Design Lesson
A Broken Floor Plan Combines Privacy And Flow In Your Home—Here’s How
Photography by Maxime Desbiens
Design Lesson
A Broken Floor Plan Combines Privacy And Flow In Your Home—Here’s How
Not a fan of an open-concept space because of its lack of privacy, but also not a proponent of a traditional layout? Meet the broken floor plan.
Sitting somewhere in between these two layout styles, the broken floor plan emphasizes flow without compromising privacy. The kitchen is still the kitchen—as opposed to combined open-concept spaces—but you likely still have sight lines into other rooms.
This style typically has a lack of doors but may incorporate other dividing elements, such as steps, partial privacy screens, glass walls, and archways.
If you’re working with an open-concept floor plan, it’s easy to infuse design elements that help section off your spaces. Use rugs to create designated areas, and angle furniture in a conversational way, such as the couch turned away from the kitchen.
Here are three other ways to get a broken floor plan in your home.
How to create a broken floor plan
Glass
Photography by Janet Kimber
Another great way to section off your rooms is with glass. This could be a glass office, partial frosted glass walls, or window panes between rooms. Glass promotes light and loft-style openness but still partitions off spaces.
Steps
One or two steps up or down is a simple way to divide a space. Think, stepping down into a sunken living room from the kitchen. It creates a sense of separation without blocking off the rooms.
Archways
Photography by Jules Lee
Archways are not only elegant, they’re an easy way to add transitional flow between rooms. While having no doorways maintains an airiness through spaces, an archway softens the divide. Even better? Partial walls enable good acoustic separation, ensuring not every conversation is on blast.
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