Does zone living beat open plan living?
Real Estate In Motion | Open plan living aims to create a social, easy going feel in the home by maximising the total space with considered house floo...
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Does zone living beat open plan living?

Open plan living aims to create a social, easy going feel in the home by maximising the total space with considered house floor plans.

Key to the open plan strategy is the idea of multi-functional spaces. An open plan living room might also function as a dining room and a kitchen. And while this is great for easy social flow and continuous living, it can become difficult if activity overlap isn't managed. It also places pressure on the placement of furniture and its use at any given time.

Blurred lines as to the purpose of a room can be managed with smart decor and storage. Featuring downlights that highlight the study nook or the breakfast bar can help redefine a space. Furniture that functions in multiple roles (fold out tables, storage ottomans) and movable features (wheeled TV units, indoor / outdoor rattan armchairs) will make shaping your multi-functional spaces easier and lifestyle adjustments easier to manage.

Advantages of open plan living:



  • calm, relaxed atmosphere

  • easy to socialise and entertain

  • takes advantage of natural light



Disadvantages of open plan living




  • sound echoes and amplification

  • without careful furniture placement or use of carpets & curtains to dampen sound an open plan space can be stifled by echoes and the aggressive amplification of noise



What is zoned living?



Zoned living evolved out of the need to improve upon some of the problems with open plan living, but without creating the immovable barrier of walls and old fashioned interior design. Zoned living is also part of the smart home movement that is eschewing traditional trends in favour of modern house designs.

Instead, zoned living considers the living space and a series of zones for potential activities. The living room is also the games room and the study, but when someone's studying, the TV unit rolls away to project the noise in another direction. That's the essence of zoned living.

Part of what makes zoned living desirable is the changes to modern interior design; room dividers inspired by Japanese Shoji screens can help create the appropriate layout. Wheeled dividers, such as small book shelves, or sliding room dividers that can act as walls or barriers can be implemented with the help of professional tradesman to most existing open place spaces with a minimum of fuss.

You might also want to consider hanging room dividers that work on a simple framework and can be made from different materials and patterns to help add elegance and ambience to your room layout.

The perfect living area


Whether you have an open plan living space or are thinking of experimenting with zoned living, there are a number of strategies you can employ to improve the ambience, feel and function or your living spaces.

Mixed Storage


Good living considers the role of books, records, wine collections and other storage items in the overall definition of the space. An avid record collector may choose to display their favourite albums on a shelf as a natural and interesting feature of the room, but keep the bulk of the collection stored elsewhere or in built-ins. This curation of storage objects helps define mixed use of the room- keeping the less used items tucked away will ease the clutter that can quickly take hold in an open place space.

If your open plan space is lacking dedicated storage, you could consider renovating a feature wall into a storage area or re-imagining a nook or stairwell space as storage.

Functional Concealment


Multi-function open plan spaces should have a natural resting state where the various functions can be easily concealed. Like the curating records example, this prevents the room from becoming too harshly defined as fit only for a single purpose. A computer desk that closes up, a tuck away table in the breakfast nook and kitchens that transform into blank slates by hiding counter appliances behind cabinets are all examples of this.

Careful placement of wires in entertainment spaces is a must. Wireless technology is quickly taking over, but we still need power cords and power boards. There are specialised cable tidies that can be picked up at most furniture and homeware stores to help you tuck away cables and keep things streamlined.

Social zones and reference furniture


Create social areas by grouping couches and armchairs into logical areas of socialisation. A long, low couch can define a living space, while an overflowing rug can create an easy path from the living area to the dining or kitchen space.

Creating zones in an open space might require a bit of trial and error, but small adjustments can help you conceptualise the space. Interior designers can also help create the right flow of zone and function in your open plan space, and if you're looking to update your furniture to the latest trends, check out this article on spring's home decor trends for a bit of inspiration.

Make light your friend


Organise your open plan living space with natural light maximising the functions of the room. You can also use lighting to highlight favoured artworks, social areas and functional zones, such as a study area with downlights or desk lamps. Use softer lamps to provide ambience at night without any unnecessary harshness.

Get in touch with local service people


If you're planning to renovate your existing open plan space, or are looking to move into a new space, you may want to employ local tradespeople to help in creating the perfect ambience.