Designing and purchasing a custom home is an exciting time, but decisions such as whether to go with an open concept design versus a more closed floor plan can often feel overwhelming. When you visit our home design company in Southeastern, PA, we’ll help you decide on a layout that will work best for your lifestyle. For now, let’s go over a few of the pros and cons of open concept design.
Pro: An Open Floor Plan Makes Your Space Seem Larger
Most of us have limits as to what we can afford square footage-wise, but selecting a more open layout will make a home feel larger. This is the primary reason why many people prefer open concept designs.
Con: Open Designs Don’t Offer as Many Specialty Rooms
Are you dreaming of a home office, a craft room, or a music room? Closed floor plans allow for more specialized spaces since everything won’t be on display from the main living areas.
Pro: An Open Concept Design Allows for Easier Communication Between People in Different Rooms
Do you like to chat with your family members from the kitchen while they watch TV in the next room? If so, an open design will make it easier to communicate with them. Walls obviously make it more difficult to see and hear each other from opposite ends of the house.
Con: Noise Carries in an Open Floor Plan
The acoustics resulting from an open floor plan tend to carry sound, which can be distracting when you’re working, studying, or watching TV. People with large families often choose a more compartmentalized design since so much goes on at once in a bustling household. Maybe you’d prefer to prepare that meal in peace instead of hearing everything that’s going on in the next room.
Con: Open Concept Designs Don’t Offer as Much Privacy and Make it Hard to Contain Messes
Privacy is one of the most common reasons cited by homeowners who opt for a more closed floor plan. Perhaps you don’t want to be forced to greet every visitor your spouse or roommate has come to the door, or you don’t want surprise visitors to be able to see your sink full of dishes from the living room.
Many parents prefer a second living area over a great room, so one of the rooms can be a defined playroom where the kids can spread out their toys. Single people, couples without kids, and fastidious housekeepers may not have these particular concerns.
That having been said, choosing between an open or closed floor plan doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Including structural barriers such as “half walls” can offer a compromise that helps define each room while retaining somewhat of an open feel.
If you’re looking for home design services in Southeastern Pennsylvania, call Rotell(e) Studio(e) today to get a quote.
