Home styles and floor plans have come a long way in the previous Fifty years. In the past, houses had a specific and separate room designation for each space. In today's modern building designs, rarely will you find a formal entry-way. Long gone are the days of isolated sitting parlors or closed off living and family rooms. Occasionally you will still come across an enclosed, segregated dining space. But for the most part 'Open Concept' floor plans are dominating the housing landscape.
Today's builders are taking in to account the busy lifestyles of the modern family. They are creating homes that have more flow and function. At home moms want to watch their kids play in the family room while they are in the kitchen preparing lunches and dinners. Whether they are throwing parties or entertaining guests, home owners want wide open areas in which everyone can be included and not feel closed off from the festivities.
However, creating these new open concept homes does carry one major drawback when it comes to decorating and design. Most home owners want to add personal touches to their living spaces whether that be with furniture, paint, or wall decor. But how are you supposed to choose which walls to accent when one room flows right in to another? How do you define one space from another when open concept floor plans blend and join multiple spaces together? Here are some tips to help create accent walls or focal points in a room if you have an open concept floor plan design to your home:
1. Create an accent wall by adding built-in cabinets or bookshelves. There a variety of styles and sizes that you can have made to fit your needs. Built-in shelves and cabinets can be the focal point themselves or they can be decorated to display any number of decorative pieces that match your unique style.
2. Use a modern and stylish wallpaper. There have been great strides in wallpaper design since the floral patterns of the 1980's that dominated your average suburban home. Not only have wallpapers become stylish and modern but a number of them even have textures and patterns that add to the design.
3. Choose a matching color palette and use these colors to separate each room and space from each other. Picking colors from the same family will ensure that the entire flow of the rooms match and play well with each other. This gives you the ability to choose a wall from each space and give it a personal and unique look while still maintaining the cohesiveness and integrity of the entire open floor plan.
4. Let the natural architecture of the room shine! Almost every home has a particularly attractive design element currently existing just ready to be featured. This could be a fireplace, or an over-sized bright picture window. Use these aspects of your home that are already in place to create a stunning visual that will impress anyone who visits. Frame out a window with a high-end decorative trim. Install a modern, rustic, or vintage mantle over the fireplace that is sure to be a conversation starter.
5. Accent a wall with custom lighting. If you have a flair and taste for artwork there are many ceiling and wall mounted lighting options you can install that will allow you to illuminate and show off one particular wall that can be decorated with your most eye catching pictures and illustrations.
Open concept floor plans are what today's modern home buyer desire not only because of their functionality but because of the flow and feel they provide to a home. However, these floor plans can create design dilemmas when it comes to deciding how best to decorate and define each space. Using any one of the above tips can go a long way in helping you get the most out of your open concept home.
Zion Realty is a locally owned real estate Brokerage in Gilbert, Arizona. We would love the opportunity to help you buy or sell your next home. Contact us today for a free home evaluation or for a list of available properties for sale in your desired neighborhoods.