9 Ways to Add Storage to an Open Plan Living Room

Why Open Plan Living Rooms Need Smarter Storage

Open plan layouts have become the dominant choice for UK new builds and renovations alike. They flood a home with light, encourage easy movement between living, cooking and dining, and feel generous even when the actual square footage is modest. The drawback is rarely mentioned, but anyone who lives in one will recognise it. Without internal walls to hide behind, every item has to look as good as it functions. Storage cannot simply disappear into a cupboard down a hallway because there is no hallway.

That is why we tend to recommend storage that is part of the architecture of the room itself. Done thoughtfully, it removes clutter without ever feeling like a wall of boxes. Below are nine ways we have seen this work in real UK homes at Furniture in Fashion. Pick the ones that suit how you actually live.

1. Use a Full Height Bookcase as a Soft Divider

A tall slim bookcase placed at the join between two zones acts as a quiet divider while doubling as storage. It signals where the lounge begins and the dining area ends, without closing the space off. Choose an open back design if you want light to pass through, or a solid back if you prefer a stronger boundary between the zones.

2. Look at the Wall Behind the Sofa

The wall behind a sofa is almost always underused. Floating shelves, a low sideboard or a slim console can transform that strip into a working surface for books, plants and small ornaments. It also gives the sofa a backdrop and stops the seating from feeling stranded in the middle of the floor.

3. Choose a Sideboard With Mixed Storage

Closed cupboards are essential in an open plan room. A sideboard with a mix of drawers and cupboard doors gives you somewhere to hide the everyday clutter such as charging cables, board games and stationery, while still offering display space on top for lamps or framed photography.

4. Build Around the Television

The television is one of the largest visual objects in any living room. Rather than letting it dominate, surround it with low storage. Fitted style TV units that include cupboards and shelving create a single composed wall and bring order to the cables, controllers and consoles that always seem to accumulate.

5. Add a Console Table Behind the Sofa

If your sofa floats rather than sitting against a wall, a console behind it is a quietly useful addition. It holds lamps, a tray, a few books or even works as a quick perch for laptops and drinks during the evening. It also defines the back edge of the seating zone, which helps the layout read clearly to anyone walking through.

6. Use Closed Storage at Floor Level

Open shelves can feel beautiful when styled but tiring to maintain. In a daily use open plan space, low closed storage usually wins. Look for cabinets with push to open doors so the lines stay clean, and pair them with a textured rug to soften the edge between flooring zones.

7. Tuck Storage Into Awkward Corners

Open plan rooms almost always have a corner that nothing quite fits. Rather than leaving it empty or filling it with a plant nobody waters, slot in a slim narrow cabinet or a corner unit. It claims back useful space and often becomes the home for items that did not have a place before.

8. Layer in Hidden Storage Through Furniture

Footstools that lift to reveal compartments, coffee tables with a drawer, ottomans that double as occasional seating. These hardworking pieces are particularly useful in open plan rooms where you cannot afford visual chaos but still need somewhere for throws, magazines and the remote control to live.

9. Treat the Hallway Edge as Extra Storage

If your open plan space flows into a small entry zone, treat that threshold as part of your storage strategy. A bench with shoe storage, a row of hooks, or a slim shelving unit can absorb the daily incoming layer before it reaches the lounge. It keeps the open space genuinely open.

Common Questions About Open Plan Storage

How much storage is too much in an open plan room

When you start to lose floor space or sight lines feel restricted, it is too much. A useful test is whether you can still see at least two thirds of the floor when standing at the entrance to the room.

Should all my storage match

It does not need to match, but it should feel related. Stick to two or three core finishes such as oak, matt black and a single accent metal. Repetition is what makes a varied collection feel intentional.

What works well for hiding cables

Closed cabinets with a vented back panel are the most flexible choice. They let air move around the devices and keep the cables out of sight, which makes a real difference in a room you look at every day.

How do I add storage without making the room feel heavy

Mix open and closed sections, keep the lower half of the room visually grounded and the upper half lighter, and choose pieces with slim legs where you can. Air around furniture is what stops storage from feeling like a solid wall.