Decorating
10 Easy and Effective Ways to Zone Open-plan Rooms
Be inspired by these neat ideas for adopting a broken-plan layout and adding focus to your open spaces and larger rooms
Open-plan rooms are great for convivial living, but, with no walls, it can be difficult to know where one area ends and another begins. However, by adding in some key items, you can easily divide the space and create functional zones. Check out these ideas for inspiration.
Go for half measures
For a less obtrusive division, try a half-height unit. Here, a sideboard creates a physical break in the floor area, but leaves the whole space visible at eye level. This allows light to flood the entire room, but clearly defines the seating and dining areas. Plenty of storage space is provided for tucking away items close to where they will be used.
For a less obtrusive division, try a half-height unit. Here, a sideboard creates a physical break in the floor area, but leaves the whole space visible at eye level. This allows light to flood the entire room, but clearly defines the seating and dining areas. Plenty of storage space is provided for tucking away items close to where they will be used.
Look to the lights
Different styles of lamps and lighting can provide focal points in different areas of a space. Pendant lamps hung over a dining table, as here, will draw the eye to the eating area and ground the arrangement. This would also work well over a kitchen island.
Have some fun creating a bold visual statement and remember to think about what the lights will look like both in the daytime and in the evening.
Discover creative ways to add focus to your dining table
Different styles of lamps and lighting can provide focal points in different areas of a space. Pendant lamps hung over a dining table, as here, will draw the eye to the eating area and ground the arrangement. This would also work well over a kitchen island.
Have some fun creating a bold visual statement and remember to think about what the lights will look like both in the daytime and in the evening.
Discover creative ways to add focus to your dining table
Employ a peninsula
Many terraced houses have been knocked through to create one long room downstairs. There often isn’t enough space for an entire kitchen island, but a peninsula can do the job of dividing the space nicely.
Here, a U-shaped kitchen provides plenty of worktop space, while one side also acts as a barrier between the cooking zone and other areas without blocking out light from the rear. You could enhance the space further by installing seating or more storage on the side facing the living room.
Many terraced houses have been knocked through to create one long room downstairs. There often isn’t enough space for an entire kitchen island, but a peninsula can do the job of dividing the space nicely.
Here, a U-shaped kitchen provides plenty of worktop space, while one side also acts as a barrier between the cooking zone and other areas without blocking out light from the rear. You could enhance the space further by installing seating or more storage on the side facing the living room.
Work a modular sofa
Corner sofas provide great structure in any space, and they also eliminate that awkward gap where two regular couches meet. A sofa carefully placed on a rug, with a central ottoman completing the square, ensures this seating area is clearly delineated.
If your living area won’t quite accommodate a central, ‘floating’ seating area like this, a corner sofa placed against one wall will allow the other side of the ‘L’ to act as a low divide to another part of the room. This could be reinforced with a drawer unit or low shelving.
Corner sofas provide great structure in any space, and they also eliminate that awkward gap where two regular couches meet. A sofa carefully placed on a rug, with a central ottoman completing the square, ensures this seating area is clearly delineated.
If your living area won’t quite accommodate a central, ‘floating’ seating area like this, a corner sofa placed against one wall will allow the other side of the ‘L’ to act as a low divide to another part of the room. This could be reinforced with a drawer unit or low shelving.
Demarcate with glazing
Glass screens can be an attractive and versatile way to divide a living room or bedroom. Here, a dining room is divided from the kitchen and hallway by Crittall-style windows that keep it separate from the rest of the living space without blocking the light.
In a busy household, this is a good way to create the perfect balance between privacy and shared space.
More ways to use glass in your home
Glass screens can be an attractive and versatile way to divide a living room or bedroom. Here, a dining room is divided from the kitchen and hallway by Crittall-style windows that keep it separate from the rest of the living space without blocking the light.
In a busy household, this is a good way to create the perfect balance between privacy and shared space.
More ways to use glass in your home
Bring some bling
Remember doorways adorned with hanging beads? Take a stylish step on from that and hang strings of beautiful crystal beads instead.
Here, acrylic shapes are suspended from the ceiling and visually divide one area from the next. Similarly, try suspending a picture, a net of fairy lights, or spotlights fixed to vertically secured wires.
Remember doorways adorned with hanging beads? Take a stylish step on from that and hang strings of beautiful crystal beads instead.
Here, acrylic shapes are suspended from the ceiling and visually divide one area from the next. Similarly, try suspending a picture, a net of fairy lights, or spotlights fixed to vertically secured wires.
Focus on a fire
A fireplace is a wonderful focal point, and extremely cosy in the autumn and winter. There are some very creative stoves, fire pits and fireplaces available to install anywhere a flue can be fitted. It’s also a fun way to partition a living space.
The one pictured here is open all around, but adds an invisible wall to both the dining room on one side and the sitting nook on the other. If you prefer more structure, a fireplace could be added to a false wall, with a fire on one side and a TV on the other.
A fireplace is a wonderful focal point, and extremely cosy in the autumn and winter. There are some very creative stoves, fire pits and fireplaces available to install anywhere a flue can be fitted. It’s also a fun way to partition a living space.
The one pictured here is open all around, but adds an invisible wall to both the dining room on one side and the sitting nook on the other. If you prefer more structure, a fireplace could be added to a false wall, with a fire on one side and a TV on the other.
Vary floor levels
A good designer or architect will be able to help you plan a new space, or redesign an existing layout to meet your changing requirements. It may be possible to raise or lower the floor height in an area of your house to create a division between two spaces, like this office and dining room. Small, built-in cupboards can maximise your storage, adding to the functionality of an area without being obtrusive.
A good designer or architect will be able to help you plan a new space, or redesign an existing layout to meet your changing requirements. It may be possible to raise or lower the floor height in an area of your house to create a division between two spaces, like this office and dining room. Small, built-in cupboards can maximise your storage, adding to the functionality of an area without being obtrusive.
Play with perpendicular lines
Here, the sofas have been placed at right angles to each other. This creates a strong visual cue and draws the eye to several objects placed near each other. The brain is encouraged to mentally collect the items together into a single group. Try to align edges to create imaginary perpendicular lines and corridors within the room.
How would you divide an open-plan space? Share your thoughts and ideas in the Comments below.
Here, the sofas have been placed at right angles to each other. This creates a strong visual cue and draws the eye to several objects placed near each other. The brain is encouraged to mentally collect the items together into a single group. Try to align edges to create imaginary perpendicular lines and corridors within the room.
How would you divide an open-plan space? Share your thoughts and ideas in the Comments below.
A large shelving unit has to be the simplest way to divide a room. You can use it entirely for storage, or leave some spaces for displaying a single special item. Some shelving will enable access from both sides, and with these you may want to put two units back-to-back to double up on storage space.
A unit where you can see right through at least some sections is a good way to help maintain a connection between the divided zones.