Room Concepts

What is an open floor plan?

Open floor plan and open floor concept are generic terms used for an open plan, which means a floor plan that uses large, open spaces, and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms. It combines two or more traditional-use spaces into a much larger space by eliminating walls and partitions. Most often, you see this in the combination of a kitchen, dining area, and living space.

Since we are speaking to open floor plan furniture layout ideas for your living room, we are going to speak specifically to the kitchen, dining, and living spaces open floor layout. There are other open floor plans that can include bedrooms and office spaces as well.

Why are these layouts so popular?

Designers and homeowners alike love this floor plan. And there are a host of reasons, such as:

• Versatility: a seemingly endless amount of design options—since your individual spaces are now combined, there are no defined boundaries. You choose exactly how much space you want to reserve for your living area or you dining area.
• Adaptability: Since spaces live in flux with each other, they adapt to your busy and changing lifestyle. You are free to change how much space you devote to each function as the years go by.
• Direct Line of Sight: This is such an essential and ideal feature for homeowners, especially those with young kiddos. A direct line of sight means a busy parent can keep an eye on their kiddos playing in the living area while cooking dinner. This offers tremendous peace of mind.
• Perfect for entertaining: Let’s face it, when homes are compartmentalized into individual rooms, it can make it very difficult to entertain, especially when those rooms are small. With an open floor plan, guests can be free to mingle and hosts can still be part of the party while prepping food and drink.

Five Open Floor Plan Furniture Layout Ideas

As much as we all love open floor plans, we know how overwhelming they can be. In an open floor plan, there’s a constant static relationship with freedom, emptiness, and chaos. You run the risk of the space feeling too bare and empty if appropriate furniture isn’t chosen. You reach chaos when your space feels overdone and cluttered. Here are five open floor plan furniture layout ideas for your living room to make design a breeze.

1. Visualize Your Zones

This is essential. Visualize where your living area and dining area will be. Don’t feel compelled to stack these spaces as per tradition, with your kitchen, then dining area, then living area. This tip is especially helpful if your space is wider than long. Don’t be afraid to play around with the space and embrace the flexibility that the open floor plan has to offer.

2. Find Balance

The solution to the aforementioned static triangle is balance. A great way to achieve balance is through symmetry. Double up sofas to create an inviting and spacious seating area. Use a statement dining table and matching chairs from our Amish-made furniture collection. Add smaller moments of contrast after, with side tables, desks, or trunks. Remember that freedom does not mean unabashed craziness or a stark wasteland. Stay true to design principles starting with balance.

3. Behold the Power of an Area Rug

Organization is key to leveraging the benefits of the open floor plan. A fantastic way to organize your open space is through area rugs, especially when your space is particularly large. Area rugs will help your space feel more grounded, once again keeping that ever-important static relationship in check. Instead of using walls as separations, designers and homeowners can use area rugs to denote each zone. Use an area rug to denote your living area or another space as you choose, which brings us to #4 on our open floor plan furniture layout ideas list.

4. Create Cozy Corners

When your space is particularly large, creating cozy corners is a great way to better organize and make sense of the space. Consider a space that is comprised of a kitchen flowing into a very large (read daunting) open space. There is more than enough space for your dining room and, perhaps, two living rooms. It’s time to double down on creativity my friends! Create cozy corners with an arrangement of a loveseat and chairs. This is perfect for intimate conversations during gatherings or a reading corner. Mark off the space with a smaller area rug. Consider, also, adding a writing desk to your living space. It’s a great way to take care of house admin duties or study while still being present with your family.

5. Don’t Forget Your Walls

Our last open floor plan layout idea is really two pronged. The first prong is about using your walls in your design. Your walls can really help to bring balance to your space and catapult your design to the next level. It can also ground the space like an area rug. Consider using an accent color on the largest wall of your space. You would want to also use this accent color throughout the open floor plan. This will help to pull all the creative elements together cohesively.

The second prong is very important, and we mean it—don’t put your furniture against the walls! Now, let us be clear, when we say furniture, we are talking about your large statement pieces, like couches and dining tables. Since open floor plan layout ideas can be challenging, your knee jerk reaction may be to return to the decorative styles of your childhood home. Part of the beauty of being an open floor plan is the freedom to move in and around furniture. When you anchor your large pieces of furniture, you lose this ability and the freedom in that static triangle. Move your big pieces away from the wall. Smaller furniture, like chairs, side tables, trunks, etc., can be placed against walls.

We understand that open floor plan furniture layout ideas can be difficult to come by, and Room Concepts is here to help. Let us help you find the right furniture for your open floor plan from your living space to your dining space. We are passionate about providing high-quality, customizable furniture to suit your style, needs, and budget. We’d love to help you create the open floor plan you’ve always wanted—contact us today!