LIVE BETTER open concept

THE JOINT LIVING/DINING/COOK SPACE IS A COMMON FEATURE OF MODERN HOMES BUT COULD OTHER ROOMS BENEFIT FROM THIS TREATMENT?

- Hugh Metcalf

Open-plan living has gone hand-in-hand with a growing obsession with wellness, for good reason. It has the effect of making all spaces feel bigger and brighter. Open concept offers a more cheerful outlook than smaller, darker rooms, whether in the glow of summer or the gloom of winter. But, while we've been (largely) convinced on the open concept's advantage for the heart of our home - our kitchens, living spaces and dining rooms - it's an idea that's been less adopted in other spaces, such as the bedroom. Could that space not benefit from this same uplifting quality, too?

Maybe the more appropriate question is, what's the right project to take a space like a bedroom and make it open plan? 'It's really about what you're going for, New York-based interior designer Crystal Sinclair tells us. 'Keeping a space more open can make it feel more grand, whereas a closed space feels more homely. Surely, for a space like a bedroom, you want more of that cosy, comforting feel?

'But it's not that an open space can't feel cosy, Crystal continues. Take, for example, her studio's design of a loft in the trendy Dumbo neighbourhood in Brooklyn (right). More 'broken plan' than open plan, Crystal retained the sense of grandeur of the high ceilings and ensured the entire space benefited from as much natural light as possible by using a steel-framed glazed divider between the living room and bedroom over a solid partition wall.

While, in fairness, it's a one-bedroom apartment and so privacy may not be such a huge concern for the owners, the bedroom can still become its own distinct haven, thanks to curtain lining the length of the divider. Not only does it make the bedroom completely private, helping this apartment benefit from the best of both worlds, it also brings a softness that's the perfect backdrop for a cosy bedroom.