KindaChic.com Offers Tips for a Home Design With an Open Floor Plan
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) July 15, 2013 -- With substantial changes in Western lifestyles, many new contemporary home designs have emerged. Dining rooms have traditionally been a separate room in the home, primarily used for sharing meals with invited guests, on special occasions. Kitchens, living rooms and family rooms have also been formally segregated rooms in the home. Today, these formal rooms are disappearing in favor of the construction of open floor plans that provide the opportunity for a more flexible use of space. With this type of plan, the “dining room” may be connected to other rooms such as the kitchen, the family room or the living room. There are many advantages to the open plan home design, but it is very special to have a dining area, or nook, devoted to sharing a meal, a meditative cup of coffee or glass of wine. With the passing of this tradition and formality, comes the opportunity for new furniture ideas and styles that suit differing needs. A source for innovative new styles is KindaChic.com, an online retail décor and furnishings website.
With an open floor plan construction, one sweep of the eye captures the entire interior design. In addition to colors and furniture styles, there are other factors to consider when living in an open household. The number one factor to be considered should be the acoustics. An open lifestyle brings family members and their guests together, while each are engaged in different activities. Carpeting or area rugs that are laid down in the family room/living room/dining room will damper the sound of voices, music, or games. Full length draperies along the window wall or glass doors will work together with the floor covering to further reduce the noise level. Upholstered furniture will take the acoustic level down even further. The second factor for consideration is the amount of natural light available in each area. What type of artificial lighting is needed on overcast days or in the evenings? If the home construction was built with high ceilings, overhead pendant light fixtures or chandeliers can provide central ambient light and also define a separate “room”. Floor or table lamps will provide the spot light needed for close at hand activities. Tract lights or ceiling light cans provide ambient light and a clean look in a home with lower ceilings.
The use of the open space should be decided before the furniture is selected or arranged. A home without formal boundaries sacrifices a degree of privacy. The furniture selection and the furniture layout will define the primary activity for each area. Intimate conversation areas or reading nooks may be best defined by sections of small scaled seating and lighting at the far edges or corners of the space. A social household will need an area committed to entertaining. The more public areas of this style of home are often closest to the entry area. An open floor plan design benefits from the selection of large scale sectional sofas because this furniture design offers the opportunity to arrange and rearrange the pieces. Without walls, the pieces are not confined to a traditional square or L layout. Modern furniture pieces with a low profile will maintain the open view of the entire space. Large scale art pieces are perfect for open plans, such as paintings or free standing sculpture. If the open floor plan is a split level design the artwork or large scale chandeliers/pendant lighting will benefit both levels.
This type of home design allows spaces to do double duty. The dining room without walls turns into a home office between meals with plenty of space to spread out. The buffet can be a file cabinet if dinnerware is stored in the kitchen. This area works well as the meeting place for game night. The artist or craftsperson can set up studio at the far end of a large dining table without having to move. One entertainment unit will suffice in this type of floor plan. Keep the idea of double duty in mind when selecting furniture. Dining chairs are no longer just straight back wood creations. Many selections are padded with curved backs and arms that allow for comfortable seating while being uniquely stylish. Small scaled dining tables can be used against sofa backs between dinner dates and adorned with a centerpiece of flowers or sculpture. Many stylish sofas and accent chairs open up for overnight guests or afternoon naps. If this open floor plan is a studio condo space, the convertible sofa or daybed area serves well as the bedroom. There are very attractive options available to meet this need at KindaChic.com. Accent chairs can be mixed and matched in color or style from one area to another. A free form home design of style and color can flow from end to end. A space without walls loses the rigidity of use of traditional home styles. Make the most of this gift of space!
Susan Gizdich, Jewel Ventures LLC, http://kindachic.com, 415-745-5103, [email protected]
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