4 Open Plan Living Ideas for a Sociable Home

Open plan spaces can bring a multitude of benefits to your home. Not only can they improve its overall appearance, but they can increase lighting opportunities and make the space seem much larger. One of the things that homeowners love when it comes to enjoying open plan living is the enhanced flow and layout. All the way from the front door to the back of the house, moving around and using the space is easy.

The most important factor though is perhaps the enrichment of family interaction. Conversations while cooking, sharing stories while dining and talking about each other’s day are made possible by removing walls. For families that want to minimise unhealthy distractions like TVs and mobile phones, merging spaces can be a sociable solution.

But knocking down walls does pose one question: how do you fill such a big area and make it look good? Having a clear design concept from the start is definitely something we recommend. If you’re unsure of where to begin, here are 4 open plan living ideas to inspire you.

1. Modernise with magical monochrome

Mural in photo: White Marble

If you want to bring your interiors up to date, open plan living provides the perfect blank canvas to work with. The lack of walls creates a home that is light, airy and spacious. By merging separate rooms into a single multi-functional one, light can reach every corner, solving issues of darkness and dinginess. One way you can maximise your home lighting is to choose a monochromatic colour scheme.

Not only does white help to reflect natural light around the room, but it provides a bold and interesting contrast when paired with black. Making it the ideal paint colour to choose when you’re trying to make your home appear larger and more inviting.

To avoid that cold, austere and clinical look, opt for an off-white shade instead of pure white. Very few interior designers work with pure white paint, but instead, go with warmer tones or white with a hint of colour in it. To break up any unattractive voids or bare sections of wall, add texture and intrigue with a patterned wallpaper. For instance, marble effect murals can create a nice feature wall, adding a beautiful focal point in a minimalist setting.

2. Turn your living area into an art gallery

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If there’s one type of colour palette that designers are drawn to when it comes to open plan interiors, it’s the whites and creams. These light shades can make a room feel clutter-free and spacious and act as a blank canvas for creativity. Light coloured walls are also perfect for displaying your favourite pieces of artwork. Whether famous or unknown, modern or classic, minimalist or your own, a gallery wall full of mix and match art makes a fantastic talking point. And of course, art is good for the soul.

But gallery walls don’t always have to be white. If after your open plan renovation you’re left with a vast space to decorate, coloured walls can create a much-needed focal point. One-colour wallpaper concepts are great for creating interest and clarity.

Mural in photo: Blue wallpaper

To design the perfect gallery background, avoid wallpapers that are too busy. Instead, opt for something that is bright, bold, yet simple at the same time. This soothing Blue mural by Shandra Smith from our designer wallpaper collection is exactly that. Attention-grabbing but totally fuss-free, giving you an ideal backdrop to make paintings and photography pop.

3. Choose open plan living ideas that help you escape

Mural in photo: Tirol Winter Mountain

By opening up your living/dining/kitchen areas, you can create a more comfortable space for rest and relaxation. Improving flow and visibility means making your life easier and less stressful. So it makes sense to turn your renovated open plan home into a sanctuary for escape.

Wall designs like this stunning mountain mural transport you to another place entirely, giving you and your family a communal area to admire your favourite locations in the world. Whether you love mountain scenery, waterfalls and lakes, far-flung beaches or inspiring cityscapes, landscape wallpapers are the ultimate form of escapism at the end of a long day.

This is one of the best open plan living ideas for families that love to travel or see new places. It also works well if you need to bring an element of calm and peacefulness to your home.

If you want to make your space completely personal to you and your experiences, you can even use our Upload Your Own Wallpaper service to create a custom mural. This wallpaper will be one of a kind – now that’s something your guests won’t forget anytime soon!

4. Incorporate the garden in your open plan design

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If you want to improve your life indoors, consider the outdoors in your interior concept. Traditionally, architects have considered the garden a separate entity of the house. But today’s rising popularity of bi-doors and glass walls means we can enjoy better fluidity across our properties – and we absolutely should.

Nature brings so much joy to us and plants are known to do wonders for  mental health. As well as purifying the air, removing pollutants and helping us feel connected with the earth, plants create charming scenery. Plus, just the colour green itself can be soothing and relaxing to look at – and that’s why botanical wallpapers work so well in modern homes.

Mural in photo:  Tropical Landscape 2

In recent years, leafy wallpapers have become a huge trend like this Tropical Landscape 2 mural seen above. If your home does not have a connecting garden,  jungle wallpapers  are a great way to make green open plan living ideas work for your space.

What are your tips for open plan living? Do you have any advice that will turn an antisocial home layout into a fun, interactive one? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to send us pictures of your wallpaper renovations for a chance to get featured on a blog.