Open Floor Concept: Great Solution for Your Rental Property
Open-plan home designs are becoming trendy again, so why not use the available space in your rental to make it more attractive for prospective tenants. Whether you’re aiming for a home office within a living room, or looking to merge the kitchen with the dining area, these spaces need to be well-designed to be able to take the best of both spaces. Smart decorating and styling ideas can make the spaces look separate but seamlessly integrated, which is much less complicated than it sounds. Make your remodeling plan, clear out space and safely store everything in a cheap storage unit and check out these eight tips for maximizing the open floor potential in your rental property.
Insist on symmetry
One way to give character to expansive space is to create a balanced look with larger furniture pieces. Make double the sofas for the seating area and counterweight them with a big dining table and a matching set of chairs, and the resulting symmetry will instantly bring order to the room. Use this setup as the frame on which to add moments of contrast like mismatched storage trunks or groupings of wall art.
Expand practical spaces
Open floor kitchens modern homes are often designed to be gathering spots, but instead of a classic kitchen/dining arrangement, consider a more eclectic approach by turning a kitchen island into an everyday dining surface with barstools, while keeping the seating area with heavy sofas and chairs right next to it. Such a space that capitalizes on everyday comfort and lounging is definitely going to make an impression on potential tenants.
Regulate foot traffic
By smart furniture arrangements, you can create specific stations within the larger space of your open plan area, and make the room feel more navigable. A big single room can feel directionless for people used to more compartmentalized dwellings with a central hallway and side rooms, while a huge room with dedicated ‘isles’ for conversation, comfort, eating, working, and preparing food is much more approachable. Between these stations, make sure there’s a clear path wide enough room for two people to pass by one another.
Plan for cozy corners
An open floor plan allows you a lot of creative freedom to create distinct areas that your tenants can use for specific purposes. If you don’t know where to start, look to the corners for inspiration. For example, a double wall of windows can make for a perfect reading nook heavy with lush potted greenery, while the opposite corner can become an intimate dining nook. To prevent those opposing nooks from feeling distinctly different, or you can create a more cohesive look through eh use of blue, white or natural gamut that spans both areas.
Choose consistent flooring
Rule number one for open floor rooms in rental properties is to use as few floor types as possible. Mixing different types like hardwood and vinyl in the same room chops it into smaller parts, roughly breaking the unity of the space. Consistency, on the other hand, doesn’t mean that the entire room should look exactly the same. By choosing quality flooring products of different accents, you can subtly distinguish different parts of the room. As materials are concerned, the best choices for rentals are durable floor types that can withstand a lot of traffic, such as teak hardwood or vinyl.
Try monochromatic color scheme
Sticking to a monochromatic color scheme is probably the safest option for both rental properties and open concept homes. Pick a color and use it in different shades and tones throughout the space. Make sure to include some patterns as well. Monochromatic decors are always welcoming for white or black details, but also try to add some interest with an accent color. For example, a monochromatic blue color scheme always benefits from a few splashes of rich red or orange.
Employ wood designs
Although heavy furniture pieces such as big upholstery and a banquet-sized table will make use of an open floor plan beautifully, there’s a lot of charm in wood pieces with slender silhouettes, as well. Tailored mid-century-inspired wood designs can infuse the space with a refreshing modern appeal while maintaining the whole room weightless. Besides, the slim designs allow for plenty of walk-around space.
Create a modern great room
Take inspiration from elegant and sophisticated great rooms with soaring ceilings and tall windows, which were used for open living and dining in past centuries. In the latest trend of reviving baroque interior décor, attract quality tenants of style by creating a great room with a modern sensibility. Instead of going overboard with patterns, rich leathers, and deep colors, give it a try with a pair of simple and bright sofas, gold and crystal accents, and minimalist abstract art that acts as a bridge between the seating and dining area.
Open-plan homes enhance the feel of a space, boost social interactions, and improve the efficiency of usable space, so it shouldn’t surprise why such rental properties, like downtown Columbus apartments are in high demand with both families and young couples. As the concept evolves, less and less interior designers speak of it as a trend but rather an opportunity that can be exploited with great success.
