Since the late 1800s, families have begun to opt for homes with open floor plans. These designs feature large multiple-use spaces instead of closed, separate rooms. If you are thinking of adopting an open floor layout for your own house, take a look at your present lifestyle and weigh this against the pros and cons that come with this type of physical arrangement.
Everyone Is Connected
With an open floor plan, everyone in the house is connected—except people in the bedrooms. This works very well for families with small children who need to be within sight most of the time. While doing housework, parents can be within easy distance to supervise what the kids are doing.
However, this setup is less than ideal for people who work from home and need to closet themselves to get things done. Also, privacy can be a rare commodity with this design. A possible compromise would be to convert a garage for this purpose or to have a separate study.
You Have More Room for Entertaining
An open floor plan means you are not limited to the number of guests that will fit into your dining room or your living room. Practically all of your space can function as an entertainment area, and people can move around from the kitchen to the dining area to the living area. Moreover, even if you are still cooking, you can be part of the merrymaking. Traffic will be easy, and mingling won’t be a problem for your friends.
The downside of having everything visible when you are entertaining is that the kitchen area with the used pots, pans, and utensils will be exposed. This means having to make sure everything is all cleaned up before visitors arrive.
You Enjoy a “More Spacious” Environment
The interior of your house will seem much larger without confining walls and other visual barriers. Regardless of whether you are looking for new homes for sale in Utah or prefer to buy an existing home, an open plan makes it easy to expand your living area by connecting this to a veranda or a patio. If you use the same type of flooring for your living room and your dining room and use a similar color for the flooring of your outdoor space, you will create the impression of continuity; this visually enlarges your interiors even more.
You Can Make Full Use of Natural Light
Without the usual walls, the light that goes through your windows can stream throughout your home. If you have a sliding glass door, the natural illumination will be even better. However, you do have to make sure you have the right kind of window treatments to protect your privacy from onlookers outside of your home.
You Have More Flexibility for Floor Plan Changes
Later, if you do find that you need some spaces to be less visible to the rest of the house or the public eye, you can modify your open plan by using bookshelves, plants, or a wall that does not go all the way up to the ceiling. With a little creativity, you can create the changes you need for a more comfortable habitat. Remember, it is generally easier to put up a partition than to dismantle one.
The usual problems that come with open floor plans are privacy, containing messes, and noise control. These, however, can be dealt with. A hideaway in the garage can provide quiet time. A chest-high countertop wall can hide the kitchen mess, and carpeting, as well as upholstery, can help reduce noise. So, if having room to breathe and being in touch with the rest of your household is of utmost importance for you, then go ahead and get an open plan for the house of your dreams.
