Do you have an open plan home and want to furnish it yourself? Not sure how to make it all work together? Whether you’ve just moved in or are renovating, organizing a space like this can seem like a daunting task. When there are so many related parts, you don’t even know where to start; thoughts about what colors, patterns, furniture, photo frame and accessories should be included in all connected rooms can race through your mind. Ultimately, this makes you wonder: how would you divide these areas into separate spaces, but still complement each other?
The answer is that you go room by room. With a solid color palette and a clear sense of style, the space we decorated in this home is the dining room. This area is completely open to other large rooms of the house: kitchen, living room, hallway and study. Since it’s not really on its own, the atmosphere needs to blend in with other spaces for a cohesive design. So how exactly do we do it?
In an open plan home, it’s important to set the color palette early in the decorating process. Why? In this way, the established base tone can be properly carried through the rest of the connected rooms, which are then complemented accordingly. To that end, when it came time to create our dining room color palette, the unified color scheme of greys, whites, blacks and light wood tones really helped define what finishes and elements we bought and included.
However, there is one aspect of the overall color scheme that remains consistent throughout the home: the walls. (Just as the floors relate to the space in the same style, so do the walls.) To keep our room connected, we settled on Sherwin Williams’ Pleasant Gray paint shade. Then, taking into account the shades of gray, we chose additional colors to give character: black, taupe, cream, brown and tan. These tones are repeated in furniture and accent items in the kitchen, living room, dining room, hallway and study – in different ways, but in the same scale. This helped us create a smooth transition from the dining room to the rest of the house.
Our dining room is a square corner, open on two sides to another large room. Since it is frequented by residents and guests, optimizing the space was our top priority. To tailor the zones to the needs of the home, it makes sense to find a table shape that everyone can move around without bumping into any annoying corners. In fact, if you’re considering design plans, we think this is where you should start at home.
In evaluating our table needs, we came to the conclusion that function was of the utmost importance. It should not only accommodate all family members, but also occupy the dining space without disturbing the flow of people. Therefore, we decided to use an oval wooden table with removable doors. Rounded edges create movement in the boxy space and add softness to the design. Also, this shape offers the same benefits as a rectangular table but actually takes up a bit less space. This allows people to get in and out of the chair more easily without bumping into corners. And the light wood tone complements the similar shelving in our living room, making it the perfect finish to help coordinate the two areas.
The shape of the dining table made it easier for us to choose our next project, which is very helpful because the options for this accessory are endless. Installing a new carpet not only freshens up the space, but it also helps make the room stand out, elevate the furniture, and blend in with the surroundings. Since the floors here are made from the same vinyl wood with shades of brown and cream throughout the house, the only way to demarcate the rooms is to put a small rug on the boards – the floor finishes vary from room to room, but the luxurious floorings complement each other. texture, color and design.
The rugs added structure and created pathways to our open floor plan, ultimately embodying the separate yet connected spaces we wanted. Also, in addition to existing furniture such as a dark gray sofa, cabinets and kitchen island, and black accessories, we got a general idea of the color palette to follow when shopping for a rug. In addition, we also complement the tone of the floor and table, and we think that a light-colored woven carpet with a vintage pattern makes the best impression. These details fit perfectly into the existing interior palette from the floor to the furniture, which ultimately makes the carpet an effective element that connects the space.
The next item in our house that needed updating was right above the table. Any good ideas? Indeed, the fixtures in this space are definitely in need of replacement. Not only is the previous one dated, but the finishes and style are unrelated to any of the other interior elements throughout the home. Need to go! So to complement the overall aesthetic and stay within a reasonable budget with the new options, replacing the lighting fixtures was one of the easiest decisions we made.
However, choosing a style is not an easy task. There are several considerations to consider before purchasing any fixtures: table and room size, interior style, and ambient lighting for other spaces. Ultimately, we settled on a linear four-lamp option, it was the lampshade and its profile that sealed the deal. An elongated metal frame complements an elongated oval table, and a tapering white linen lampshade runs parallel to the existing lampshade on a tripod floor lamp in the living room and sconces in the foyer and entryway. It also enhances the look of the room and creates a cohesive design in our open floor plan.
In our dining room, two walls are a semi-enclosed space, and they needed a finish that would not detract from other elements. We’re sure that adding a little personal touch will help turn a home into a home – and what could be more personal than family photos? With years of printed images and planned future photo shoots, the gallery walls never stand still.
As with any art exhibition, we chose painting and frame styles that complemented the existing color scheme, other artwork on the walls, and the overall aesthetic of the interior. In order not to punch a bunch of unnecessary holes in the wall, we decided on the layout of the structure, the number of parts and the right size – and all this before the nails were hammered. Also, when we have a frame, we think about how we want to place the display on the wall. Not only does this help us visualize the design and make any adjustments, but it also helps us determine how many images really fit. (Tip: if you need to see it on the wall, use blue masking tape to mimic the artwork.)
Most mesh gallery walls have a gap between frames of 1.5 to 2.5 inches. With that in mind, we decided that a six-piece gallery wall with a 30″ x 30″ frame would work best. As for the photos themselves, we have selected black and white family photos for select memories.
Post time: Dec-05-2022