Open-plan living, honestly

Open-plan is not automatically better. Here is when it earns its keep — and when a wall is quietly doing three jobs.

The case for walls

Walls carry storage, art, and acoustic separation. Removing one can leave a room with no place to put anything and a kitchen that sounds like a kitchen everywhere. Before opening a plan, list what the wall currently does for you.

Making open work

If you do go open: define zones with rugs and lighting rather than partial walls, keep the kitchen visually quiet, and plan storage along the outer walls — it is the only wall you will have left.

Frequently asked questions