Designing Interior Spaces in a Multifunctional Way

Judson Mark Grosvenor is a real estate executive overseeing diverse commercial development projects as head of Grosvenor Industries in Southern California. Passionate about architecture and design, J. Mark Grosvenor maintains a watch on trends in his industry and knows the types of arrangements that create successful multi-functional spaces.

One essential element of this is the selection and placement of furniture, which is ideally conceptualized from a 360-degree standpoint. This reflects that furniture arrangements must feel balanced from all angles, including the back. With open floor plans, differentiating spaces requires another level of planning, as doors and walls are minimized or eliminated.

When, for example, a kitchen and living room run together and are not separated by walls, the natural inclination is to set large furniture, such as a sofa or coffee table, in place to mark the boundaries. This, however, reinstates the static room identities that the open plan seeks to minimize. The dynamic placement of small furniture and chairs can also create a sense of continuity between the home’s indoor spaces and outdoor extensions, such as a terrace or patio.

Another aspect of this worth focusing on is furniture material. In general, elements such as wood paneling on a wall in one space can be tied to similar elements in an adjacent space, which might incorporate wood furniture. This common materiality links the two spaces and can be used to create a harmonious, minimalist aesthetic.