Jennifer Sheahan: How to use zoning in your home 

We still love open-plan living, but remote working has increased our need for private spaces, says the Home of the Year winner 

A peninsula separates the kitchen from the dining area in Jennifer Sheahan's home. Picture: Moya Nolan

Open-plan living blew our homes wide open in the 1970s. Cooking was no longer relegated to the scullery, dining became less formal, and TV dinners suited busy lifestyles. Walls were torn down, and rooms were merged into one big happy open space.

The desire for open-plan living has not abated, although the recent rise in working from home has increased our need for private spaces. Still, if you have bought a new home or are renovating an old one, chances are you’ll be looking at creating a vast luxurious space that houses your kitchen, living room, dining area, and whatever else you’re into yourself. However, sometimes open-plan spaces are just too — open.