=====[srform] If you know anything about trends in the housing market or have looked into home improvement , you’ve probably heard the term “op...
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If you know anything about trends in the housing market or have looked into home improvement, you’ve probably heard the term “open floor plan” more than a few times. It seems like everyone is eager to purchase homes with an open concept floor plan, and homeowners with older houses have sledgehammers in hand, ready to tear down some walls.
Here’s a look at some of the most common ways homeowners make this design work in their homes.
Are you ready to create an open floor plan in your home? Have a contractor help get the job done right. Contact a pro today for quotes from remodeling contractors near you.
What Is Open Concept?
Wondering what this fad is all about? Like the name suggests, an open concept floor plan is all about creating open spaces as opposed to individual, partitioned rooms typical in pre-World War II residential architecture. Traditional-use spaces are joined to create larger areas through the elimination of walls that typically divide rooms as well as reducing unused, empty space. This doesn’t mean getting rid of all the walls in your house, of course. Usually, open concept floor plans involve combining the common areas like the living room, dining room, and kitchen.
Living Room & Dining Room
A combination of the living and dining space is a great option when looking to having more room to entertain at parties, get-togethers, and holidays. Using different paint colors in the two areas is just one of the many ways to create visually unique spaces while maintaining an open feel with this design.
Dining Room & Kitchen
Opening up the barriers between the dining room and kitchen is a fantastic way to improve traffic flow through the house. In some cases, an open concept kitchen floor plan may include something like an island or peninsula that can act as a divider between the two areas without completely closing the rooms off to one another.
Kitchen & Living Room
Open concept kitchen-living room floor plans are great for bringing together those who spend a lot of time in the kitchen with the rest of the household. This allows those cooking up delicious treats to freely socialize and communicate with everyone in the living area.
Kitchen, Dining & Living Room
All three areas can be opened up to create one large communal space. This “great room” may have visual divisions between specific spaces, but the area achieves an overall connectedness.
What’s So Great About Open Concept Floor Plans?
Open concept floor plans are a great choice for a number of reasons. For one, they make small areas feel bigger. Rarely do people wish for a smaller home. Remodeling your house to achieve an open floor plan is a way to achieve your dreams of owning a bigger home without actually moving. You can finally have the spacious kitchen that you’ve always wanted! Open concept floor plans for small homes can open uptight, confined spaces and make the entire house feel larger.
Does your house feel dark? Open floor plans are a great way to bring in natural light. Dimly lit interior areas that never saw the light of day will be naturally aglow with shared light coming in through windows. An open layout also gives your home multifunctional opportunities and flexibility in design. It’s easy to rearrange your furniture and accessories when you have a big open space to work with. Similarly, the spaces can serve a variety of functions, from the playroom to the home office to entertainment space.
On top of all of this, remodeling your home to have an open concept floor plan will increase its real estate value in almost every instance. It’s a feature that’s always in high demand.
Do All Open Concept Floor Plans Require A Remodel?
The good news is that to some degree, an open design can be incorporated into just about any house. You’re probably already excited about the possibility of having an open concept floor plan in your own home. But, don’t go busting down walls just yet!
Most often, creating an open floor plan requires some degree of remodeling that should be done with the help of a professional. Whether you just want to open up just one room or several, a contractor or structural engineer will likely be needed to determine things like the structural integrity, existing structural supports, and location of ductwork and plumbing. In new homes that are built with an open concept floor plan, heavy duty ceiling beams typically bear the weight that an interior wall would otherwise hold. Older homes (built prior to 1980) need to be looked at with extra care since they were structurally designed for partitioned spaces and interior walls. It might turn out to be a more costly or complex job than you initially anticipated, but the only way to find out is to get in touch with a pro!
Are you ready to make the open concept floor plan of your dreams a reality in your home? Start by finding the right contractors that do the job!
Wondering how to keep your home clean? Read How To Tidy Up An Open Floor Plan.
