Open Floor Plan Decorating

3. Use consistent themes

The zones in your open plan need to feel distinct, but they also need to work together visually. Therefore, having elements of uniformity throughout the space is paramount. Multiple color palettes could complicate an open plan home and make it look busy. Though different elements will need to be used in each area, these elements need to offer continuity. Pick one to three shades, materials, or shapes that can be incorporated into each zone. 

4. Introduce new furniture for in-kitchen dining

If you're moving into an open concept home after living in a traditional house, you may not be able to successfully incorporate all of your old pieces. Your new space will feel more expansive, but it might actually be smaller than what you had. For example, you may be giving up a full dining room for some form of kitchen dining, like an island, banquette, small table, or some combination. You may have to trade in your formal dining set for counter-height stools or other furniture.

See also: 10 Mid-Century Modern Home Accessories on Amazon

5. Don't ignore lighting

Lighting plays a critical role in setting the mood in open floor plans. Yet, it is often ignored during the design process. Built-in and plug-in lighting fixtures should be part of the plan from the start. As with any room, you should think of lighting in layers. Here are a few tips on different forms of lighting -

Ambient lighting

This is the general lighting for the living spaces. Recessed lighting and flush-mount fixtures are common examples. These lights ensure that every part of the room is lit and you can walk around without passing through shadows.

Task lighting

These fixtures provide more focused beams of lights that help illuminate tasks such as cooking. Under-cabinet lights in the kitchen are prime examples. A chandelier can provide light over the dining table

Accent lighting

This layer adds a sense of coziness and comfort, as well as personality. Accent lighting can be plug-in table and floor lamps or hard-wired sconces. A well-chosen lamp can also help define a space in your great room by bathing that area in a pool of lighting.

See also: The 5 Main Types of Kitchen Island Lighting

6. Use rugs to define spaces

Homes that lack any form of room separation need rugs on the floor to make each area distinct. Add a large area rug to pull together a seating zone in your living room area. Two rugs under the living and dining areas can give a distinct design as if they were separate rooms. Be sure to size rugs large enough to extend slightly beyond the immediate spaces you are trying to define. The defining-space effect works best if you can see the edges of the rug from across the room. Different rugs in wide-open spaces need not have the exact same pattern, but they should complement each other to help create that singular theme that you are going for.

7. Pick an element and repeat it in each zone 

The trick to open-floor-plan design is to make all the areas feel consistent but to maintain distinct zones. Picking one design element for all living spaces and incorporating it into the micro-design of each zone can pull the whole thing together. This element can be a material or pattern. For instance, a certain species of natural wood repeated in your dining table, your coffee table, and your island can make the entire room feel like a cohesive whole.

8. Tie your open concept spaces together with color

Running out of ideas? When thinking about the color scheme in an open floor plan, less is more. You will want the colors in each zone to work together, not clash. In a traditional floorplan, you could get away with a different color scheme in each room because you would never look at them all at once. But in a great room, you would never want your sofa upholstery to clash with your dining room furniture, and all your furniture must work with your wall paint. Chose one color family and a natural pattern or material, like wood, to help make the areas of your open floor plan blend well.

9. Keep wall colors muted

I usually recommend "safer" shades for the walls of a large open space: whites, very light beiges, or greige. Bolder colors are hard to match with living room furniture, dining room furniture, and kitchen cabinets and fixtures—all of which will be visible in an open floor plan. If you are to add an accent wall, it's best to do so when your themes are full of bright colors that complement each other.

10. Carefully consider windows and doors

Decorating open floor plans is all about themes and textiles. Your design should also involve window and door placement. The best open floor plans will have an abundance of natural lighting during the day. This will allow your artificial light to distinguish each room during the latter half of the day when your family is home. Windows for morning light will be set east facing. Avoid small windows and try to go for floor to ceiling windows placed next to a pair of French doors that lead to your backyard. Skylights will also help add more lighting if your home is backed by trees.

11. Think twice about open shelves

You may want to avoid open shelves in an open plan house. Enclosed cabinets will ensure a smooth finish and give you more usable storage space. Open shelves can work if you have a few choice items to show off, but a room full of open shelving can quickly devolve into clutter, especially if it's an open floor plan.

See also: Yes, Interior Design Is for You (and Your Messy Family)