I’m just going to say what some of us are thinking here: Split-level homes are not ideal for a lot of reasons. This isn’t just an empty statement from a design writer looking for something to post about. I know this because I live in one and while it’s mostly fine (and even has its “pros”), it can also be quite frustrating both to live in and also to decorate. So I figured, “Hey, if I struggled with this, maybe some readers out there in a similar style of architecture also do?”
Today’s post is going to walk you through some concepts for how to make a split-level or bi-level house and townhouse look and feel great visually, whether you’re simply decorating or planning on doing some renovations.
But first, a little background about my particular situation:
I live in a multi-level townhouse that we picked because it offered us the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and workspaces we needed for our family, as well as an ideal kid-friendly community. Those are all things that, frankly, matter more to me than a bit of a funky layout/flow. BUT, it’s not without its flaws (like basically having no real entryway beside a landing strip I carved out of a small slice of a wall).
Every room is essentially on its own level. Garage: one level (bottom). Downstairs office: Door to room at garage level but then four steps down from the door to its own level (also there’s a flight of stairs down from living room/front door). Living room: At main level with the front door. Dining room/kitchen/powder bath: Five steps up from living room. Bedrooms: Upstairs from dining room level. Patio: Three steps down from the living room. Front door: Three steps up from the front walkway which is three steps up from the main street. Are you dizzy yet with all those steps and levels to account for?!?
You’d think my legs and tush would be in much better shape. In all seriousness, my husband and I have serious stairs/level fatigue. Even traveling between living and dining spaces is a chore some days, not to mention how much smaller each space feels because they aren’t open to each other (mostly a problem for my daughter not having enough room to run around, push her little cars and toys, etc.). And don’t get me started on the baby gate situation, which I know is temporary but very much a part of our current life.
When we first moved in, we had a newly minted one-year-old child, so there were three baby gates all within view: right when you opened the front door down the stairs to the garage, at the top of the steps between the living and dining room, and at the opening of the stairs up to the top level (there was a fourth one at the top of the stairs outside the bedroom doors). It was madness. We’ve since taken down the one between the living and dining spaces because our girl can confidently and safely climb up and down those.
But readers, there are some positives here. It is nice to have our dining room fully separated from our living room as someone who works at the dining table, and it’s nice to be a half level above to see out through our windows onto our beautiful street without being directly at eye level with anyone walking by.
Aside from my own pluses, there *are* reasons split-level and bi-level homes came to be so popular. According to this Architectural Digest article on the subject, they started popping up in the mid-century after World War II when families were moving out of cities with all those babies they were having. The suburbs were booming, and developers were squeezing as many homes into neighborhoods as they could. The split-level offered a way to get more square footage into smaller lots, which meant they were more affordable than a larger single-level ranch or even two-story Colonials or Craftsmen. Here are a few other advantages:
- Maximizes a tricky lot where homes might be built on a slope or hill
- Multiple visible levels can make a home feel larger
- Sleeping and living areas are separate, which helps with noise and privacy
- Different and designated areas that were still “open” to each other (great for light transfer from windows rather than blocking light with solid walls)
Now that we’ve assessed my personal history as well as that of the split-level itself, it’s time to talk about how to design around a plethora of railings, staircases, and levels.
Rule #1: Build Cohesion Through Color Palette, Materials & Design Style
I know, I know. This is basically the number one design rule for *any* home, whether it’s on one level or four levels, but it’s especially important in a split-level home since so many of the rooms tend to be visible to one another (similar to an open floor plan house). Having your dining room four feet up from your living room is not permission to go rogue and “try” something new. The key to harmony between spaces and creating a nice flow for both the eye and the mind is to extend style elements between all areas you can see from a single vantage point. Hone in on a color palette and a furniture style and ensure you’re incorporating it strategically throughout.
Rule #2: Create A Proper Entryway, No Matter How Little Space You Have
It’s safe to say the top reason people struggle with their split-level homes is because they basically have no foyer. You open your front door and have a small landing with the decision to either go up or down the stairs and god help you if you have shoes, bags, and dog leashes to store. I like the route Ashley from My Ugly Split went in her entryway, giving it more of a mudroom treatment with paneling, hooks, and a bench. And don’t underestimate the power of some cute art and decor, of course.
Rule #3: Float Your Furniture
Before we brought our furniture into our home, I noticed some fading on the wood floors in an unusual direction. Meaning, whatever rug had lived there was oriented in a way I wouldn’t have put it. One visit from our landlord a few months later helped me understand why. “Oh wow, I would have never thought to put our sofa here,” she said to me when popping by to check out an issue we were having. I asked her where she had placed hers and she told me they put it up against the half wall between the living and dining rooms. Their TV console? Well, directly in front of it, blocking the large sliding glass doors. To her, their only option was putting their main seating against the wall, and my friends, there’s another way!
FYF! Float Your Furniture! Release your sofas and armchairs and accent tables from the wallflower fate you’ve forced upon them. You can see in the image above of one of Emily’s previous living rooms in a split-level home that she built her seating area in the center of the room, rather than right up against the wall, effectively opening up a walking path around the sofa. You want to let your living spaces in a split-level breathe as much as possible as oftentimes, they’re smaller and have fewer full walls to work with.
And look. I get that sometimes, up against the railing or pony wall you have is the only viable option for making the space functional, but at the very least, leave about 6-12 inches of space between the back of the sofa and whatever you’re putting it up against.
Rule #4: Hang Curtains & Art At Similar Heights Across All Visible Spaces
This one comes with the following caveat: Only do this if it makes sense as sometimes, windows are at wildly different heights and it would look silly if you forced it. That, or the ceiling angle doesn’t allow for it. But as much as you can create a continuous visual line between rooms with art or draperies, do it!
For example: It’s not the most obvious thing to see in the above two images from architect Haus D7 because I’m kind of cut off at the knees with good images of split-level homes and rooms, BUT I like how they took the art in the dining level up high enough to essentially match the art in the kitchen level just past the slatted wall. To me, it limits all the up-and-down stepping motion your eyes already have to do with moving between rooms.
I don’t have an image to illustrate this for curtains, sadly, but the principle is the same. If it’s feasible to do, try to keep where you’re hanging your curtain rods between spaces with windows at different heights on the same visual line for a really polished and cohesive look.
Rule #5: Make The Most Of Double-Height Rooms
This rule applies whether you’re renovating or just decorating. In the above image from SALA Architects, they brought that fireplace feature up to the ceiling, which really amplified the height of the room and brought your attention through all the levels of the home. Here’s another view so you can see just how many planes there are here:
You can accomplish something similar with art, like I did in my own home. I don’t have proper photos of my spaces yet, so I just stood in my dining room and quickly snapped this shot to show you. You’ll have to squint through the baby-proofing mesh on the railing, but imagine that the frames go down to a lower media cabinet.
Once I installed this gallery wall (which used to live in my previous dining room), it really made the space feel so much more grand. When I add in the final pieces of art, they’ll essentially blend into the mirror above my bar console in the dining room (see rule #4). Having super tall ceilings in a given space and doing nothing with it is like having an Idina Menzel-like singing voice and only ever humming along to your favorite song. USE IT!
Rule #6.1: If You Want More Of A “Closed Off” Floor Plan, Choose Pony Walls Instead Of Railings
Most split-level homes you find are going to have railings, railings, and more railings. This has its benefits (see rule #6.2) but it can also look very busy with all the lines everywhere. Plus, there is a lot of visibility between areas, and sometimes, you just don’t want that. I’m personally a fan of a more moderately closed-off concept so each room feels like its own, which isn’t easy with essentially no walls (or open “walls”). You can see an example of going the pony wall route in the modern and organic home the EHD team styled years ago. From my knowledge, this beautiful house has (at least) four levels, and with low walls rather than railings, each area really stands alone.
Here’s a view from the living room, which is just off the entry (there is a “foyer” pass-through level behind that wall but before the next set of stairs up to the dining room and kitchen). Thanks to wonderful natural light coming from windows high up in the open home, you don’t need the open railings to facilitate light flow. Plus, guests can be greeted at the front of the home without seeing straight back into the kitchen, which is always a blessing in my book as someone whose counters perpetually have open boxes of crackers and cutting boards with chopped fruit and toast crumbs (toddlers always want snacks, evidently).
Rule #6.2: If You Have Limited Natural Light, Choose Railings (Or Nothing) Over Pony Walls
Alternatively, there are times when you might want as much unblocked transition between spaces in a split level, whether for light, visibility, or just a general sense of openness. In that case, railings work just fine, but there are also ways to avoid them altogether, like in the room above featured on Inside Out magazine’s Instagram that used steps up between areas carved out of low knee walls with a feature fireplace and planters.
Rule #7: Don’t Overlook Swapping Pony Walls Or Railings With Wood Slat Partition Walls
This is by far one of my favorite ways to add some really special architectural interest to what’s usually a pretty sad little circa 1970s railing, especially on the level above the entryway. I’ve followed Alli of The Hoss Homestead for many, many years, watching her split-level home get renewed life, and I always loved how she went the route of a partition wall to give the home a decidedly mid-century aesthetic.
Rule #8: Consider Sharing A Feature Material Across Spaces
If renovating or doing a heavier redecorating lift, consider bringing a material like wood cladding (on the wall and/or ceiling), shelving, or wallpaper across nearby spaces. Above, you can see that the landing in the modern and organic home we showed earlier has beautiful wood cabinets and shelving, and this material continues up into the dining room and across into the top part of the living room. It acts as a kind of olive branch between spaces to unite them.
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Honestly, a split-level home can be kind of great in a lot of ways if it’s done right. Buying one that still looks and operates like it’s fresh from 1978 maybe not so much, but employ some creative design and architectural solutions and now we’re talking.
And this is where I leave you for the day friends. I’m curious, though, did you grow up in a split-level home? Are they nostalgic for you or a great big bummer? I’d love to hear if you live in one now or at any point, and any advice you might be able to add to my running list of ideas.
See you around these parts next time.
Opening Image Credits: Design by Emily Henderson | Photo by Tessa Neustadt | From: How To Add Style To A Neutral Living Room (+ Get The Look)
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