The Ultimate Guide to Designing an Open Plan Space

Creating an open plan living space is a great way to maximize the use of available space, while giving the home a cohesive style. When designing your open space, it’s important to consider elements like scale, flow, and texture to ensure that the end result is both aesthetically pleasing and comfortable.

Identify the Type of Space

Before designing your open plan space, it is important to identify which type of space you need. Ask yourself questions like what type of activities or gatherings will be taking place in the room. Will it be an area used for entertaining? If so, will there be a designated dining area? Once you have identified the types of activities that will take place in the space, you can begin to consider how to create an environment conducive to them.

Form Follows Function

Function should be the driving design force behind any plan for an open space. The goal should be to create a functional layout that maximizes all available space for each activity. This can include anything from properly designed counter top space or seating arrangements to implementing natural light sources or movement patterns when needed. It is important to consider how the activities within each space will interact with one another so that each element has its own purpose, but still interacts with the rest of the environment in harmony.

Set a Design Theme

When designing an open plan space, it is essential to establish a design theme that can carry throughout the whole area. This allows all elements of the plan to fit together seamlessly and also helps create a focal point in each area. Factors such as colour, texture, pattern and light will all help determine your overall theme. Utilize textures or finishes that both border and contrast with one another depending on what activity is occurring within each space for a stylish finish.

Think About How You Will Use the Space

As with all rooms, it is important to consider use when designing an open plan space. Think about which activities and events you generally take part in and which areas need to be blocked off for these activities. This will help inform your overall design as it will help define the area for each event or activity. For example, you may wish to include comfortable seating areas for relaxing and family time, as well as plenty of storage solutions to create a clutter-free environment. One of our clients recently shared with us how glad she was that she encorporated a second dishwasher. Christmas is now that bit tidier and less stressful because of this detail! We always like to remind clients about the bins – a hidden bin and recycling area can transform the feel of a space.

Incorporate Flexible Solutions

When designing an open plan space, flexibility should be a priority. Incorporate furniture that can serve different purposes easily. This could mean buying modular or multi-functional furniture such as day beds, which can double as sofas for extra seating when needed. Similarly, use rugs to create distinct zones within the same open floor plan and move them around according to your needs. With a flexible layout and design, you can turn your open plan space into different atmospheres for working, relaxing or entertaining guests at a moment’s notice.

Think About How You Will Use the Space

Kitchen Extension in Newcastle

You may have found a house in your dream location and the kitchen is just too small, or perhaps your family has expanded and you simple need the extra space; a kitchen extension could be far more affordable than you might think. At Acre Design, this is our most common project type and having completed over 200 in the North East of England, we are the experts in this field. Adding extra kitchen space has numerous benefits: extra storage for that clutter free space we all dream off, room to cook family meals comfortably, a relaxing area which is enjoyable to be in or a modern, stylish place to entertain friends and family. Adding large windows and/or bifold doors adds natural light and brings beautiful views of your surroundings indoors.

It is essential to make sure your plans are detailed and exactly how you want your space as failing to be organised from the outset often incurs additional fees from builders, electricians, plumbers and so on. We cannot stress enough how beneficial detailed plans are for your budget. So, we wanted to outline some key considerations for the planning and building of a kitchen extension.

Investigating and Obtaining Required Planning Permission

It’s really important to share your plans with your local planning officer before you start any work, whatever the type of extension you are planning.. Planning rules are not always fixed and often vary between different areas within one town. If a similar extension was approved at your previous address for example, this doesn’t mean it will be the same scenario in a new location. Further to this, if your property happens to be in a conservation area or national park, you will need to consider certain design aspects carefully. At Acre Design, we handle the planning process for you so that you can focus on your family, work and social life. We have years of experience in this field and can anticipate planning requirements and ensure your design sails through any approvals.

Day-to-Day Use

Extending your kitchen or home is a big investment, usually costing between £1500 and £2500 per square metre. We have found it’s helpful for our clients to ask themselves some key questions. We always send our clients a questionnaire in addition to discussing their brief at length, enabling us to really capture their wants and needs. We find thinking about your dream kitchen in your mind’s eye is helpful. When will your kitchen be used the most? Will the space be used only for cooking or will you want seating for socialising, breakfasting, kids’ homework or play area while you are cooking perhaps? Will it be used by everyone? Do you have any existing furniture or appliances you’d like to accommodate? How many seats will you need around the dining table and/or at the island/breakfast bar? How do you envisage moving about the space?

Customising Your Space to Suit You

Budget is a large deciding factor on the space you create and the finish you achieve. Even with a small budget, you should consider how to layout the space to be exactly as you want it – we can help with this. We offer four drafts of alternative layouts in our design process, enabling you to visualise many different potential layouts. Building a new kitchen extension is an exciting opportunity, you have a blank canvas to work with! Everything can be customised to suit the needs of you and your family, from underfloor heating to lighting, from worktops to the location of power points. You have the luxury of being somewhat unrestricted by prior electrical or plumbing locations, giving you complete flexibility on location and size of appliances. Exciting right?

Practical Points

You probably already have some idea of your budget, which is great. You will need to consider ensuring a contingency fund is also included. Though we provide exceptionally detailed plans and consider all elements of the build process, unfortunately, we have found that occasionally clients may need some extra money for unforeseen events during the build process. Usually, these circumstances involve rare issues such as unknown drainage issues when foundations are dug or exposing unusual building techniques when plasterboard is removed. Communicating with any neighbours from the very beginning has proven helpful with several of our clients’ projects. Ensuring you inform neighbours of your plans from the start in open, honest discussions avoids any element of surprise – a good relationship with your neighbours can make sure the planning and build process runs more smoothly.

Knocking Through to Other Rooms

Often, extending your kitchen may involve knocking down partition walls, perhaps between your kitchen and lounge or dining room. This can create a beautiful open plan space and allow reconfiguration of what may currently be a small and cramped kitchen. Importantly, some walls may be load bearing so this may require the services of our structural engineer and the installation of an RSJ for support. If this is the case, it can be more expensive, however other options could be considered. We can determine this at your free consultation.

Expanding

Victorian or period style properties are very common in Newcastle and the North East. Your kitchen may be small and narrow, this is particularly standard with Victorian homes. One way to increase floorspace is to build an extension, often creating an additional dining or lounge space at the same time. Sky lights in the extended area add to the open plan, luxurious feel of the new space while bringing in an abundance of extra light.

If you have extra space around the sides, front or rear your home, an extension may be your perfect solution. If you do own a period property, we can also ensure any alterations are in keeping with the existing design of your house. You may be more interested in a modern contrasting extension, this will often complement a period property, and we can show you previous examples of both.

Do You Need Help Building Your New Kitchen Extension?

Your kitchen could become a beautiful, comfortable, clutter free heart of your home. Yet, it may currently be too small or cluttered. Extending your kitchen gives you more space to cook, dine, relax and entertain. We can help you design your dream space, within your realistic budget.

Renovating a 1910’s Edwardian Home

Matthew is not only an expert home extension designer here at Acre Design, Newcastle; he has also become a restoration expert whilst working on his own Edwardian Semi with his partner. Taking up a lot of their free time, this home has been a labour of love and it is STUNNING. I asked Matthew a few questions to find out what he has learnt so far… This is a super positive read if you need encouragement to take the plunge with your own project, thanks Matthew!

1. Completing your own project, how does this differ from designing for others?

When designing clients’ projects, I often see snapshots of the project and its progression over time. I’m not always involved in every stage of their project whereas with my own, I live through each and every change and I’m responsible for the progress I make.

2. What has been your proudest moment during your project

Finally finishing repairing, decorating and furnishing my living room and saw the finished result. The room is unrecognisable from the day that we got the keys!

3. What has been your biggest lesson?

To be patient and realise that sometimes, a job involves taking a step backwards in order to eventually go forwards – no matter how frustrating that can feel at the time!

4. Is there anything you would do differently if you could have a do-over?

I would approach jobs with more confidence. What once felt like a huge obstacle, now feels like an everyday task.

5. Will your personal experience impact/has this impacted your work as a designer? If so, how?

It has been interesting to experience the decision-making process and understand the client’s position when given various options. This has undoubtedly improved my problem-solving skills and ability to work under pressure and time constraints.

6. How have you found living in your home whilst work has taken place?

It hasn’t been anywhere near as difficult as I first imagined. It makes you realise how little you need in life and makes you appreciate the small things. It also helps with productivity and allows you to get more done in any spare moments you can.

7. Do you have any advice on managing living in your home during a renovation?

Be resourceful and creative – there’s always a way around a difficult situation. Don’t get too hung up on deadlines – enjoy the process as you sharp forget what the early stages of the project felt like.

8. What is your favourite part of your new space?

My living room is my favourite room we have renovated so far because of all of its original features. I’m proud that we were able to save some of the house’s character! However, I am currently finishing fitting the kitchen and I still have four more rooms to go after that. A man cave may be on the cards so my answer may change in the near future!

9. What do you get the most compliments on

Our Edwardian fireplace is in our living room. We are lucky enough to have the original surround which is incredibly detailed and measures approximately 8ft high. The windows also receive many compliments, probably because of their height and the original stained glass.

10. Where did you look for inspiration?

Instagram and Pinterest have been great for inspiration to see what others have done with their space and how people overcame problems.

11. Would you recommend any particular products or companies?

We were fortunate enough to have some great electricians fully rewire our house with minimal damage and mess. AMPS Electrical made a daunting job relatively stress-free! In terms of products, we have been enjoying high-quality paints such as Farrow and Ball and Craig and Rose. The coverage is amazing and the colour payoff is definitely worth the price. 12. How has your professional experience impacted your renovation project?

It’s been beneficial being experienced in this industry, particularly when working with other trades and communicating my ideas and vision.

13. Lastly, what helped you stay calm during what can be a very stressful time? Reminding myself of the end goal and how incredible it will feel when I get there.

You can follow Matthew and Lauren’s renovation project on Instagram here.

We hope that you find this information helpful, at Acre Design Newcastle we are passionate about all things sustainable and innovative. We would love to discuss your project with you in detail.

Take a look at our recent projects for further inspiration! Get in touch to arrange a free, feasibility discussion with Alistair.

Newcastle Interior Designer, Sibylle, gives her top tips on improving your well-being at home

We asked Newcastle based Interior Designer, Sibylle Clerey of SC Interiors, for her advice on how we can boost our well-being at home through improving our interior design choices and she shared some of her top tips…

As an interior designer, I always try and expand my knowledge about interiors and I wanted to share my thoughts on how to improve your well-being at home; particularly now during lockdown when so much of our time is being spent at home. Why not take this opportunity to make a few improvements to your surroundings? I am fascinated by biophilic design and how it can improve health, well-being and productivity but also help minimise Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

The biophilic design concept

You may be wondering what the concept of Biophilia is. It is our innate connection to nature and the natural world. Biophilic design builds on this connection and aims to unite occupants with nature, natural elements and processes.

Why is this concept relevant today?

The World Health Organisation has warned us of the potential negative mental health impact of the pandemic. Things such as loneliness, depression and self-harm behaviour are rising. With people spending most of their time at home for a staggering length of time now, it can feel very difficult to improve your well-being. Incorporating natural elements into your home is a simple way to address this problem and has been shown to reduce stress, blood and pressure levels whilst increasing productivity and self-reported rates of well-being. It is a concept that has been widely adopted by the world’s top organisations such as Apple, Google and Amazon who are investing millions in biophilic design.

How can you incorporate Biophilia into your home?

Breathe fresh air. Open your windows wide now and then to lift your mood and improve your immune system.
Use natural lighting. Try and maximise natural light by removing any furniture, or soft furnishings that may block sunlight from entering your home.
Add plants. Green is known to be the most relaxing colour! It boosts your energy levels and helps clear your mind. You don’t need to have green fingers, just browse the internet to see what plants would best suit your home. Look out for plants with air purifying qualities such as : dragon trees, bamboo palms, rubber plants, spider plants and more. These will help to remove toxins and lift your mood.
Incorporate natural materials. Use as many organic materials as you can such as wood, bamboo, rattan and stone in your home. These can be integrated through your furniture, flooring, kitchen worktops and home décor.
Embrace the shapes, colours and patterns of nature. The goal is to get the natural cosiness and feel through the use of curved furniture, cushions with different patterns and the right theme using bold, natural colours.
Listen to the sound of water. The peaceful sound of flowing water creates a soothing atmosphere for our mind.

Biophilic Design, SC Interiors

A key part of biophilic design is striking a balance between emphasising the openness of a space. Bringing natural lighting into your home is important, as is adding materials and colours inspired by nature. Embracing natural elements such as wood, plants and incorporating curved shape will add a sense of calm and cosiness to your home and improve your well-being.

Minimising Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) is another way to improve your home environment.
Have you ever smelt the strong odour coming out of a can of paint when repainting your bedroom walls? Or felt nauseous after smelling the fumes whilst filling your car with fuel? Well, these are both examples of VOCs; which are toxic fumes that can cause short-term eye, nose or throat irritation as well as respiratory problems. These chemicals can be ten times more harmful to your health when indoors and are especially harmful to people with asthma. Long-term exposure to these compounds can be damaging to the kidneys, liver or central nervous system. Some studies have shown that VOCs may even cause cancer.

You can find these organic compounds, at different toxicity levels, in many building and textile materials, home care products such as cleaning supplies but also in paint, furniture polish, glue, detergents, wallpaper or even carpeting.

How can you reduce VOCs in your home?
There are many ways of reducing the exposure to VOCs, here are a few:

Pick paints, varnishes and furniture with low VOCs level.
If possible, unpack and store building and furnishing materials in a ventilated garage or unused, ventilated space for a few weeks before bringing them into your home. That will allow time for gases to be emitted elsewhere.
Use cleaners, solvents and paints immediately and do not store them in your home instead store them in a shed or areas with good ventilation.
Clear out old or excess items that contain products with VOCS from home but do not throw them in your bin.
Minimise the use of candles, incense or plug-in aerosol deodorizers.
Regularly get some fresh air into your home by opening the windows or look at buying an air purifier.

I hope you found this article interesting. If you wish to design your new home or refurbish your long-time pad don’t hesitate to get in touch with me and I’ll be happy to help. From mood boards and spatial planning, to styling your entire home I have a very tailored approach with each of my clients.

Take a look at my social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or check out my website: www.sibylleclereyinteriors.com for more tips and inspiration or to arrange a consultation.

We hope that you find this information helpful, at Acre Design Newcastle we are passionate about all things sustainable and innovative. We would love to discuss your project with you in detail.

Take a look at our recent projects for further inspiration! Get in touch to arrange a free, no obligation consultation at your home!