Five Ways to Change Your Open Plan Living
At the heart of open plan living is one simple word: connection.
Once upon a time, rooms such as the kitchen or lounge were built for a single function. There was even a door to close us off from the rest of the house. Living within four separate rooms was simply the way it was.
Over the years, lifestyles have changed — and so has our need for stronger connection with family, friends and the digital world.
As we try to pack more into every day, every moment matters — whether it’s preparing meals while helping with homework, cooking while supervising the kids at play, catching up on the news while loading the dishwasher, or preparing a dinner party with friends. Open plan living gives us greater comfort, convenience and connection.
Want to make the most of your open plan living renovation? Try these five tips for your period home.
1. Take Out a Wall (or Two)
Removing walls to open up your living space is easier than you think. Surrounding walls can be adjusted in most homes — including period homes — to achieve an open plan living, dining and kitchen space. You’ll just need some careful planning for your living room renovation.
2. Create Your Own Open Plan Living Island
At the heart of your living space is the kitchen – and the most popular and effective design is a large central island bench. It’s the perfect gathering spot for the family at breakfast and allows ample room for meal preparation. This makes it easy to encourage everyone to get involved too.
It’s also the most social choice for your kitchen renovation — you’re no longer stuck away from the fun when entertaining. Just be mindful of clutter: all that space can quickly become a magnet for belongings.
3. Go With the Flow
Getting the flow from area to area, room to room, is vital to any open plan design. Traffic flow is especially important, ensuring everyone can move freely throughout your space.
When planning to extend your period home, take the time to design a natural flow between the living, dining, kitchen and outdoor areas.
4. The Shape of Things to Come
No matter what size home you have, thoughtful design can create the right shape of living space. In our experience, a long rectangular space works best, providing a great length-to-width ratio. It’s also ideal for arranging furniture of all sizes.
This shape naturally directs activity toward the outdoors, enhancing indoor–outdoor living.
5. Let There Be Light
Two of the most important elements of a successful open plan space are windows and ceiling height.
Natural light adds warmth and welcome while making tasks easier during the day without artificial lighting. The right ceiling height, combined with clever design, can give the illusion of a much larger room — and soaring ceilings also bring a sense of grandeur.
Our Top Tip
From many years of working with clients, our best advice is to talk to an experienced building designer who can add expertise to your ideas, creating a space that flows perfectly.
When it comes to your period home renovations, it’s all about the flow!
Why not talk to Period Extensions about how to transform your home?
Our professional design team would love to help.
📞 Call: (03) 9882 5255
📧 Email: admin@periodextensions.com.au
