Fan of the open layout but don’t want your big room to just become one huge blur? There are a lot more ways than putting up walls to define your space. You don’t have to enclose certain areas to create a perception of a separate room. Take a look at our 5 tips on defining spaces without walls and see which ones you’d like to try in your home!

Consider Overhead Change

Do you know that by simply changing the ceiling’s material or colour, you can easily create a room within a room minus the wall? Changing the ceiling material is a smart way to keep your flooring consistent but still have that sense of variation. Another way to use overhead change to define spaces without using walls is to bring a portion of the ceiling down or to add an elaborate light fixture to anchor a seating area or a lounge area. If changing material or altering the structure is too costly for you, consider using paint. It can certainly do wonders!

Bring on the Level Element

Changing up the level of certain areas makes a huge difference in how a space is perceived. Consider having a sunken living room or seating area for a cozy and relaxed atmosphere. Alternately, you can raise certain parts of your home such as the kitchen or perhaps the dining room to define them as separate spaces. For small floor areas, this technique actually gives you extra storage by building in a crawl space for storing seasonal things or installing long drawers underneath the raised area.

Use Screens

Screens are sort of a wall but not really because they still let you see through them. They don’t have to be boring either such as plain room dividers. By using a creative mix of materials such as PVC and resin, or steel and wood discs, you can create a screen that not only divides up a large space into more intimate areas but also serve as an art piece.

Highlight Structural Elements

You can define a space by highlighting the home’s structural elements. Exposed beams and steel or concrete posts can work as great space dividers without much work needed. The beauty of this is that they are very effective in creating a zone within your existing space without any alteration in the floor area.

Make the Flooring Material Work

We’ve talked about changing up the ceilings, so why not do the same with the floors? Changing your flooring’s material for different areas of your home is an instant visual cue for room delineation. This tip works outside too, by using pavers to create an outdoor seating area or a patio to separate it a chunk of space from the rest of your garden.

For more luxury real estate design tips, please visit The Goodale Miller Team blog here.