This clever interiors trick is the secret to creating multifunctional spaces — and it was integral to the design of many English country houses of the past

On the face of it, open-plan spaces offer plenty of upside: flexibility and, often, an uplifting feeling of airiness. However, as many of us have discovered — especially during lockdown — they offer little in the way of peace, privacy or areas dedicated to specific purposes, such as working, laundry or storage. For some designers, the answer lies in ‘zoning’ (or creating a ‘broken-plan’ layout, for a less Orwellian alternative), which involves defining spaces with furniture or low walls, offering a halfway house between open-plan and fully formed rooms. The result might be a succession of seamless spaces, but it might not suit those who may crave the reassuring embrace of four walls.

There is another way to achieve a similar result that was integral to the design of many English country houses of the past. ‘What the Georgians understood,’ says Merlin Wright, design director of Plain English, ‘was how to create many rooms connected by a glazed corridor.’ It was a common approach in the design of basements, he says, where there were small windows and low levels of light, a way to share the light between rooms. ‘It also provided a chance for housekeepers and senior members of household staff to keep an eye on staff; an early precursor to CCTV.’ Many of the company’s projects incorporate glazed walls in the design of ancillary spaces, such as larders and home offices.

The Courtyard Room at last summer’s WOW!house, designed by Sims Hilditch, demonstrated how glazed walls can be employed to create spaces with dedicated functions without fragmenting them. One feature that attracted significant attention was a boot room and a utility room (complete with a dog shower), which were separate, yet maintained a sense of unity.

Glazed panels are sometimes used, with less success, in other parts of a house, perhaps replacing walls in hallways of London terraces, where they are used to alleviate a sense of pokiness. The choice of steel frames might maximise light, but the result can feel more like an office than a home. They work best in functional rooms, notably bathrooms, where they can create a degree of privacy without slicing up the space.

This feature originally appeared in the January 14, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.