The End of Open Plan? Why Broken-Plan Living Could Be the Future of UK Homes
For years, open-plan living has been one of the biggest trends in UK home design.
Kitchens opened into dining rooms. Dining rooms opened into living rooms. Walls came down to create bigger, brighter spaces.
But there is a problem with completely open-plan living: sometimes you want to close the door.
Noise, cooking smells, working from home and everyday family life can make a completely open space less practical than it first appears.
That is why broken-plan living is becoming an increasingly popular alternative.
Credit: Home.by.the.pond
What is broken-plan living?
Broken-plan design gives you the best of both worlds.
Rooms can feel connected and open when you want them to, but can also be separated when privacy, quiet or a change of atmosphere is needed.
It could mean separating a kitchen from a dining area, creating a private home office or dividing a living space without permanently closing it off.
The aim isn't to create more rooms.
It's to make existing rooms more flexible.
Credit: Laura Crombie
Why are homeowners looking for more flexibility?
Our homes now have to work harder than ever.
One room might be a home office during the day, a family space in the evening and part of an entertaining area at the weekend.
A completely open layout doesn't always accommodate this.
Doors can help create flexible boundaries without making rooms feel permanently closed.
Depending on the project, that could mean a concealed sliding system, a glazed door, a wall-mounted sliding system or a concealed hinged door.
Glass can divide without blocking light
If natural light is important, glass can be a particularly effective solution.
A glass door can separate two rooms while maintaining sightlines and allowing light to travel between them.
This works particularly well for:
- Home offices
- Kitchens
- Dining rooms
- Living spaces
- Dressing areas
ECLISSE offers a range of glass and sliding door systems designed to provide different solutions depending on the layout and requirements of the project.
Create a home office that can disappear
Working from home has changed how we use our houses.
A dedicated office is useful, but not everyone has room for one.
A study can instead be incorporated into another area of the home and separated when privacy is required.
A concealed or sliding door can help the space feel like part of the home when open, while providing separation when work begins.
When the laptop closes, the door can close too.
Don't forget smaller spaces
Broken-plan thinking isn't only for large kitchens and living rooms.
Smaller rooms can benefit just as much.
Bathrooms, utility rooms, dressing rooms and under-stair spaces often have limited floor area, making the choice of door particularly important.
Credit: @athomeinthesurreyhills
A conventional hinged door may take up valuable space.
An alternative pocket door system could allow the available area to be used more efficiently.
The door can be part of the architecture
Modern interiors increasingly favour clean lines and fewer visual interruptions.
This is where concealed and flush door systems can make a difference.
Rather than making the door a feature, the door can become part of the wall.
ECLISSE offers door systems designed for different requirements, from concealed hinged doors and flush systems to sliding, glass and specialist solutions.
The right choice depends on the space.
Designing for how you actually live
The future of home design isn't necessarily completely open or completely closed.
It's flexible.
When planning a renovation or new build, consider:
- Which rooms need to connect?
- Where is privacy important?
- Where could a sliding system save space?
- Where would glass help maintain light?
- Which doors should become part of the architecture?
- Are there any specialist requirements?
Making these decisions early can give you far more options later.
A flexible home isn't about having more rooms. It's about having more ways to use them.
ECLISSE provides architectural door-frame solutions designed to help homeowners, designers and installers create spaces that work harder, look better and adapt to everyday life.