Do you want a modern, open floor plan but can't remove the walls or do major remodeling on your home? Don't give up on getting that spacious, welcoming look of an open layout even within your current limitations. Here are a few ways you can mimic the look and feel through interior design changes instead.
1. Lighten the Paint
One of the simplest — and perhaps the most impactful — changes you can make in a room is to change the color palette. Light colors, including neutrals and soft pastels, often make the walls appear smaller or farther away. They lower the visual footprint of the walls.
2. Blend the Decor
The decorative style of an open floor plan harmonizes all the different zones within it. So your living room, kitchen, and dining room, for instance, tend to have a single aesthetic style and color palette. Use this same technique to make separate rooms look and feel like one larger coordinated space. This is less jarring than reinforcing the changes in rooms with different decor themes.
3. Repurpose Rooms
What can make your floor plan feel smaller and more closed-off than it is? Underutilized spaces. Many homeowners, for instance, don't use a formal dining room very often. This leaves that space underused and wasted. More of your life is crammed into the remaining room. Consider repurposing any little-used space so you can spread out and encourage movement from room to room.
4. Change Furniture
Another simple move that can have a big impact is adjusting your furniture — both the amount and the style. One large sectional in an average size living room can fill it up and make everything feel closed off. It also limits traffic paths. All these factors work against an open and airy feeling. Instead, you might slim down your seating and move it around to open up more of the room.
5. Boost Lighting
Do you have a good lighting plan? If your lighting plan consists of overhead lighting and some randomly-placed lamps, it could probably do a better job in helping open up the space more. Boost natural lighting from windows by selecting the right treatments. Then, complement this with a lighting plan involving overhead lighting, task lighting, and accent lights. You'll see the space with fresh eyes.
Where to Start
Ready to start building the look and feel of a modern open floor plan no matter where you live? Begin by meeting with a modern custom interior design service today. With their guidance, your home will soon shed years off its visual age.
