Expert Tips For Nailing Communal Living With The Kids

planning

- Sophie Baylis

1 An open-plan kitchen, living and dining area is great for a family. There’s room for kids to run around and you can keep an eye on them as you cook, but make the space work ha rd by zoning it. ‘Partitions, curtains and sliding or folding doors give flexibility, allowing for intimate spaces that can be opened up when you want to spend time as a family,’ says Charles Bettes, managing director of gpad London. ‘And backless shelving can be used to create a partition, but still allows light to pass through,’ advises Charlie Marshall, founder of Loaf. If you have small children, consider screwing down the shelves to prevent any accidents.