Open plan? No, broken plan.

After writing last week’s 2018 Design Trends blog, we couldn’t stop thinking about the “broken plan” concept. How is it different from open plan, really? What does it look like in a variety of spaces? We read a bit on Houzz and wanted to share more in depth with you, so you can get a truer sense of this trend.

Open plan homes have just that: lots of open space, and fewer partitioning walls. Frequently, the kitchen and dining rooms are in one space, and sometimes the living room is included as well. This allows for much more light to suffuse the space, increases the interaction between the people living there, and provides a sense of (you guessed it) “openness.”

This means that open plan living is less private, however. And as one author at Houzz says, you’ve lost “useful walls against which to place furniture.” This is a real issue, and it can be dealt with by thinking broken instead of open.

Instead of a totally open kitchen and dining room, use an island to hide the kitchen mess from those dining at the table. Install a half wall between the living and dining rooms to allow for lounging on the couch without thinking about dinner. Use an extra-wide door opening, or install sliding doors, to create a partial division between rooms. If you're designing a space from scratch, consider installing a few stairs between rooms to create different levels.

Check out this Houzz article, and let us know if you’ve used this concept in your home.

#lifestyle #design #brokenplan #realestate