Open Plan Living – the Dominant Design Trend Rendering Walls Redundant

open plan living

Some say it's had its peak, but open plan designs are still staggeringly popular. Luke Rix-Standing ponders the appeal of blurring room boundaries.

There are exceptions to every rule, but we’d guess the phrase ‘open plan’ mostly conjures images of a modern, minimalist apartment in whitewashed monochrome, dotted with oddly-shaped furniture from the darkest corners of IKEA. Or, depending on your profession, a vast integrated office space filled with shoulder-high plastic partitioning.

In reality, ‘open plan’ can be a slightly trickier concept to pin down.

“In the simplest terms, it’s a connection between the living room, dining room and kitchen,” says Charles Bettes, managing director of London architecture firm gpad (gpadlondonltd.com), “linking together those three primary functions.”

In pictures and catalogues, you’ll sometimes see open plan bedrooms thrown into the mix, but Bettes says this is usually more aesthetic than practical.

open plan living

“They’re cool spaces and they look really great, but open plan bedrooms are rare,” he observes. “They don’t provide even that basic level of privacy.”

At the extreme end of the open plan scale lies the studio apartment – an NYC staple with just one main room plus a (probably tiny) bathroom. Rarely a stylistic choice, it’s often not a brilliant ambassador for the possibilities of open plan design though.

open plan living

Why would you choose open plan?

Open plan is not for everyone – the lack of privacy might start to grate when the in-laws come to stay, your son takes up weightlifting, or your daughter starts playing the drums. But there’s a reason it’s cantered to the cutting edge of interior design.

First and foremost, open plan arrangements almost always maximise natural light. One glass-panelled wall or set of glass doors can do the job of several rooms worth of windows if unhindered by walls or doors.

Secondly, it encourages social living. An open plan home doesn’t split people into separate spaces, and you can often at least see your loved ones, even if you’re all doing different things.

open plan living

Thirdly, though open plan is often associated with cavernous apartment buildings and sprawling office floors, town and city-dwellers are increasingly using open plan designs to maximise efficiency in smaller spaces.

“In the city, space is at such a premium that the houses and flats we’re designing are getting smaller all the time, and tiny pockets of space can feel quite claustrophobic,” says Bettes. “By opening those spaces up, the whole thing feels larger.”

On one level it’s common sense – if your kitchen and dining table are in the same space, that’s two rooms taken care of in one.

Finally – and you may think this doesn’t affect you but it probably does – open plan living is thoroughly in vogue. Open any magazine, glance at an appropriate billboard, and you’ll frequently see homes that are airy, fluid, high on light and low on masonry.

“A lot of it comes down to fashion,” says Bettes, “and I think a lot of people desire open plan because it gets talked about a lot.”

open plan living

How do you make open plan work?

Open plan design can look sleek, spacious and ultra-modern – or it can seem cluttered, invasive and incoherent. The key, says Bettes, is to strike the perfect balance between fluidity and separation.

“There doesn’t have to be one big rectangular space,” he says. “You could have large doors that fold back, or sliding doors that you can have open during the day or when you have people round. You can use glazed partitions – providing a visual link to other rooms – or curtains that you can pull across to create more intimate spaces.”

You’re looking to create three distinct spaces which are separate without being disconnected – retaining a sense of fluid flexibility without messily merging them into one. Consider the potential of waist or shoulder-high partitions, or doorway-like arches that clearly demarcate your space.

open plan living

Link rooms together with design aspects like colour and material. “Different colours can look nicely contemporary, but can also look quite stark,” says Bettes. “You can’t have one red room, one blue room.”

Sharing wall colour avoids any undesired clashes, while laying down universal flooring links rooms together with one foundational surface.

For most people, open plan is a choice – new builds, redevelopments, moving homes etc – but be aware that it may not be so simple if you live in, for example, a Victorian town house. You can start knocking down the walls, but, even with the right planning permissions, it gets very pricey, very fast.

open plan living

The new normal or a passing trend?

Some architects have argued that open plan living might have already peaked, and that in the coming years more conventional floor plans will once again prevail.

“Five years ago, everyone wanted to be open plan,” says Bettes, “but there’s just a feeling it might go back the other way.

“A key driver is iPads and other devices – traditionally families gather around TV screens, but now people are finding smaller pockets of space to watch things individually.”

Whether or not these predictions pan out, the open plan revolution has changed the new generation – at least in urban areas. A recent survey on home preferences by L&Q development The Gateway, found that only 14% of London’s millennials would consider a separate dining room a priority.

We may yet head back to separate rooms, but who’s to say they’ll be the same ones.

open plan living

What is Horticultural Therapy and Who can Benefit from it?

garden therapy

Studies have found that gardening and garden environments can offer a host of physical and mental health benefits. Hannah Stephenson finds out more.

garden therapy

Getting outside among plants and nature can work wonders for the body and soul – and garden designer Michelle Brandon is a firm believer in the benefits of a good gardening fix.

Brandon has helped people affected by stroke, ADHD and mental illness, having worked with organisations including the national horticultural therapy charity, Thrive (thrive.org.uk).

She’s preparing a show garden – The Forest Will See You Now – for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Festival, depicting how nature and forest environments can help alleviate many of the 21st century illnesses so many of us face.

Ahead of the show, here, Brandon tells us more about horticultural therapy and its benefits…

garden therapy

What is horticultural therapy?

According to Thrive, social and therapeutic horticulture (STH) uses plants and gardens to help support both physical and mental health. It can help people to mix socially, improve their communication and thinking skills, learn practical skills and give them the confidence to become more independent.

Therapists use gardening tasks and projects, or just the garden environment itself to build skills according to people’s individual need, working to goals. “There needs to be an aim, whether it be growing or just sitting and taking in the view,” says Brandon.

garden therapy

Who can it help?

Everyone from children to pensioners. It can be great for children and adults with learning disabilities, people with mental health issues or who’ve been affected by conditions like stroke and dementia, as well as children with ADHD.

It can be used for therapy or rehabilitation programs for cognitive, physical, social, emotional and recreational benefits, thus improving the person’s body, mind and spirit. It is also used to reduce feelings of isolation through the chance to connect with others, and a feeling of wellbeing through simply being outside and in touch with nature.

“The outcome you are looking for is a positive emotional change,” Brandon says. “And nurturing – whether it be growing something, sowing seeds, or just sitting enjoying the space – creates those positive emotions.”

garden therapy

How does it work?

It may be through a garden project, where the patient is referred and funded by their doctor, social worker or care professional. Alternatively, it could be done through gardening at home, perhaps starting with something simple such as sowing seeds or planting bulbs in pots.

“Nurture is a strong positive action, the process of the person taking responsibility for something, which in their life has been taken away from them. It’s about creating positive emotion.”

garden therapy

Can you get horticultural therapy on the NHS?

Schemes may be available in some areas of the UK, although it’s not nationwide. Some clinical commissioning groups include horticultural therapy as part of a social prescribing policy in their areas. Some NHS settings offer STH as part of treatments for patients, for example in mental health and stroke recovery. It has existed within NHS settings throughout its history however, often within occupational therapy.

“At the moment, we are at the beginning of seeing many more people accessing Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) and other green care projects, such as care farms,” says Damien Newman, Thrive training, education and consultancy manager.

GPs have for some time been adopting various forms of “social prescribing” – referring patients to non-clinical activities in a bid to help improve their physical or mental health. “A doctor might recommend an introduction to a garden project. Green prescriptions are being increasingly used,” says Brandon.

Who can be a horticultural therapist?

Many horticultural therapists working at garden projects in the UK have completed specialist training programmes in social and therapeutic horticulture at Thrive. They may also hold other professional qualifications in areas such as horticulture, health and social care, teaching, occupational therapy or nursing.

garden therapy

Is it regulated?

Horticultural therapy is not regulated in the UK (iStock/PA)

No. Most horticultural therapy is carried out in groups in organisational settings, and these organisations will have their own internal regulatory systems in place.

“There’s no national body of registered horticultural therapist professionals,” says Brandon. “But a lot of occupational therapists are involved in horticultural therapy, and they have their own governing body. Horticultural therapists often work for established charities such as Thrive, which would require training and monitoring.”

Thrive holds a database of projects that use horticulture with people accessing health and social care and other STH projects.

Social Farms & Gardens (farmgarden.org.uk) holds a database of more community-focused projects, although many will also be being accessed by people experiencing the challenge of ill health or disability. Often this helps people find good local projects and, through them, understand what is accessible more locally.

Could horticultural therapy help people with are simply stressed too?

Yes. Many STH projects are open to anyone and community gardens are just that, focused on community and the way gardens bring us together.

Community gardens as a whole are very welcoming settings, and near enough all will have members who are experiencing loneliness, bereavement, job loss, stress and other experiences related to mental health.

The RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Festival runs from July 2-7. For details, visit rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-hampton-court-palace-garden-festival.

Tv’s Lorraine Kelly and George Clarke Reveal 2 Key Ways to Create Extra Space at Home

Lorraine Kelly transformed an unused conservatory, while George Clarke created a garden office. Gabrielle Fagan takes a look.

Who hasn’t felt at times that their home is shrinking? Growing kids, shifting towards working from home, or just having too much stuff can all make it seem like the walls are closing in.

Don’t despair though – there are ways to reclaim some much-needed space. TV’s Lorraine Kelly and architect and presenter George Clarke have done exactly that in their own homes.

Kelly has transformed a conservatory, while George has opted for a purpose-built home office at the end of his garden – both increasingly popular choices, as more and more people prefer to ‘improve rather than move’ to gain extra living space.

Take a look at their newly created retreats, which might just inspire some changes of your own…

Lorraine Kelly’s chic conservatory

“I’m so lucky to have a conservatory,” declares Kelly. She and her husband, cameraman Steve Smith, moved a year ago – downsizing from their Dundee mansion to a smaller house in Buckinghamshire – after their daughter Rosie, 23, left home.

Kelly, 59, wanted to create a comfortable area in her new home for ‘me time’, where she could gaze out on her garden and riverside view and be surrounded by her favourite possessions.

“I absolutely love Scandi interiors but I’m not too strict when it comes to sticking to one style,” she says.

“My personal style’s all about comfort; I’m not into minimalism. I personally love an eclectic home, I’m much more into interesting objects and having a lot of cushions and textiles. To me, home means somewhere you can just breathe out, cosy up and feel safe and happy.”

With help from online interiors brand, Wayfair, her conservatory – formerly an “underused area” which opens off from the kitchen – has been transformed.

“The conservatory’s so light and airy with gorgeous views, and now it’s a complete haven – a room full of light and happiness,” enthuses the presenter, clearly delighted to have somewhere to relax during time off from her busy career as host of her ITV morning show, Lorraine.

“It’s the perfect place to read the Sunday papers, have a cuppa, or just sit and have a chat with friends and family,” she adds.

Little details personalise the space. “I love the weathered penguin ornaments – it’s no secret they’re my favourite animal – and the pretty trays and faux plants scattered around,” says Kelly.

“We opted for a base palette of soft greys and neutrals to create a calming environment for Lorraine,” explains Nadia McCowan Hill, resident style advisor for Wayfair.

“This was off-set with inky blues, emerald green detailing and hints of glittering silver, reflecting the stunning river-side location and panoramic views.”

The results are a hit with Kelly, who enthuses: “My favourite items are the sofa, as it’s a beautiful colour and so stylish, and I adore the plump scatter cushions and cosy rugs. Angus, our pet dog, will just curl up at our feet and snooze – he just loves this room.”

Make the most of your conservatory

Here are McCowan Hill’s top tips for making a conservatory a year-round multi-functional space…

1. Work the space: “A conservatory can be so much more than just a sun room. Why not create a small home office in one corner? A simple corner desk won’t take up too much space, and sitting beside light flooded windows could make work a pleasure.”

2. Style it up: Classic shapes for furniture in Kelly’s conservatory were given a modern twist with jute and linen upholstery, and pouffes double as footstools or extra seating and give the space an informal feel. Textiles – think throws and cushions – can add a layer of texture and warmth.

3. Grow your greens: “For a plant-filled haven, use window boxes to grow light-loving herbs, a tiered vertical garden unit or open shelving potting benches to store garden necessities. Choose natural wood and metal finishes to complement the greenery,” she says.

4. Hang it up: Since conservatories lack wall space for hanging art, she advises opting instead for a selection of hanging baskets hung at different heights across one wall of windows as an eye-catching display. “For a more ‘boho’ look, put up a hanging chair and conjure a reading/daydreaming zone,” she says.

George Clarke’s home office

When you’ve run out of space and can’t extend up, down or sideways, consider building outdoors, suggests George Clarke – best-known for his Channel Four shows, The Restoration Man and George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces.

“Garden rooms are on the rise because they’re an adaptable space that can be used as a retreat, a place to entertain, to work, to get creative or even to sleep,” he says.

“My open-plan house doesn’t lend itself to having an office space so, like a growing number of people, I built a studio at the bottom of the garden. It’s where I come to leave behind all the chaos and noise in the house, do some work, read and focus.”

He credits Tetbury Charcoal Wave Header Curtains (from £163 including measuring and fitting, Hillarys) with transforming the space. “They soften the look of the room, create a cosy feel, improve the acoustics, and I can draw them to stop glare from the sun on the computer,” he enthuses.

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