Did you know that open floor plans have some clear disadvantages?
Home life is more and more informal. This should not surprise anyone since we naturally want to feel as comfortable as possible in our own house.
This trend led to dining rooms and formal living rooms disappearing. The open concept started to gain more and more popularity, showcasing rooms that flow right into each other.
The open floor plan maximizes casual togetherness and entertaining opportunities. Walls come down and create a space in which dining space, the kitchen and the living room are all just one room. We are talking about a family-centered space that allows people to cook meals while still interacting with guests and family members, all while also seeing what is on TV and watching children.
For many, open floor plans stand out as a true paradise. However, in practice, this also has some clear disadvantages that are hardly ever mentioned. For most people, walls actually help.
Here’s why you might end up hating open floor plans.
There’s A Lot Of Noise
It is so easy to overlook noise. An open floor plan maximizes entertaining but what happens with everyday activities?
In many cases, it is tough to unwind and enjoy a glass of wine as someone else is vacuuming, doing laundry or washing dishes.
In an open floor plan apartment/house, everything seems to be louder. You can, of course, add insulation between ceilings and interior walls to help but this can only do so much. The more people are present in a house, the more noise will be present in the open floor room.
High-Maintenance Space
If the house features an open floor area, everything tends to be visible from a side of the house to the other side. This leads to constant maintenance being needed.
You simply cannot postpone maintenance tasks when you live in an open space. You have to keep mopping, dusting, cleaning and just looking around to see if there is an area that is dirty. If you do not do this, it is so easy to lose control and end up with a space that is not as pleasant as it initially was.
New Design Challenges
The last disadvantage we want to mention is mostly for interior designers. When an open floor plan is desired, new design challenges appear as spaces have to be designated. If not, you end up with every area looking the same, like in the image above.
Designating spaces is normally done with rugs, hanging light fixtures and furniture placement. However, creativity is still necessary. You have to think about the use of colors and might even need to add some wallpaper to some spaces.
Final Thoughts
When there are fewer walls present in a home, there are fewer opportunities available to display style and personality. You have to be more creative or the home will end up looking very similar to many others.
On the whole, the open floor plan is a great option for some homeowners. However, it is not great for all.
