interior design


Open Plan Living Luke Rix-Standing ponders the appeal of blurring room boundaries. WRITTEN BY LUKE RIX-STANDING T


here 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. “Tey’re cool spaces and they look really great, but open plan bedrooms are rare,” he observes. “Tey 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 oſten not a brilliant ambassador for the possibilities of open plan design though. >>


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