AWKWARD SPACE SOLUTIONS - Open Concept Layouts _ Julie Khuu

Hello , everyone .

Welcome back to the Awkward Space Solution series .

I'm Julie and you are joining me on the very last episode of this first round up .

I save the best for last and we are talking about open concept floor plans .

If you have an open concept plan that you find awkward and you just can't figure out this video is for you .

Your comments came pouring through when it came to designing your open concept floor plan .

You found it awkward to place furniture to pick furniture , to get the flow just right to figure out the wall colors , the color palette , the lighting , the finishes , for some reason , an open floor plan paralyzes you in a way that sectioned off interior rooms don't in today's video , I'll be sharing my top interior design tips on how to effectively design an open concept floor plan .

So you maximize space and fit in all of your furniture needs .

We all want more space in our homes .

The benefit to an open concept space is that you get to see the entire home at a glance , more light filters through it can reach all parts of your space .

It's really great for families and entertaining .

I'm attracted to open concept floor plans because it really suits my lifestyle and needs .

I love how spacious open layouts feel , but I understand that designing an open concept home can be tricky , especially without any walls to help you to find where all your furniture goes .

You're often afraid of getting the layout wrong and some of you feel like you're not maximizing space when it comes to the layout , whether you have a small studio or a large expansive home .

Follow my step by step guide on how to help you plan and design your awkward open plan layout with ease .

Here are my eight key rules for designing open concept floor plans .

Step one , determine the function .

This first step to interior design is an absolute constant and I also find it the most difficult to discern in a space .

It's difficult because it forces you to sit down and list everything you wish to do in a space .

But once you figure this out , I promise the rest comes super easy .

Once you've determined the function of the space , it's time to define the zones , you might love the open space , but you still want smaller , more intimate spaces for conversation and specific isolated functions .

It's great to keep certain areas open for larger gatherings in the living room , but also think about creating little nooks like a reading corner or a small desk area for that much needed .

Me time , an open plan does not mean one plan .

Clearly , you need different zones to define the different functions that you need for that space .

Think soft upholstery in the lounge area and sturdier , easier to clean performance , fabric materials in the kitchen and dining area .

If you have one giant area that might be too much space for you to deal with .

Consider doubling up on dining areas , one space for the adults and another for the kids or even lay out multiple living plus lounge areas for different family members and their key functions .

It's a great idea if you have kids of different ages , that don't necessarily want to hang out with each other and share space sofas should typically be relegated to the living area .

But if you're short on space in the dining room , consider anchoring one wall with a set , a bench or a longer sofa .

It's great for long narrow open plan concepts where you don't have enough room to arrange chairs all around the table .

Speaking of pushing sofas right against the walls , I really only recommend this for small spaces that leads me to my next step .

Float furniture in space .

A common mistake that most people make in open concept .

Floor plans is thinking that they need to push all of their large pieces of furniture against the walls to make the space seem larger .

It might be true for the main sofa , but you want to float the furniture like accent chairs , a console , a sideboard or even a low day bed in space to help define your different zones .

I know it's been a minute but we all remember what it was like to have those family gatherings in our home .

Nobody wants to yell across the room to hear another person speak .

So make sure that you define the zones , float the furniture and create smaller , more intimate gathering spaces for conversation .

These large parties always break into smaller conversations anyways .

So keep seating arrangements close and more conducive to little groups .

Step four , consider the flow of traffic .

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make when designing your open concept .

Floor plan is not considering the traffic flow between each area .

This basically means how you move from one space to the next .

You hear me talking about clearances for passageways , aisles and walkways all of the time .

It's usually a minimum 3 ft , 36 inches .

It could also go up to 42 inches depending on the amount of egress you need in that space .

How do you account for the flow of traffic , determine typical walkways between each space first , then lay out furniture .

So you don't disrupt or block the flow .

How do you do this ?

Dining chairs need to be able to scoot out from the table 36 inches or 3 ft without hitting a wall or other furniture ?

If there's a walkway behind that 36 inches give the path an additional 36 inches .

So people can walk back and forth without disrupting the diner .

Living areas are a little bit different because the furniture is stationary .

You don't imagine moving a big old sofa or a sectional .

So the furniture never moves .

But the people that move around , it need to flow back and forth easily .

In this case , you want enough space to walk around the furniture with ease , taking into consideration the doors , the passages and the hallways behind the furniture .

I get an insane amount of comments when it comes to helping you design your living room space , you have all of these passages , all of these doorways , all of these walkways and you don't know how to figure out your furniture layout .

It's really simple .

All you need to do is subtract a minimum 3 ft so people can walk back and forth .

Then the space you have left over is the furthest your furniture can go .

Make sure you leave enough floor space to move freely .

So your daily activities and the hustle and bustle of life is not disrupted .

Step five is to keep the flooring consistent , not being consistent with your flooring is a huge mistake when it comes to designing your open concept floor plan .

When the flooring changes from space to space , it feels fragmented , disjointed and cuts the room off .

If there are natural breaks from kitchen to great room with built in cabinets or a ceiling socket or even furred out walls like these transitioning to another type of flooring can make sense for areas with no architectural details to support it .

It's best to specify a material that you can maintain from space to space for a cohesive look and feel , specify a single flooring type to connect all of the rooms .

This also expands the visual surface of the space and makes it appear even larger area .

Roads can then be used to clearly define each zone .

You can have one under the living room , furniture , one under the dining space and maybe even another to anchor the entry area .

Choose something bold to contrast with the flooring and furnishings or something in the same tonal colors for just a hint of difference .

Step six is to avoid matchy , matchy furniture .

An open concept space does not need to be this matchy matchy experience where the living room furniture looks the same as the dining room , which looks the same as the barstools in the kitchen , you want to add as much variety as possible .

So each space feels like its own zone .

This includes furniture with different shapes , different heights , different arm styles and different frame materials and upholstery fabrics .

The space should feel like you collected it over time .

Instead of purchasing everything in one fell swoop from a page of your favorite home catalog , mix up the fabrics and texture of your furniture , try open back dining chairs , mixed in with fully upholstered barstools .

You can have two of the same sofas or love seats in the living space .

But think about breaking up the monotony with a pair of accent chairs in a completely different shape and vibe .

That's how you create a dynamic open concept floor plan that doesn't feel so one note , one color , all white .

I mean , you get the idea unless that's your design intent , of course , mixing and matching furniture in your open concept .

Floor plan is one of the easiest ways to personalize your space and make can feel more dynamic and unique .

Even though you can see from the living , dining and kitchen , you want to create the illusion of different zones .

The best way is to use contrasting colors and textures that aren't too similar to one another and all serve a different yet very specific purpose .

Step seven is to layer your lighting .

Lighting is essential to the success of every room in your home .

Layers of light refers to light sources hitting different surface areas from top to bottom .

Lighting helps to define zones within an open space .

So pay attention to what bad lighting looks like .

Hey everyone .

Welcome back to my channel .

My name is Kristen and today I'm gonna be sharing with you 10 decorating tips to make your home look more luxurious and expensive .

I just finished up an apartment makeover for my friend and his one request was make my home look expensive .

And I think there's so many amazing , easy ways to accomplish that without breaking the bank .

So I'm sharing some of my designer tips with you today so that you can achieve that same look in your home .

If you enjoy watching and find this video helpful , make sure give it a big thumbs up and that like button .

And I want to give a huge thank you to Walmart for sponsoring today's video .

Let's go ahead and jump right into it .

Let's talk about window treatments because everyone has windows in their home , large or small and window treatments can make or break your space .

They can also be the thing that adds a luxurious touch and feel to a space instantly .

So one thing that I think you should consider doing to add this lux feeling in your space is actually layering window treatments using more than one type of window treatment on one single window .

You'll notice this done all the time in high end hotel design and high end residential design .

As soon as you hang your drapes high and wide from your window , your space is going to look large and tall and it's going to frame out your window really nicely and add this soft luxurious touch , but you may not want to be opening and closing your curtains every day for privacy .

So having this second treatment , that's actually the more functional treatment on your window is to work wonders .

So these two different window treatments serve two different purposes , functionality and style .

So you can layer your curtains with Roman shades , roller blinds , wood blinds , you could even layer them with a sheer drapes so that you have light filtering and privacy as well as maybe a blackout feature with a curtain .

I've done this in my living room because these windows are used every single day .

And I wanted functionality and design to be considered I layered a light colored roller shade so that we can privacy but also light diffusion in here as well as heavy drapes that are hung really high to frame out the windows .

If I just had the roller shades , it would look a little bit bare .

So layering , the two really helps to create this luxe soft look .

Now , one rug type that you'll notice in almost every high end design , large or small is a good runner .

Runners are very overlooked and I think they make such an impact to small spaces like hallways , kitchens , bathrooms and entryways .

Runners are an absolute must I get a lot of my gorgeous runners from Walmart because they have some of my favorite brands at such a great price .

How cute are these three runners ?

I already know they're going to look great in the house .

I also got my favorite carpet tape from Walmart .

This is my favorite .

Go to tape .

I use it in every single makeover .

Shopping at Walmart is so easy .

I love that you can just shop online and get everything delivered to your door .

They actually have some of my favorite brands , Sava as well as Leo Rugs , which are my go to vintage style inspired rugs .

This is such a pretty rug .

It's the Leo Winter printed rug in a 2.5 by 9.5 length .

I love the color and the pattern on this .

If you're going for a transitional design or vintage inspired design , Le Loy rugs like this are such a great price for the look that you're getting .

So you get this authentic style in more of a modern durable way .

This is super low profile .

So it's great for a hallway like this .

But if you're looking for an extremely soft cozy rug , you need to check out this rug .

I think I might get it even in a larger size for my family room because it's so soft .

This is Leo's cloud pile technology .

It's the softest rug I've ever felt .

And this is the Margot antique sage color .

It's such a great rug .

I highly recommend it .

And lastly , I got this gorgeous jute rug .

I love the mix of the jute fiber color as well as the cream ivory .

No matter where you put a rug down , make sure it's adhered to the floor .

So it's not a tripping hazard and it stays exactly where it should be .

I use this carpet tape every time I lay down a rug , it sticks to the bottom of your rug and the floor .

So it really holds everything in place .

I've even used this on outdoor rugs , so I typically just tape down the corners and everything stays in place really .

I like to start with some kind of base which is usually stacked books or a something large and wide that's going to hold your stacking arrangement .

You can then layer on top a candle and then maybe also have something on the side which could be beads , it could be your candle whit cutter .

It could be a little canister of matches or it could just be your coasters having this little arrangement of three stacked on top of each other creates an instant luxurious decorative touch .

This is something that you'll notice on every designer coffee table .

Every designer surface .

A lot of Decor pieces are layered and sta this is of course something that you can do with items that you already have .

So you don't have to worry about going out and buying other things , use what you have and put them together .

I find that large furniture pieces like sideboards , cabinets , dressers look more expensive , but they also are more expensive .

So my favorite go to way to create the look of an expensive large furniture piece is actually putting two small furniture pieces together .

And it's echoed through the pillows in the living room .

Since the living room furniture is bold and saturated .

The area rug helps to ground the living space , but it's in the same tonal colors as the flooring .

So it makes the space feel even larger than it is moving on to this open plan home .

In this open concept home , you'll see that the living room is clearly defined in the sunken area of the space .

It's anchored with these symmetrical sofas that are bold in color and the color carries up through the walls and onto the fireplace .

You don't see a ton of overhead lighting in this space , but I love how these minimum wall sconces play up the architecture of the ceiling and beams .

If you have a round dining table , make sure that you have a light fixture that has an overall round shape to it .

It will really help frame out and style that dining room so much better and it won't look so odd .

I see a lot of rectangular dining tables paired with round light fixtures and that pairing seems to look a little odd and sometimes comes off a little bit cheap because the light fixture looks too small for the table .

I would actually double up on your light fixtures and hang two of them that's going to help balance it out a little bit and it's going to create that length that you want over top of a rectangular table .

So if you're picking a new chandelier or picking a new dining table , think about what is on top or below it and coordinate those shapes together .

Now , typically more expensive custom drapes are very wide .

So they maintain that ripple even when the curtain is shut .

And that is hard to accomplish if you have small narrow curtain panels .

So one little designer hack you can do to accomplish that width is actually doubling up on your curtain panels .

So instead of just hanging one panel on either side , you hang two on either side of your window , that's going to create extra width , extra fabric .

And once the curtains are pulled shut , you can still maintain that ripple and texture .

And I think that works wonders .

Again , you don't need to get expensive custom curtains to achieve this look .

You can do this with the most affordable curtain option .

It's just about adding more fabric in there .

Now , every expensive designer space that you see and maybe admire was very well out and you can do that exact same thing in your home as well .

Planning is the key to success when it comes to creating a luxurious designer .

Look , I find when things look good beside each other on paper , they tend to look good in real life beside each other .

So I do this for every single project .

I just use Photoshop to plan out my spaces by just dragging and dropping images of all the furniture pieces and all the decor that I want to work within that space to make sure that it all looks good together .

That's really where you can see if things clash .

If the shapes seem a little odd together .

Maybe the finishes and fabric is a little weird .

That's when you can really tell .

So you can plan all this out beforehand and not make those mistakes when it's too late .

Now , if you've been wanting to hang some wall art around your home , maybe one large art piece or a gallery wall of some kind , consider using matted frames .

I find that matted frames look more expensive and just give you this high end finished look as opposed to frame with no matte .

So if you're getting any photos printed or posters printed , you can actually save a little bit of money because you can downsize your print .

If you put it in a frame that has a mat , I find matted frames actually brighten up your art as well .

There's so many incredible options out there now that look extremely luxurious and will add such a designer touch to your space .

So bathrooms , kitchens , living rooms , dining rooms , hallways , entryways , every room could use some and it will add that designer touch without putting in much effort at all .

Sometimes room designs don't look as luxurious if they don't have enough soft elements in them .

If everything is hard and solid and shiny , it's not going to give a very warm cozy inviting feeling .

So I think every room needs some soft furnishings , pillows , throw blankets , rugs , curtains , ottomans .

This is why runners in kitchens work so nicely because they add that soft detail in a very hard solid space .

Also throw pillows on sofas , if you have a leather sofa or something , a little bit more modern looking , adding throw pillows really softens the look of those pieces and makes them feel more approachable , welcoming and comfortable .