7 Ideas for Acing Your Open-Plan Room’s Storage
Open-plan living spaces come with their own storage challenges, but these UK and Irish homes show how to tackle them
There are two significant factors to consider when designing storage for an open-plan kitchen/living/dining room. Firstly, with fewer walls, you automatically get less organic storage space – where do the shelves go, for example, and what can the sideboard or cupboard butt up against? Your kitchen will also be on show all the time, so you’ll generally need more storage than in a separate kitchen if it’s to stay tidy enough to avoid becoming an eyesore. All this calls for some clever solutions.
2. Make use of a level change
This kitchen-diner in this London home is open-plan with the living room at the front of the Victorian terrace, but on a different level.
To help put otherwise dead space to practical use, Sebastian Camisuli and Ana Martins of Martins Camisuli Architects designed staggered drawers to fit alongside the steps.
This kitchen-diner in this London home is open-plan with the living room at the front of the Victorian terrace, but on a different level.
To help put otherwise dead space to practical use, Sebastian Camisuli and Ana Martins of Martins Camisuli Architects designed staggered drawers to fit alongside the steps.
This photo shows the idea more clearly. The drawers – one per step – were designed to not waste a centimetre.
Wondering how to tackle an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area? Find an experienced kitchen designer near you on Houzz for customised solutions
Wondering how to tackle an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area? Find an experienced kitchen designer near you on Houzz for customised solutions
3. Change the mood
In this family kitchen/dining/living room in London, interior designer Josie Harris-Taylor of Kia Designs made excellent – and colourful – use of the end of a run of full-height cupboards.
From the cooking side, the kitchen storage is sleek and uncluttered. At the end, however, the mood of the room shifts as it morphs into the dining and seating areas.
The change of orientation of the shelves to the side gives the living area its own storage. Having open shelving, designed to accommodate a series of coordinating colourful baskets, is still practical – the easily accessible baskets are perfect for shoving toys into at the end of a busy day with small children. It’s also an aesthetic win, since the injection of texture and more colours works with the relaxed mood of this end of the room.
In this family kitchen/dining/living room in London, interior designer Josie Harris-Taylor of Kia Designs made excellent – and colourful – use of the end of a run of full-height cupboards.
From the cooking side, the kitchen storage is sleek and uncluttered. At the end, however, the mood of the room shifts as it morphs into the dining and seating areas.
The change of orientation of the shelves to the side gives the living area its own storage. Having open shelving, designed to accommodate a series of coordinating colourful baskets, is still practical – the easily accessible baskets are perfect for shoving toys into at the end of a busy day with small children. It’s also an aesthetic win, since the injection of texture and more colours works with the relaxed mood of this end of the room.
4. Build in a bench
The problem of a shortage of wall space can also be minimised by making dual use of what little there is. In this kitchen-diner by Black Fox Interiors in Dublin, Ireland, the back wall provides both seating and storage, for example.
The bench seating not only reduces the footprint needed to accommodate a dining table, but also provides room for generous drawer storage beneath it.
Drawers – rather than a lift-up top or cupboards – may be more practical on benches that are in frequent use, so you can access what you need without having to remove all the cushions or get down on the floor to reach items at the back.
The problem of a shortage of wall space can also be minimised by making dual use of what little there is. In this kitchen-diner by Black Fox Interiors in Dublin, Ireland, the back wall provides both seating and storage, for example.
The bench seating not only reduces the footprint needed to accommodate a dining table, but also provides room for generous drawer storage beneath it.
Drawers – rather than a lift-up top or cupboards – may be more practical on benches that are in frequent use, so you can access what you need without having to remove all the cushions or get down on the floor to reach items at the back.
5. Split the difference
Here’s a brilliant way to create a living space away from the kitchen in an open-plan room, demonstrated by Banda Property in this London home.
A floor-to-ceiling cupboard creates a wall to divide the two zones, allowing them to feel connected yet separate at the same time. Because it matches the colour of the walls elsewhere, it’s unobtrusive, despite being a large structure.
Here’s a brilliant way to create a living space away from the kitchen in an open-plan room, demonstrated by Banda Property in this London home.
A floor-to-ceiling cupboard creates a wall to divide the two zones, allowing them to feel connected yet separate at the same time. Because it matches the colour of the walls elsewhere, it’s unobtrusive, despite being a large structure.
6. Look both ways
In this split-level, open-plan London room designed by Mimodo Architects, it’s not only the steps that provide separation between the upper and lower spaces. The shelving unit, which is open on both sides, does the same – while also providing generous storage accessible from either area, and a surface for decorative objects.
In this more snug-like part of the space, the storage can afford to be a bit more messy – perfect for children’s toys, which will be pulled out and put away again frequently.
In this split-level, open-plan London room designed by Mimodo Architects, it’s not only the steps that provide separation between the upper and lower spaces. The shelving unit, which is open on both sides, does the same – while also providing generous storage accessible from either area, and a surface for decorative objects.
In this more snug-like part of the space, the storage can afford to be a bit more messy – perfect for children’s toys, which will be pulled out and put away again frequently.
Here’s the same room seen from the other end. In the main, sociable, part of the room, the shelving is only partially open, so the matching storage bags are all you can see of what’s stashed inside. If you’re considering something similar with bespoke joinery, source your bags or baskets first to ensure the new unit fits them perfectly.
Browse more beautifully designed open-plan kitchen/living/dining rooms
Browse more beautifully designed open-plan kitchen/living/dining rooms
7. Corral in a cube
In another London project by Martins Camisuli Architects, an ingenious, walnut-clad ‘utility box’ was designed for the open-plan kitchen/dining room. In the cooking area, it’s home to a pantry and a fridge-freezer; on the dining room side, there’s generous storage for wine, glasses and other bits and pieces.
The box also serves as a connection between the kitchen, dining area and living room beyond.
Your turn
Would any of these ideas work in your open-plan room or have you come up with another solution? Let us know in the Comments below. And while you’re at it, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Need more practical design advice? Check out Full Basket: 16 Laundry Tips From a Decor-Loving Mum of Four
In another London project by Martins Camisuli Architects, an ingenious, walnut-clad ‘utility box’ was designed for the open-plan kitchen/dining room. In the cooking area, it’s home to a pantry and a fridge-freezer; on the dining room side, there’s generous storage for wine, glasses and other bits and pieces.
The box also serves as a connection between the kitchen, dining area and living room beyond.
Your turn
Would any of these ideas work in your open-plan room or have you come up with another solution? Let us know in the Comments below. And while you’re at it, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Need more practical design advice? Check out Full Basket: 16 Laundry Tips From a Decor-Loving Mum of Four
When space is tight, it can be important to build in storage at every opportunity.
In this Georgian home in London, UK, homeowner and architectural technologist Joe Stewart of YellowDoor Architecture, carefully packed in storage without crowding a busy, multi-functional space containing the kitchen and living room, which was also open to the hallway and stairs.
These shelves are not only useful, but also conceal the end of the kitchen wall and a freestanding fridge-freezer, creating a more pleasing view from the entrance of the home.