The main objective of an open floor plan is to join all three common area spaces in your home, the living room, dining room and kitchen to create the ultimate communal living area.Aesthetically open floor plans create a clear, smooth flow from room to room, that homeowners love because of the extended space they are given in each room. All of these benefits on top of the 9+1 below are the reasons why homeowners love open floor plans.
Open floor plans are basically just interconnected spaces, creating a seamless flow from your living room, dining room and kitchen. This layout has become increasingly popular over the years because it makes entertaining family and friends enjoyable and easy. Hosting a dinner party or having family over for the holidays can be overwhelming and as the host everyone is pulling you in a million directions, that’s why having an open floor plan is so important. Without the walls in between these spaces you are able to be in three different places at once, which makes hosting a breeze. This is one of the most important reasons why homeowners love open floor plans.
When deciding to build the home of your dreams make sure it is a home with an open floor plan. This will increase your home’s value down the road because this type of plan adds functional square footage, which is appealing to many homebuyers. Also, open floor plans are considered to be a part of the modern home design, so investing in a home without an open floor plan won’t do you any favours down the road if you try to sell.
With more open space and less barriers, the lighting extends from room to room. The shared light from various light fixtures enhances the ambiance and makes the rooms feel warmer. Not only will the shared light fixtures carry light from room to room, the open space will allow for more windows that bring in natural light throughout the day. When deciding on the layout of your home, it’s important to consider how many windows you can place in a room. The more windows you can install in your home the better because of the abundance of natural light they’ll bring. Natural light is proven to increase productivity, help you sleep better and improve your overall mood. So, when deciding on creating an open floor plan, always remember to include lots of windows and think about the light fixtures in those common spaces. Picking out the right light fixture is important because it will determine how the light carries from room to room.
This is one benefit that is often overlooked when deciding on the floor plan of your home. Without doors and walls acting as barriers from room to room, you have an open space to move through day after day. While having an open floor plan is beneficial when hosting guests, day to day living with an open floor plan is more important. Life can be chaotic at times, especially with little ones running around. Building a home with less barriers in the common areas of your home will relieve some of the disorder you may feel and allow you to keep an eye on your kids. Living with less barriers from room to room not only increases the flow of your home but also eases some of the stress for day to day life.
For first time parents or growing families, open floor plans are much safer for your kids because you are able to keep a close eye on them. Whether you are cooking dinner in the kitchen or working on your computer in the living room you typically always have a good visual on the kids. When there are additional walls and barriers that section off the kitchen and living room, you might not always see the kids when they are playing outside or in another space of your home.
Open floor plans make your common areas feel larger. Barriers such as walls and doors, section off parts of your home that can make you feel boxed in. By taking down these barriers you’ll open up the space and it will make your whole home feel larger and more spacious. Opening up common areas in your home such as the living room and kitchen are crucial to feeling relaxed and content. The majority of your time is spent in these rooms so it’s important to make them open, so you and your guests always feel comfortable and roomy.
Modernizing a home stems from how open the common areas are. Typically, larger, growing families love a modern home because of the amount of space it provides in the areas families spend the most time in. For instance, many open floor plans connect the kitchen and living room, which is perfect for busy working parents who are always multitasking. They are able to cook dinner and watch their kids play, it’s a win-win. Another modern feature is connecting the indoor and outdoor spaces with multiple large windows and doors, this cohesively merges multiple areas of the home. Connecting indoor and outdoor spaces is becoming increasingly popular and is an element individuals are looking for when buying a home.
For many families, the kitchen is more than just a place to cook. The kitchen is a place for families to socialize, eat and spend time together, it’s the heart of the home. The key to creating a functional, open kitchen is to think about the “kitchen triangle” which includes the stove, fridge and sink. Making sure the layout of these three items form a triangle and are the appropriate lengths apart will create an aesthetically pleasing well-functioning kitchen. Enforcing this layout will make a substantial improvement when cooking and hanging out with family and friends.
An open floor plan allows for multi-functional spaces. Opening doors especially during the cooler months is an extra benefit to the expanded communal space you are afforded year-round. This is also a perfect feature if you enjoy having summer dinners on the patio, the ability to move from the kitchen through the living room onto the patio effortlessly is priceless. This goes hand in hand with homeowners who enjoy hosting family and friends, this is one of the most popular reasons why homeowners love open floor plans.
While some have mixed opinions about open floor plans energy efficiency, we think that these spaces are more efficient. Since this is an open space there aren’t any barriers such as walls that constrain the air flow making these spaces easier to heat and cool. Also having an abundance of natural light will cut down on your energy bill because you won’t have to turn on your lights as much.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our top ten reasons why open floor plans are so popular and why so many homeowners gravitate towards them. If you are ready to design your dream home and want an open floor plan…get in contact today and we’ll help you build the home you’ve been dreaming of!
Source: https://www.dreamfindershomes.com/10-reasons-why-homeowners-love-open-floor-plans/
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Article photo: Photo by Douglas Sheppard on Unsplash
