Open plan living rooms are perfect for those with a large, free-flowing space and unsure on how to decorate. Increasingly popular in modern homes, it can be argued that open plan living rooms have become the standard for many houses. In this handy guide, we will be sharing a variety of open plan living room ideas to help separate and utilise your space, give your home a cosy feel, and get your interior inspirations flowing.
What are the Benefits of Open Plan Living Rooms?
There are many benefits of open plan living rooms. Just to name a handful:
- Maximised space
- More light flow
- More sociable
- Modern
- Flexible
What are the Disadvantages of Open Plan Living Rooms?
Whilst there are benefits, there a number of drawbacks to consider before opting for an open plan living room:
- Lack of privacy
- Difficult to arrange and style
- Visible clutter
How to Arrange an Open Plan Living Room
When presented with a large open plan living room, creating zones to separate the living room from other areas is one of the most important steps to arrange your room. You should carefully plan how to arrange these zones to fully utilise your space and create a flowing and comfortable open plan living room. To determine the zones of the space, utilise your furniture to make theoretical borders of each dedicated space in the living room. However, you should avoid pushing your furniture against the walls and instead create space, allowing you to walk around your furniture and thus making the room feel bigger.
10 Open Plan Living Room Ideas
Once you have nailed down the furniture arrangement and zoning of your open plan living room, here are 10 ideas on how to maximise your space and make it a modern and flexible space in your home.
1. Use a Cohesive Colour Scheme
To ensure your open plan living/dining/kitchen areas feel consistent and flow freely, opt for a cohesive colour scheme throughout the space. Using neutral, light or pastel colours can help create a bright, airy feel throughout.
2. Choose a Corner Sofa
Debatably the most popular choice for open plan living rooms, corner sofas can help anchor a space and create a clear divide between the lounge and kitchen. Read our corner sofa buying guide to ensure you pick the perfect corner sofa for you and your needs!
3. Separate the Living Room with a Rug
Ideal for open plan living rooms, an oversized rug can also help to zone a space and differentiate the different areas of the room.
4. Add an Armchair
To further the dividing of the room, add an armchair and extra seating that can be moved around where needed.
5. Create Flexibility with a Modular Sofa
Modular sofas are incredibly flexible, making them a perfect choice for defining a space in both big and small open plan living rooms. Asking ‘what is a modular sofa? Read our guide on everything you need to know about these innovative sofas.
6. Include Multifunctional Pieces
Utilise your open plan living room with multifunctional furniture. Filling the space in clever ways, innovative storage solutions such as footstools or benches will help maximise your space.
7. Use Partitions to Separate the Spaces
Besides sofas, you can utilise physical partitions to separate your space, such as open shelving, accent tables, a chest of drawers of even a classic partition wall.
8. Create a Centrepiece with a 4-Seater Sofa
If your living room zone needs a clear indicator, create a focal point by using a large and comfortable 4-seater sofa. Ideal for family movie nights, hosting friends or curling up with your pet, a 4-seater sofa is a great addition to an open plan living room with extra space.
9. Use Textures to Make an Open Plan Living Room Cosy
Due to its larger space and free-flowing nature, an open plan living room can sometimes lack the cosiness of a traditional, closed in living room. To ensure your open plan living room still feels cosy, use different textures across scatter cushions, blankets, throws and your dining room chairs to add warmth and comfortability.
10. Embrace Bright, Natural Lighting
The same logic of maintaining a consistent colour scheme applies to the lighting that you opt for throughout your open plan space. To create a bright and airy feel to the room, layer lighting with floor lamps, wall lamps and table lamps, which also work to help define areas of the room.
The main considerations to pay attention to when planning to decorate your open plan living room are zoning, arrangement, and utilising furniture to maximise your space. Your sofa size and shape can determine the look and feel of the space as much as the colours on your walls. The factors we have discussed all go hand in hand, working together to create a gorgeous open plan living room that works for you!
