Spaces Limited’s Tips for Modern Living the Open-Concept Way
On Sunday, October 24, Spaces Creative Director Janelle Pantry-Coke gave Design Week JA 2021 viewers tips on decorating an open-concept space. Pantry-Coke and her team took a three-bedroom Kingston 6 townhouse from blank slate to turnkey. Open-concept spaces work best for modern families that enjoy unobstructed fluidity. They, too, make homes with less square footage feel spacious by improving the use of every square foot.
Here are the top five tips from Spaces Limited for modern living, the open-concept way.
THE KITCHEN IS THE HEART OF THE HOME
In the townhouse Pantry-Coke staged, the “kitchen is the anchor for the entire ground floor space”. An open-concept kitchen allows families to simultaneously cook and socialise. Parents with young children can prepare meals while keeping an eye on them. An open-concept kitchen also benefits from all the natural light that fills the space. It’s one of the spaces that the entire family can use, especially when there are private spaces that only certain family members can access.
QUIET SPACES ARE NECESSARY
In an open-concept home, private spaces are essential. Everyone needs to be able to quietly decompress after a long day, focus on a project, read the Jamaica Observer without interruptions, or have a distraction-free Zoom call. Pantry-Coke created a quiet multi-purpose space that can be a den, an office, or a zen room.
DECORATE WITH BLACK AND WHITE
There are many benefits of decorating with black and white — the shades are timeless and work with all accent colours. The multi-use private space was anchored with a black and white rug and art and accented with emerald green chairs and brass-legged furniture.
COHESION IS IMPERATIVE
Though you may be tempted to try and use blocks of colour to differentiate certain areas, “Use the same colour scheme throughout,” implored the Spaces Limited Creative director. The design team leaned into the main floor’s neutral grey palette by adding a grey sofa, glass dining table, lucite and chrome furniture. They warmed up the space with mustard and burnt orange decorative accents.
ADD A POP OF COLOUR
While grounding an open concept design with neutral tones, pops of colour allow the eye to roam and rest on exciting or unusual design elements.
