7 ways to create different zones in a small home

April Kennedy April Kennedy
homify Modern style bedroom
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Open-plan layouts are almost universally adopted in modern homes these days. This kind of arrangement is great for making a small home feel spacious, light and airy. But a room that caters to many disparate activities can easily feel messy. Most people also need some boundaries around their living areas to help them engage in their daily activities with a sense of clarity and calm focus. If you are looking to create a home that meets these needs, you don't necessarily need to internal walls or dividing screens. Another alternative is to create an open plan layout with distinct living zones delineated with clever visual cues. To see what we mean, come with us to explore 7 ways to create different zones in a small home…

1. Smart furniture placement

Smart furniture placement is the first option most people consider. The back of a sofa can always be put to good use. A floating sofa layout often makes a small living room look larger as well.

2. Create focus

An open-plan layout can easily look cluttered, so it's important to organise the various items around one central element in each zone. Check out the huge light in this dining room.

3. The power of lighting

Lighting is the very first element to consider when separating the zones in a home. As seen here, choose different lighting for each zone. Pendant lights are often a good choice because they don't take up any floor space.

4. Different wall finishes

People are often wary of mixing up the wall finishes in a living room. But the key is to find some common line, accent colour or texture to link all the walls together. Interior designers and decorators Eighty Two show us how it's done in this great living room.

5. Define the boundaries with flooring

Flooring is always another good way of defining the various zones in a home. Just make sure that rugs and floor matts are sized to suit. There's nothing worse than a rug that covers part of a common walkway.

6. Group furniture according to colour

Colour can be a powerful way to introduce a sense of cohesion into the design. Just check out the bold red armchair and floor lamp on the right here. It's so drastically different from the grey sofa and rug on the left, that the designers have decided to introduce a little of that red into the artwork on the wall.

7. Change the seating orientation

The direction in which you sit on a sofa or at a table can have a huge effect on your sense of space. Consider the orientation, look for ways to change the views and enjoy your new sense of space.

To see more examples of great layouts, check out The open plan home we all want.

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