Words by Hannah Tapping
Exploring the emotional appeal of open spaces, where elegant interiors marry comfort with sophistication.
In conversation with interiors expert Frances Healy, we investigate the art of furnishing an open-concept space that is at once free flowing but also contains areas cleverly demarcated for their various functions. For Frances, the most important thing to consider from the outset is creating different zones with an area: “This may require making divisions such as a stepped area or a low dividing bookcase. You want to feel that you are enjoying the whole area, but also that you don’t feel ‘lost’ if you are in the space on your own or just as a couple. It’s also important that every area feels comfortable and welcoming.”
Achieving such zones is an art in itself, as the different functional areas – living, dining, kitchen – need to flow together but still maintain distinct identities. “Usually, the floor is the same throughout the space, as is often the case with the wall colour, so this immediately gives continuity. A harmonious scheme that runs through the whole space, will keep it together,” explains Frances, “while separating the different areas is really achieved by the choice of finishing products.”
We take one of Frances’ projects, Thurlestone in Devon, as an example. As a family owned second home, this property is used mostly during school holidays, but also increasingly more for long weekends in between The site was home to an old 1970s bungalow which was knocked down and replaced with a new, contemporary five-bedroom house. “The owners, working professionals with three teenage children, wanted the interior style of their new home to reflect their love of the outdoors and the Devon coastline. In contrast to their London home, the mood board was very much beach chic with a nod to the ocean. The brief was to create a space that was comfortable, practical and cosy where family and guests felt relaxed.”
In contrast, a recent project in Rock, which had been converted from an old boat shed about 10 years ago, was in need of an interior refresh; the brief was to create a space that could be enjoyed all year round in the ever-changing Cornish weather! “The clients here love enjoying being on the water, so for their interiors scheme they wanted to pick up on all the colours that you see from the sitting room window – combining shades of blues from the estuary, with greens from the surrounding hills, fields and trees as well as some autumn accents.
Ensuring a cohesive colour palette and style throughout the space comes from an informed choice of colour palette choice as Frances explains: “The surroundings and style of house help to create the colour palette, and often I have a feel of what I think will work best in individual properties, but ultimately, I design for my clients. So, I ask very early on, if they have a preference of a favourite colour, style or finish. Although both of these houses are in different counties and styled years apart from each other, they share a lot of similarities.”
Both properties have expansive open-plan living spaces and I’m curious as to how Frances began the design process for each: “Both properties were initially designed by architects, who are often lovers of large, open-plan spaces, but don’t necessarily always consider just how you are going to furnish them, so that they work on a practical level, but also feel warm, comfortable and relaxed. It was a case of listening to the clients’ requirements and then designing layouts to suit their brief. Both kitchens, were elevated with a ‘bar stool’ area for chatting with friends, sending a quick email or grabbing a sandwich. They also both wanted a larger separate and adaptable dining area to sit 12 to 14 people, a space to watch television and, by contrast, a relaxed seating dominated only by the view itself which had been maximised from a reverse living layout.”
Balancing such functionality and aesthetic, especially in terms of the kitchen area, is something that Frances worked on in detail. “It’s really important to plan the kitchen very carefully. In an open space, you need to address such issues as cooking smells, dishwasher noise and rubbish disposal (especially if the kitchen is on the first floor) plus whether the host is happy to have guests watching every move they make! In the Thurlestone house, we created a high bar area with a return to really put up a barrier between the kitchen and the rest of the space, which gave the owner privacy and space to work. This wasn’t possible in the Rock house as the kitchen already existed, but we did improve the ventilation and lighting over the island. It’s also important to have different circuits of lighting particularly in the kitchen area as you need both task and mood lighting.
“In fact, lighting, whether natural or electric, is hugely important in any scheme. Often open-plan living spaces have large windows on one or two elevations to bring the outside in, but all this glass can seem dark and reflective at night so needs careful consideration as you can end up with dark corners which also need lighting well. Both houses are right on the water – Thurlestone with open sea views and Rock with estuary views – so it was really important to incorporate these into the scheme. When you enter a large room, with large windows, the view turns into a massive painting filling one wall – you can’t ignore that!”
In terms of creating those all-important zones, Frances created ‘walls’ with the clever use of furniture: “In both properties, I added a low bookcase which is open on one side to store books, ornaments and games etc, but is flat on the other side, which enabled us to sit a sofa up against it. Both then had table lamps wired into the top of the bookcase to create a screen, add height and, of course, light to both sides. We also had to consider traffic flow and movement within the design. How close was the dining area to the kitchen? How do you access the outside from the various zones without walking muddy feet and dogs all over a brand-new rug? All of these points needed to be carefully thought through…”
Frances’ next consideration is how the furniture will fit within the overall style. “99% of the time, I will start any room that I design with a furniture layout, but this is even more important in an open plan space, so you can see exactly where each zone is going to be, what will fit where, what gives you the best flow through the space while also making the most of the outside views. This space planning then also dictates the electrical layout and different circuits required which is crucial to the final scheme working in harmony. Scale is also hugely important and I find that generally bigger is better, even more so in an open-plan scheme. You really don’t want lots of small pieces of furniture looking lost in a large space – less, larger items, is definitely more! I find that there simply isn’t the choice of scale available from high street stores, which is why I often end up designing my own bespoke pieces to suit each individual project. I work with some amazing craftspeople, right here in the South West and would always recommend spending that little bit extra on something that is both practical and beautiful.”
When it comes to the soft furnishings, Frances’ love of combining pattern, colour and texture always informs the style: “I do think you need curtains even in an open plan space, as lots of large windows can be very dark at night and they also help with the acoustics which can be a little echoey in open-plan spaces. For me, rugs are crucial as they stop furniture from looking like it’s ‘floating’ and they also help to define the zones. I also always encourage clients to bring personal items with them from their main home, as these are the details that make a house a home. Photographs, books, ornaments and artwork all really help to finish a space and make it unique to the owner.”