Top things to know about apartment layout ideas for open-concept living:

• Creating small moments in unexpected places can help bring more dimension to an open-concept space.
• Find a few repeating elements to use throughout your space for cohesivity.
• Add in textiles to bring warmth and coziness.
• Divide your space into sections with visual cues to create more function.
• Draw the eye up with pieces to make any room feel larger.

Regardless of where you are in the process of creating your space, sometimes taking the next (or first) step requires a little bit of inspiration to get started. Planning the layout is half the battle when designing an apartment with an open-concept floor plan. From making the most of your space to visually distinguishing one area from the other, open-concept designs bring their own challenges.

1. Create small moments in unexpected places.

While it's easy to forget about the little things when you're designing your apartment, they can make just as much of a difference as the big decisions in an open-concept space. Utilize your corners to create small vignettes from the moment you walk through the door. For example, a small mirror, a few hooks, and a chair can make the perfect entryway moment, while stacked artwork pieces over a chair can bring extra seating and visual interest.

2. Identify a few repeating elements in your space.

In an open-concept apartment, it's all about the flow. While the eye can get easily distracted with so much happening in one visual plane, finding a repeating element brings cohesion no matter your style. Start by identifying an element you love or already have in your space, and look for ways to repeat it subtly throughout. Whether it's color, pattern, texture, or even shape, repeating it differently will let the eye rest while it takes everything in.

3. Utilize textiles to make your space feel cozy.

Open-concept spaces are light and airy by nature, and layering textiles can go a long way in adding some coziness back in. Rugs, pillows, and throws make an open-concept floor plan feel intimate and welcoming, softening any corner. Mix and match your textures for more visual dimension and blend linen, cotton, wool, boucle, and wovens to keep things interesting.

4. Create visual cues for each space in your living area.

In an open-concept apartment layout, creating visual cues for each area will help everything feel grounded and separate. For example, focal points like windows and artwork, furniture layouts, and rugs can act as cues for diving into each space and signaling their functions.

5. Mix up your wall art to make your space feel bigger.

When placed correctly, art can bring an entire space to life. In an open-concept apartment, try mixing up the scale of your art pieces so the eye bounces around the room and nothing falls flat. While it may seem counter-intuitive, large-scale artwork pieces can make a small space feel bigger. Of course, small-scale artwork pieces have their place, too, and can create a vignette when stacked or add personality styled on a shelf, in the kitchen, or leaned against a furniture piece!

6. Don't underestimate the power of mirrors.

Mirrors are essential to expand the look and feel of any open-concept apartment. Not only will the right mirror make your space look bigger, but it can also create the illusion of light and bounce it around in all the best ways. If you have a space opposite a window for a mirror, it will expand your natural light and breathe some life into any corner.

7. Draw the eye up with decorative pieces.

Regardless of the height of your ceilings, drawing the eye up is always a good idea, especially in an open-concept apartment. Ceiling lights, plants, or decorative mobiles will bring balance to everything on the floor and make any room feel larger, even if you have short ceilings!

8. Incorporate furniture pieces with legs.

Incorporating furniture pieces with legs can help the flow of an open-concept space because rather than stopping your eye, it will allow it to travel throughout the room and make everything feel lighter and more cohesive. When planning your apartment floor plan or choosing pieces, consider balancing the legs on your pieces and selecting a mix of furniture with and without legs for more interest.

9. Push your furniture away from the walls to help improve flow in the space.

Even if you have minimal square footage to work with, pushing your furniture away from the walls can make a significant difference in the flow of your apartment layout. Try moving your sofa from the wall at least a few inches to make the space feel less cramped and more focused.

10. Utilize soft lines to relax your layout.

Shapes and lines are a powerful tool when designing any room, and in an open-concept apartment, using softer lines will round the look of your space out (literally) to soften the result. Sofas and chairs with curved arms, round coffee or dining tables, or even bold furniture pieces with rounded edges can help balance the flow of your layout and contrast the lines typically found in home finishes (we're looking at you, kitchen cabinetry).