Open floor plans have become an extremely popular interior design choice. Many people are either buying homes with open floor plans or converting their homes to be more open, including expensive renovations that blast out walls and create more space. But are open floor plans worth the extra investment? Here are some advantages and disadvantages to going with an open floor plan.
Advantage: It Can Be Safer for Kids
By not having additional walls, your kids will be much easier to watch in an open concept home. So instead of having their own playroom where they could be unsupervised, you can relax in your living room and still keep an eye on them.
Disadvantage: You Have to Stay Tidy
If you or your family tend to be fairly untidy, an open concept home may not be for you. Since you can see much more of the home, you’ll have less places to hide your clutter, which means anyone and everyone who comes over will have a direct line-of-sight to your disorganized home. Additionally, cleaning all of it up means you’ll have to actually clean since there won’t be a space to simply stuff the mess until your company has left.
Advantage: More Natural Light
Edmonton in the summer has plenty of natural light for an extremely long part of the day and an open concept home can take full advantage of that natural light. Without walls blocking the light, your home can be flooded in sunlight, saving you on electricity (although, the sunlight can also bring extra heat, which can make for a very warm summer).
Disadvantage: More Noise
Walls are some of the most effective sound-cancellers your home has. When you remove them, you also remove those sound barriers. That means your home will be more noisy than before. So if you’re someone who likes to read quietly and your family love loud action movies, you may have a hard time finding a place to relax and unwind. And similarly, you may have to keep the volume down if you want to watch something particularly loud.
Advantage and Disadvantage: Less Wall Space
If you’re an art lover or have lots of amazing pieces that you want to hang on the walls, an open concept space may leave you with limited options for where to hang things, and anything you hang could end up busying up the space in unexpected ways. But if you don’t have much to hang, an open concept space can stop you from having to go out and buy art, frames, and photographs.
Open concept spaces have distinct advantages and disadvantages. If you’re thinking about buying an open concept space, or want to renovate your existing space, be sure to consider your lifestyle. You’ll live differently in an open concept, so it’s important to consider if it’s a way of living that you want.
Posted by Gurpreet Ghatehora on
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