Open Floor Plans: Open floor plans are appealing, but they also come with their own challenges. For example, what do you do if you have a large and narrow room without natural partitions? How can you make it feel functional and intimate?
Jordan Slocum and Barry Bordelon of the Brownstone Boys helped us find our REAL SIMPLE Brooklyn home this year. They designed the entire parlor level, a large open space with a kitchen, dining room, and living room. Luckily, this couple dealt with a similar situation when they purchased a 130-year-old brownstone in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, in 2018 (pictured above). So how do you make the most of a large space? The two shared their best tips and tricks for creating zones within one large room.
think about the conversation
Most often, the living room or study is used for several people to sit and chat. Therefore, it is necessary to create an environment that is suitable for that environment. “Don't set the chair too far from the couch,” says Slocum. “If the space is too large, create two zones. Otherwise, you'll end up talking loudly across the room.”
Creating a vignette
While having a large sitting area is great, you can also create little moments throughout the room by grouping furniture pieces: “An armchair, a side table and a lamp — put them together and they become little, separate spaces,” says Bordelon.
Add a rug
When dividing a space, you should provide visual cues to indicate separate areas. One way he does this is to group furniture into conversation zones. Another, easier method is to use an area rug. Gather furniture on or around a rug to separate rooms.
Finding focus
To decide where to place each zone, it's a good idea to center around different focal points. It can be an architectural feature, such as a fireplace or chandelier, or you can create your own.
“You can do the same thing with furniture,” says Bordelon. “If you need to have a sofa floating in the middle of the room, you can put a console table behind it to center it.” Make sure to distinguish each area and leave walking space around each one so guests (or yourself) don't bump into the furniture. “I like to have three feet of space around most things,” says Bordelon. “You don't want the room to feel like it's overcrowded with furniture.”
Change the color palette
Brownstone Boys
The Brownstone Boys will design four interconnected “rooms,” including a foyer, living room, dining room, and kitchen. To make each of these spaces feel unique, they will each have a different but cohesive color palette. “Some spaces will be dark and muted, while others will be light and bright,” Slocum says. Off-white, navy blue, and rose hues will be used throughout, with dark blues dominating the foyer and peach and beige dominating the living room.