Open for Living

Open for Entertaining
Everyone has been to a large get-together where clumps of people ended up in separate rooms and the party never really congealed. That may have been more about the architecture than the guest list. If everyone ends up in the kitchen anyway, it’s best if it’s an integral part of the home. Open floor plans are entertainment workhorses and revelers can organically spill into other areas of the house without losing their grasp on the greater gathering.

“This is particularly important for big holidays,” Cundy says. “You have loads of relatives and your dining room table can’t accommodate everyone. Because the rooms work together, you can set out a long table in the living room” without making your relatives feel relegated to the kids’ table.

Opened Décor
The vast views in these open houses affect how a room is outfitted and decorated. “That’s particularly true of the kitchen,” says designer Jean McCue of Love That Space in Eden Prairie. “Now that kitchens are lynch pins of the open floor plan, upgrades like custom cabinetry and handsome appliances are more important since they’re seen from nearly every angle.”

And because of these panoramic views, decorating style throughout the rooms needs to show unity. “You can play with wall colors within a given palette, but I always recommend that the trim be the same throughout to really flow. Accent colors should all tie together throughout the greater space, too,” McCue says. Ultimately, open floor plans are set up as one big room, even though the spaces within may have different purposes, which means the furnishings and color palettes all have to harmonize.

While houses with open floor plans are designed to mingle rooms and functions, there are still areas meant to be more private—bedrooms and clutter-filled home offices top the list. But for all the spaciousness and family togetherness of opened homes, the lack of retreat for some can be off-putting. Sectioning off areas with décor can satisfy the yen for seclusion. “The trick is to create cozy spots with furnishings and accent pieces within the greater space,” McCue says. “Everyone needs some sanctuary.”