Open plan living is becoming a more and more popular prospect for those purchasing a modern house or those developing their current house. Whether it be a kitchen / dining room or a living room that opens out onto a patio, open plan designs have the potential to transform a room and give it a spacious feel.

There are many reasons to why people may decide to have an open plan living space in their house, especially with summer arriving, and the benefits can be mesmerising. The thought of hosting a family BBQ with doors wide open, food on the table, drinks in the fridge, kids playing in the garden, music blasting…

However this doesn’t necessarily mean that it is for everyone. Consider these – Who lives in your home? What are your intentions for this space? Do you really need this extra, open space? Will the chosen room suit being open plan? And most importantly, can you afford to splash out on making this space as effective and perfect as you envisage it being… will it add value to your property?

If you have considered all of these, and you do believe that open plan living is for you, then here are some tips on how to make your open plan living really work:

Bi-folding Doors

Possibly the best way to create the perfect open plan space. Although they will set you back upwards of £2,000, the space it can create is incredible. As you can see here, by using the same tiles in the kitchen as the patio, it creates the illusion that the room carries on outside and into the garden. The perfect feature for a house during the summer. Ensure you conform to any planning permissions and building regulations before you begin. You will most likely need to support the wall with a reinforced steel joist (RSJ).

Natural Light

Natural daylight is the most simplistic way to magnify the space that you have. The more natural light that you can feed into the space, the larger the space will feel. The kitchen in Foxes Way, Balsall Common uses large double-glazed windows as well as skylights in the ceiling to really make this space feel as large as possible.

Furnishings

Taking good care of where and what you furnish your room with can be the make or break of the room you are recreating. Overloading a room with lots of dark, dull furniture can kill the effect you are trying to make. Try and use bright, modern furnishings and be as minimalistic as possible without compromising your own style too much. Whites and greys/silvers work really well in this kitchen at Stoneton Crescent, Balsall Common.

These homes have achieved the ‘show-home’ look with clever design and an open plan feel. 

Take sport for example… England are playing and you want to invite some friends round to watch the match. Open up the bi-fold doors, put the TV on the table, sit out on the patio, BBQ on the go, beer in hand, what could be better?

Or how about a kitchen /dining room? Dinner needs cooking but the kids need help and supervision with their homework… problem solved! The kids can sit at the dining table/ breakfast bar and do their homework and you can help and supervise them whilst cooking at the same time. 

Open plan space also makes hosting parties / BBQ’s etc. a whole lot easier. You want to invite everyone but they wont all fit in the kitchen, so just open the doors and let people roam inside and out. Simple but effective!