Purposefully Zoning Helps Create a Cozier & Less Cluttered Home

Anyone that has purchased a home knows that sometimes compromises need to be made. That’s a hard pill to swallow when it’s such a large investment. But rarely will any house you find have every detail you’re looking for. And if you’re on a tighter budget, you may buying smaller properties than perhaps you would like and doing your best to make the space work.

This is why open-plan homes have become more popular. They opened up the rooms to make them feel bigger and more spacious. However, there are downsides to open plan living, suddenly, your home becomes less intimate, and there is less privacy. And, frankly, any bit of mess can make a house feel cluttered. Or even dirty.

So, the question is, how do you make the most of your open plan home without losing anything? And how can you make your home feel tidier, especially in common areas?

What is Zoning?

Zoning is a decorative process by which a smaller space is organized to emphasize the purpose of the space. It helps to differentiate different areas of the home. It helps to make a home feel more comfortable and can even contribute to the spaciousness of it too. In essence, it works towards the overall functionality of the home.

Zoning is often recommended for those with open-plan spaces or smaller homes; however, it can be made to work in a space of any size. The zones are dictated by the needs of the space, whether they are for entertaining, working, child-care related, relaxation, an area to indulge in a hobby, et cetera.

Choosing the Zones

As mentioned above, zoning is used to provide different areas within your home with an identity. The rooms can be reinvented and geared towards their specific purpose with minimal layout changes or remodeling work. There are several tools which can be used to differentiate the zones themselves, although before you get to this step, you first need to work out which zones you need.

The specifics may change a little depending on your needs, but for the most part, they will likely be as follows:

The kitchen or cooking zone. A smaller kitchen can still be organized to maximize storage and practicality. The kitchen itself can also be dissected by a bar which can double as a dining area if the home doesn’t have enough space for both.

The sleeping zone. This is perhaps one of the most important zones to physically divide. Bedrooms can be made more private and separate with screens, curtains, or plasterboard if you have the capabilities to pull it off. It again might require some clever storage solutions to maximize the space.

The entertainment and/or relaxation zone. Often this area will likely be multipurpose. For the most part, it will likely be a living room; however, this is not always the case. If you have a yard or outdoor space, then awning companies such as Marygrove can help to ensure that you can use the outdoor space regardless of the weather, and it can also help to increase your overall living space too.

A working zone. More and more people are working from home nowadays, and as such, they need an area that helps them to achieve the productivity required of them. On the other hand, working outside of a designated work zone can hinder productivity as well as affect other areas of your life. For example, working in your bed can affect your sleep.

The children’s zone. If you have kids or plan to have kids within your home at some point, then you will need to think about where the children’s zone will be. This could be their bedroom which could double as a playroom. You will need to think about how best to make the space stimulating for them, although if the area is multifunctional, then you need to ensure it isn’t too distracting for them when it comes to bedtime.

Zoning Tips

Zoning doesn’t necessarily have to be done on a structural level. If you do not have the budget or the knowledge, it can be limited to your decorative efforts.

You could start by laying different flooring.

This can be done relatively easily and cheaply, even for DIY novices. There are several benefits to zoning with different flooring. It obviously helps to differentiate the spaces visually as well as having practical applications; for example, the flooring in a kitchen should be something that can be easily cleaned like tile, whereas for a living area, carpet is often seen as cozier and more intimate.

Sometimes, changing the floor simply won’t be practical if you are renting or if you don’t have the budget. However, the same principle can still be achieved by the use of rugs. They can help to draw the eye and provide a focal point for the space. Furniture can then be arranged around the rugs to help to reinforce the zones.

In addition to this, rugs are a great decorative tool too; they can really help to bring together your décor style.

Consider dividers.

If you want to divide the rooms physically without remodeling, then you might want to consider investing in a few divider options. Depending on your aesthetic, these could be curtains, which can be hung with relative ease, although they are more likely to get dirty, and they can present challenges when it comes to cleaning.

Screens are another excellent option; they can be decorative in and of themselves as well as help to divide the rooms, although often finding ones with the right specifications can be a little difficult.

Finally, you might want to consider open shelving. They are great for storage; they can be accessed from both sides, and they prove very effective in creating boundaries within a room.

The furniture that you choose to decorate with is also worth thinking about.

For example, a corner sofa obviously provides more seating for entertaining, but it can also be used to divide a room. Measuring is key to ensure that you have gotten the best size sofa for your space instead of overpowering it.

Finally, one of the easiest decorative tips to help zone your home is simply to paint the zones.

This creates separation and reinforces the zones. However, it can get messy and chaotic, which is why you will need to think about how to maintain a visual link throughout the zones.

Zoning your home properly is perhaps one of the best ways to ensure that you have made the most out of the space that you have. You can commit as much or as little as you like; whether your zones are created decoratively or structurally, they will still be effective.