Decorating an open-plan living room

Decorating an open-plan living room

Use colour to define different areas in an open-plan room.

Divide the room into clear zones

An open-plan living area is a wonderful way of creating a sense of flow between the dining, living and kitchen spaces – and colour plays an important role in creating this look.

Decorating a large room may seem overwhelming at first but dividing the space into clear zones, you’ll find it much easier to choose a colour scheme. Decide where your living or dining space starts and ends by mapping out where you'll place key furniture – and then keep these zones in mind when choosing colour schemes.

Create focal points with statement colour

First, to create flow and a sense of cohesion, we recommend using one type of flooring throughout the whole space, then zone off areas with accents of colour on feature walls to create focal points.

Here, the cool white hue used on the walls allows light to flow around the room and accentuates the sense of space, while the mulberry used to define the low-rise wall helps to create a little haven of relaxing and socializing within the larger space.

Use lighting to create atmosphere

Low-level lighting creates a sense of intimacy, and is a great way to enhance the atmosphere. To anchor the look, add a few soft throws, cushions and rugs in complementary hues to pull the space together and make it truly inviting.