this height difference is convenient to take advantage of to define areas also if you have a flat ceiling you can design a fall ceiling that differs in height in different environments this is a very subtle way of defining without dividing but you have to be careful so that the space remains clean and simple
7. Use Different Lighting Sources
we need to keep the same color temperature and intensity for the general lighting layer ideally have a neutral light throughout the whole space and in the living room add another layer of warmer light for the table floor or wall lamps if required also we must maintain a relationship between the lamps we choose and use them as focal points considering how they relate to the entire composition decorative lamps such as pendants over the kitchen island a chandelier over the dining room table floor table or wall lamps in the living room will help draw attention to each area while also providing adequate lighting for tasks as it's an open space visualize it from different points of the room to see how each lamp relates to the other sometimes it's unnecessary to have a lamp in each area everything will depend on the size of the space and the design of the lamps remember to have a common thread between them you can combine lamps with similar shapes in different colors or lamps in matching colors or finishes but with different shapes
if you want to learn more about a lighting design and how to choose lamps i recommend that you watch these two videos lighting design makes a huge difference in any interior i'll leave you the links of both videos in the description box below
8. Consider Flow of Traffic and Circulation
consider the flow and circulation between all areas don't block the way or set up furniture layouts that make awkward paths leave enough space between the furniture and a minimum of 30 to 35 inches for the main circulation space before buying furniture one think about how you'll use the area two define the zones three measure the space or consider leaving enough space between furniture and the mean circulation considering all of these you'll know what type of furniture and dimensions are optimal for your layout
9. Be Consistent With the Windows Treatment
it's essential to maintain the same visual language for the window treatment in the area that doesn't mean that you should use the same type of window treatment for all not all windows should have curtain panels you can opt for curtains in the living room and roller pleated blinds or something else in the kitchen or dining area just make sure they have a similar color pattern or texture they must have a common thread between them remember to mount all the curtain rods on the same level even if the windows are slightly different in size this unifies the space and makes everything look much more organized clean and cohesive mounting the rods at different heights is a common mistake interior design i talk about it in this video if you want to learn more about common mistakes and how to fix them i'll leave you the link of that video up here and in the description box below
10. Avoid All Matching Furniture
a piece of advice to make an open space look interesting is to avoid combining all furniture we immediately captured the entire composition in this kind of space so we must bet on including various pieces that provide contrast and interest if you have matching sets for the living and dining room you'll miss the opportunity to add personality and make it unique combining wooden dining chairs with a sofa upholstered in a soft looking fabric could be very nice dare to mix curved shapes with straight lines warm and rustic textures with more luxurious looking materials such as gold or marble remember that opposites attract
11. Create a Focal Point
having focal points is crucial in open spaces when it's time to start arranging furniture an open space can seem intimidating let the focal point of the room guide you to make the most of your space if you have a double height fireplace or impressive artwork start there arrange larger pieces of furniture around that then add the medium and small pieces an eye-catching hood in the kitchen a fireplace with a contrasting covering wall in the living room and a unique light fixture in the dining room can help draw attention and anchor each area however you must be careful about how which focal point relates to the other for example if you hang a chandelier over the dining table and the kitchen is in the background think about how the chandelier relates to the kitchen's texture and color be aware of the different planes and perspective of the space and make sure that everything ends up working together look at this example the texture and color of the kitchen cabinets serve as a backdrop to the dining room look how well the chandelier stands out with that background in this case they have avoided putting hanging lamps on the kitchen island to not saturate the space it's essential to see the space from different angles to visualize the whole composition by the way if you want to learn more about the focal points and how to create them in your home check out this video there you learn everything you need to know to create focal points like a pro i'll leave you the link up here and in the description box below
12. Paint All the Trim the Same Color
the trim the same color using the same color for the window trim doors ceilings and molding will help make the space feel more cohesive and connected having similar architectural details with different characteristics is often destructive and creates a lot of visual noise so be consistent even in that kind of details