Last month I shared some advice on how to decorate and furnish small spaces, and today I’m turning my attention to large rooms. If anything, they’re even trickier to deal with – especially if you have an open-plan space which has to play several different roles at once.
I know having too much space sounds like a nice problem to have, but it can be a real issue. In fact I’ve had a few clients who have come to me for help after knocking down walls or building extensions, only to find that the results felt empty and uninviting – more like a characterless airport lounge than a home. But with a bit of thought, it’s possible to transform any big room into a warm, cosy and welcoming place that works for you and the way you live. Here are my top tips…
Divide the space into zones
Large spaces can be overwhelming and it’s often hard to know where to begin. I find a good starting point is to identify the various functions that you need to accommodate and create distinct ‘zones’ for each one. For example, an open-plan kitchen-diner will obviously have to encompass areas for cooking and eating, but you might also want to incorporate a sofa, a play space for kids or even a bar corner. In a living room, meanwhile, you might want a sociable main sitting area plus a cosier nook for reading and coffee. Taking this approach will not only ensure the space as a whole suits your needs, it will also prevent it from looking cold, featureless and muddled.
The large living room in this Finnish new-build incorporates two sitting areas – a sociable one with sofas, and a cosier corner facing the fireplace. A console table creates a boundary between them, while a semi-open partition wall separates the space from the entrance hall beyond. See a full tour of this house here.
Break things up
Once you’ve identified the ‘zones’, there are some clever design tricks that you can use to define them and break up the space as a whole. Half-walls, level changes and columns are brilliant for dividing up large rooms without diminishing the airy feel, but there are plenty of other options that don’t require any building work. Screens and shelving units can do the job just as well, especially if you pick semi-open designs that let light flow through – and they’re ideal if you think you might need to rejig things in the future to adapt to a change in lifestyle. You can even use different colours or flooring to define individual zones, or create a feature wall using panelling or paint. It also helps to arrange furniture in distinct clusters around focal points such as fireplaces or stoves, or indicate a change in purpose with a strategically placed island unit, console table or breakfast bar.
This open-plan ground floor has several distinct zones. Vertical panelling adds definition to the dining area, while a change in upholstery colour from dark grey to green demarcates the sitting area. At the far end is a snug, separated from the rest of the space by open shelving. See more of this contemporary Welsh house and find out how to book it as a holiday rental here.
Think cohesively
Having said the above, large spaces can quickly start to feel confused and disjointed if they encompass too many different finishes. So, try to create some sort of common thread that runs throughout. It could be a palette of colours, a single accent colour, a specific material or shape, even a pattern that’s repeated across different elements – anything that connects the various areas and ensures they belong together, rather than resembling a series of separate spaces that just happen to sit within the same four walls. You can read more tips on creating a cohesive look and feel throughout your home here.
The dining area in this open-plan living space is light and airy, with pale wooden furniture, whereas the sitting area has cosier patterns and darker tones. But they still sit perfectly together thanks to two common threads – natural textures and various shades of brown and beige. See a full tour of this home here.
Think about scale and proportion
Larger rooms tend to look much more appealing if furnished with larger pieces, rather than lots of small items that just create clutter. So, think about the scale of your room and choose furniture and accessories that match the size of the space. If you struggle to find items that are big enough, you can always double things up instead – perhaps by pairing two coffee tables together, or placing matching chairs side by side.
The same applies to pattern, too. Small, fussy prints will get lost in large spaces, so focus on simpler, more striking ones instead – for example, wide stripes are likely to work better than tiny, delicate florals.
Every piece in this contemporary Swedish house (see more of it here) has been chosen to suit the large proportions, from the pendant light to the sofa. A pair of armchairs make a good alternative to a second sofa without getting lost in the space.
Add height
If everything in a large space is roughly the same height, it will probably look flat and one-dimensional. Incorporating one or two taller elements such as shelving will add structure and interest, and stop the space resembling a waiting room or canteen. An oversized pot plant or a couple of large artworks can have a similar effect, too.
A tall houseplant adds height to this living room, which also shows how items like coffee tables can be doubled up to match the scale of large spaces. See a full tour of this Swedish apartment here.
Pull things in from the wall
I’ve talked before about why you should avoid pushing all your furniture back against the walls, and it’s even more important in large rooms. Pulling sofas, chairs and tables in towards the centre will add instant cosiness, avoid wasted ‘dead’ space in the middle, and create intimate zones that are much more conducive to conversation and relaxation. The space around the edge can then be used for shelving, console tables, display plinths and the like, or left clear to provide easy pathways around individual zones and on to the next.
Here, the chairs, sofa and coffee table have been pulled in from the walls, not only creating a more sociable and welcoming feel but also ensuring there’s an easy pathway from one door to another. See more of this space, created by HAY for Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design festival, here.
Use rugs as anchors
Rugs can have a huge impact in large spaces, providing anchors for clusters of furniture and breaking up acres of flooring. They work particularly well beneath sofas or tables, helping to further define sitting and dining areas, but they can also look great in kitchens and other corners.
You can see my rug-buying tips (and a few of my favourite minimalist options) here, but in short always choose the biggest size your budget and space will allow, and position it beneath furniture to prevent it from floating aimlessly in the middle of the floor. If you want to use a few rugs in different areas of the room, opt for similar designs to keep things cohesive. That doesn’t mean they need to be identical – you could, for instance, choose different shades of the same colour, or have one patterned and one plain – but making sure they sit well together will give a unified look to the space as a whole.
A large rug ‘anchors’ the sitting area in the beautiful Swedish home of Design Of founder Johanna Haglund. It’s also another great example of furniture being pulled in from the walls, and of shelves and plants being used to height.
Be clever with lighting
Effective lighting is another must in large or open-plan rooms. You’ll need to ensure you have enough bright light for whatever tasks the space accommodates, but you also need to incorporate softer mood lighting. Single overhead lights are unlikely to cast enough illumination over a big space, and harsh ceiling spots (often the standard in new-build homes) will only make it look like a car showroom. So, add in floor, table and wall lamps that form inviting pools of light in different zones. Pendants suspended low over dining tables, sitting areas and island units can also work brilliantly, providing focal points and creating a sense of cosy intimacy.
If you can, get the lights wired on individual circuits so that you can control them separately, and choose dimmable options that let you change the atmosphere in an instant. And if you don’t have plug sockets in convenient places for lamps (and can’t add more for whatever reason), then portable LED lamps with rechargeable batteries are a great option – see my pick of the best here.
This living area (the same as featured in image six) shows how a low-hanging pendant light can be used to create a sociable and intimate dining area. Downlighters above the kitchen worktops provide enough illumination for food preparation.
Use texture to add warmth and cosiness
Finally, texture is key when it comes to making large spaces feel homely. Try layering sofas and chairs with cushions and throws, and incorporating varied materials through your choice of furniture and accessories. That doesn’t mean you have to go overboard and introduce lots of different elements just for the sake of it (especially if you’re a minimalist like me!), but a few well-chosen textures will make a big difference. And soft furnishings in particular will have the added benefit of softening the often-echoey acoustics in big open rooms.
Varied textures add warmth to this open-plan New York home, but the overall look is still clean and sophisticated. A pendant light, wall lamp and large rug add further cosiness. See a full tour here.
I hope you find the above tips useful, but if you need further help with your own home you can find out more about my design services here. I’ll have advice on another aspect of interior design soon, too!
Images one, four, five and 10 by Abi Dare; images two and three by Mikael Pettersson for Hevi Kivitalot; images six and 13 by Petra Bindel for Elle Decoration; image seven by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm Architects; images eight and nine via Bjurfors; images 11 and 12 via Johanna Haglund and Design Of; images 14 and 15 by Nicole Franzen for sheep + stone
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