Open Floor Plan: The Pros & Cons

When you’re custom designing your dream home, it can be hard to know what type of floor plan to go with. Many people talk about how incredible the open floor plan concept is — but is it? We go over the pros and cons, so you’ll know if it’s the right choice for your custom-built home.

PROS

Makes your space look larger. If you don’t have much space to work with, dividing this area into separate rooms will only make the place look smaller. Making a living room/dining room/kitchen combo room will open things up and make it look like you’ve got more square footage.

Entertaining is easier. If you’re having a dinner party, it’s a lot easier to entertain your guests if you’re not in a separate kitchen while they’re in another room. And often, they’ll wander into the kitchen to visit you, making your kitchen feel cramped and crowded while you’re trying to cook.

You’ll also be able to entertain young children and keep an eye on what older children are watching on TV or doing in the living room with an open concept space. This will make it much easier to continue to spend time with your family while making meals.

You can utilize all your space. If you create separate rooms, chances are you’ll have a dining room or a living room that doesn’t get used to its full potential. Saving it only for when guests come over or to use as a dumping ground for things that have no home. With an open concept home construction, you’ll be more motivated to use the space you can see.

You’ll have better airflow. When you open a window into an area with open space, the whole area will immediately feel refreshed as the air can flow through nicely. And the same can be said about heat from a fireplace or single heat source flowing through.

CONS

Your messy rooms will be on display. If you haven’t done your dishes or have been working from your dining room table, people will see this mess as soon as they walk into the space. When you have separate rooms, you can conceal your messy rooms a bit better.

Lack of privacy. Suppose you’re working from home and set up in the living room, or your kids are trying to do their homework on the dining room table. In that case, it can be distracting if someone else in the area is trying to watch TV or clean up the kitchen. Continually being surrounded by others is something you’ll need to get used to in open concept living.

Your living areas will smell like what you’re cooking. If you’re cooking in the kitchen, your family in the living room will be able to see and smell what you’re cooking. And if there’s any smokiness, that will flow into the living room as well. This means your furniture may suck up food smells more than usual, which may mean you’ll likely need to get it cleaned more often.

The right home construction plan for you and your family is the one that will work best for you and your family. Once you consider the pros and cons, you’ll know if an open floor plan is the best one for you. At Bennefield Construction, our on-staff interior designer and experienced home builders will help you design and construct a happy, comfortable home for you and your family.