Is an Open Concept Floor Plan Right for You?
A floor plan can make or break a home when it comes to whether or not it’s a good fit for you and your lifestyle. There are a few things you should always consider when choosing a floor plan, which you can learn more about in this post. One thing you will likely encounter when home shopping or remodeling is whether you want more of an open concept or a closed floor plan.
What is open concept?
Open concept houses have very open floor plans with one large room that serves as a single living space. Frequently, the kitchen, dining room, and living room are all a unified space. If you’ve ever seen an episode of Fixer Upper (or just about any home renovation show currently on television), you probably know a bit about open concept—when it comes to renovations, it involves tearing down a lot of walls.
Pros
Open floor plans are very popular right now, especially with younger homeowners and apartment dwellers. There are certainly benefits to having an open home. For one, this type of floor plan can help make smaller spaces appear larger. Fewer walls and more light can help prevent smaller houses from feeling very closed off. Additionally, when you have minimal walls, you have more floor space for furniture.
For many families, having an open floor plan is best for being able to keep an eye on the kids at all times. If you’re making dinner in the kitchen and the kids are playing in the living room, you can still feel as though you’re together. This is also a plus for families who like to entertain. Open floor plans naturally have great flow for parties so everyone can stay included in conversations and togetherness.
Cons
When your home is very open, your messes are always on display. Kitchens are often the biggest culprit to being chaotic, especially when you’re in the middle of cooking. Spaghetti sauce splashes? Kitchen gadgets all over the counter? Dishes soaking in the sink? If you frequently save cleaning the kitchen for “sometime later,” an open kitchen leaves that on display.
The lack of walls can also prove to be problematic. If you love wall art, you might not have enough wall space to hang your favorites. A very open kitchen can also limit the amount of wall cabinetry for storage (a very important factor if you don’t like counter clutter).
While open concept homes provide beautiful sight lines, they can also make designing difficult if you really like color and want to have some variety on your walls. If all of your traditional rooms are one single space, it can be difficult defining those spaces stylistically.