While open-plan living is here to stay, this year it’s all about thoughtful zoning, oodles of hidden storage and decorative detailing…

Open plan isn’t simply a case of knocking down every wall and tah-dah: you’ve got a lovely, ready-made space for cooking, dining and relaxing. Getting it right is trickier than you might think – there’s a fine balance that requires creating a convivial, sociable space where everyone can hang out and you can keep a beady eye on the kids, while cleverly carving out spaces for typical kitchen activities, as well as for home working, relaxing, crafting, playing etc.

There are also the acoustics to consider, careful zoning and spatial planning, getting the lighting right, colour schemes to contend with… All these factors can make it feel like something of a conundrum. However, KBB journo Charlotte Luxford has asked the experts how to solve this puzzle and what you need to do to create an open-plan space that’s just right for the here and now.

All about multi-functionality

When open-plan living was first introduced, it was all about achieving a sense of spaciousness and flow, with designers opting for fewer walls and doors to allow more light to travel through the home. It also meant that rather than huddling round in one pokey room, the kitchen could truly become a social hub, with no physical boundaries between the main kitchen, dining and living areas.

However, over the past decade, our lives have changed exponentially, predominantly thanks to the pandemic, meaning open-plan living has had to adapt to accommodate more multi-functionality than ever before. “After Covid-19, we were compelled to think differently about how we lived and also worked in open-plan kitchens – at this point, open-plan living evolved to a broken-plan design,” says Ana Roa, co-founder of Apron Design.

While Ana claims larger kitchens are still a favourite for the vast majority of her clients, these spaces are now divided into smaller, snugger zones, allowing for both social and private areas. “A really important part of the design process is to identify the different purposes required for your open-plan space,” she adds.

“Once there’s a clear idea of how it will be used, structural elements such as extra-wide doorways, glass partitions, half-walls and sliding doors can be employed to retain the light and spaciousness of an open-plan design, but with some delineation and separation.”

How to maximise your open-plan kitchen

No matter how you design it, there will always be fewer walls in an open-plan space, so your design needs to work harder to remain organised, calm and clutter-free.

To overcome this, Ellie Jackson, senior designer at John Lewis of Hungerford, advises employing plenty of space-saving techniques, including maximising vertical space with floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, choosing drawers over cupboards, plus opting for kitchen islands or peninsulas with plenty of built-in storage.

She even suggests adding a banquette to the back or end of an island or peninsula if space is tight, or to create an additional dining area for informal mealtimes. A drop-down level incorporated into the island at table height is another solution, which, again, could provide a spot for dining or remote working.

Hidden away or on show?

According to creative design director Tom Howley and Monikia Misztal, designer at Piqu, there’s also been a huge trend for introducing hidden storage elements into open-plan designs, including pantries, back kitchens and laundry rooms, cleverly concealed behind kitchen door fronts.

In dining areas, breakfast stations are squirrelled away behind pocket doors, and bench seating is custom-made, with storage built in. These clever solutions all play a part in providing extra space to stash away those practical day-to-day items we want hidden away.

On the flip side, as more of us are entertaining at home, there’s a greater demand for statement designs and having certain elements ‘on show’. “Our clients often want to be able to provide an element of theatre in their open-plan kitchen design,” says Tim Higham, founder of Higham Furniture.

According to Tim, homeowners want an island with a vented hob and preparation sink, where they can confidently cook and interact with their audience, while key features such as swanky integrated home bars and sliding doors that lead onto a statement outdoor kitchen adjacent to the main kitchen run are highly sought after.

The layout

Planning your layout carefully can help maximise its entertaining potential, too. L-shaped designs, whether that’s seating around an island, bench seating tucked in a corner, or an L-shaped sofa, are better equipped for conversation than linear designs.

Interior designer Claire Garner also suggests opting for flexible furniture wherever possible, such as extendable dining tables or modular sofas and sofa beds, allowing the space to adapt to different needs. It can be tempting to create one large, flowing space, but it may lack clear purpose and feel a bit cold or samey.

Zoning tricks

A classic design trick to help divide an open-plan layout is to separate the cooking zone from the living areas with an island or peninsula, but also consider utilising dividing screens, reeded or textured wall panelling, rugs, curtains and upholstered furniture to help define various zones. These elements will also add warmth and character, as well as absorb sound and reduce echo, improving the acoustics of the space.

Gareth Davies, design director at Classic Interiors, advises owners to think about including a few focal points. “An elegant cooker hood in the kitchen or a statement sofa in the living area can anchor the design beautifully,” he says.

Claire also recommends looking at your lighting scheme in the early stages of your design and using different types for each zone – pendants over the dining area, task lighting in the kitchen and ambient lighting in the living space to create distinct moods and functions.

Decorative elements

Lastly, those decorative elements can make all the difference. While you want your colour scheme to remain cohesive, that doesn’t mean all your cabinetry must be painted the same shade. Consider highlighting cupboard internals for a pop of colour when left open, choosing a statement colour for the island, or using a bold or dark accent shade for the woodwork.

Blending in antique and vintage pieces will also instantly provide character and strip the stark ‘newness’ out of a box-fresh open-plan extension.

Adding wallpaper and/ or artwork such as a gallery wall to the dining or living spaces will create a cosy, intimate feel, which can also help bring your colour scheme together. And don’t forget to use mirrors in those darker back corners of your open-plan space to help bounce light around.

All these layers, textures and points of interest will ensure that your open-plan space is far from one-dimensional and that it’s somewhere you and your family will be happy to spend time in.

Enjoyed this post? Click here for the pros and cons of broken-plan kitchens

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