How to Choose Storage Furniture for a UK Open Plan Home

Storage in a Space Without Walls

Open plan living has reshaped many UK homes, knocking through walls to create bright, sociable spaces that flow from cooking to relaxing to dining. The trade off is that storage becomes more visible, since there are fewer corners to hide it in. Choosing the right pieces is therefore as much about how they look from every angle as about what they hold. At Furniture in Fashion, we help many customers navigate this balance between openness and order.

Let Storage Define Zones

One of the great advantages of open plan storage is its ability to divide space gently. A low piece placed between areas marks the edge of one zone without building a wall or blocking light. A sideboard works beautifully here, separating a dining area from a seating area while offering generous storage on both counts.

Shelving can play a similar role. An open backed shelving unit lets light pass through while still suggesting a boundary, which keeps the airy feel that draws people to open plan living in the first place.

Consider the View From Every Side

In a traditional room, storage usually sits against a wall with one face on show. In an open plan space, a piece may be seen from several directions at once, so its back and sides matter as much as its front. Choose storage that is finished all round, or position it so any plain side faces a wall. This attention to the full form keeps the space feeling deliberate rather than improvised.

A freestanding bookcase with a tidy reverse can sit confidently in the middle of a room, doubling as a divider and a display, provided it looks intentional from both sides.

Keep a Consistent Visual Language

Because everything is visible at once, open plan spaces reward consistency. Storage that shares a finish or tone across the room ties the different functions together, so cooking, dining and relaxing feel like parts of one space rather than three competing areas. Browsing our storage furniture range with a single palette in mind makes this coordination far easier to achieve.

This does not mean every piece must match. Repeating a timber tone or a consistent handle style is enough to create a thread that runs through the whole space.

Favour Closed Storage for Calm

Open plan rooms can quickly feel busy because so much is on view. Closed storage helps enormously here, hiding the clutter of daily life behind clean fronts. A run of cabinets or a generous display cabinet with selective glazing lets you show a little while concealing the rest, striking a balance between personality and calm. The more open the layout, the more valuable this discretion becomes.

Plan for Flow and Function

Finally, storage in an open plan home must respect the way people move through the space. Leave clear routes between zones and avoid placing tall pieces where they interrupt sightlines or block light from windows. Position frequently used storage near the activity it serves, so dining items sit near the table and media storage near the seating. We offer free UK delivery across these collections, making it easier to assemble a coherent scheme for a larger, flowing space.

Softening a Large Open Space

Open plan rooms can feel echoey and impersonal if left too bare, and storage furniture helps soften that effect. Bookcases filled with books and objects absorb sound and add warmth, breaking up the hard surfaces that often dominate these spaces. Positioning a substantial piece thoughtfully can also create a quieter, more intimate corner within a larger room, giving people somewhere to settle. Textiles layered nearby, such as a rug beneath a seating zone, work with the furniture to make the space feel grounded. The aim is to keep the openness that makes these rooms appealing while introducing enough texture and division to stop them feeling like a single vast hall. A room that balances open space with pockets of warmth invites people to linger rather than simply pass through.

Taking the time to measure, plan sight lines and choose finishes that echo one another rewards you with a flowing space that feels considered rather than pieced together over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can storage furniture divide an open plan room? Yes. Low sideboards and open backed shelving mark the edge of a zone without blocking light, which suits open layouts well.

Does the back of a storage piece matter? In open plan spaces it often does, since furniture may be seen from several sides. Choose pieces finished all round or position plain sides against a wall.

Should all my storage match in an open plan home? Not exactly, but repeating a finish or tone creates consistency that helps the different zones feel like one connected space.

Open or closed storage for open plan living? Closed storage tends to keep these busy spaces calm, with a little selective display to add character without clutter.