How do you feel about an open floor plan?

4 Comments

  • Nicole - 12 years ago

    Love this column! Open or closed - I like it both ways!
    Old house has glass french doors between dining & living rooms. Usually have 1 shut & 1 ajar for family members with paws. Keeps heat in, noise out; light and sight come through. Game room, music room, family room, (used to be called the "rumpus room") is in the basement - with egg carton walls, foam core ceilings and heavy drapes! Ah what bliss!
    Small galley kitchen has a sliding pocket door for those "out of sight - out of mind" times! The only drawback - very little casual eating space. Would love the big kitchen with center island and breakfast nook or counter snack bar. However, the food tends to go where the action is! Solved part of the problem with trays and a clean-up station with plastic dishpans and trash containers. . . McDonald's had the right idea! Bonus: it puts another "action item" on the "ToDo" list for weekly chore assignments.

  • Onceoregonian - 12 years ago

    Good design goes a long ways towards making space usable. Open plans are the fashion just as granite counters were. Good plans incorporate both open and closed spaces. A small office space can be efficient and good for getting work done. I like to be able choose depending on my mood. There are times when I want to be alone. Cramped rooms are not good but neither are rooms which generate echoes. Just like other matters balance is crucial. Gigantic overstuffed furniture should be avoided at all cost ...

  • Jane - 12 years ago

    We bought a small bungalow on a big plot for our retirement home. We opened the kitchen, dining and family room into one space which is open to what used to be a wide hall leading to a now open living room. Love it! We also took most of the side and back windows down to the ground for more light and put skylights in the ceiling of the larger space. The only downside is the noise when grandchildren are visiting, but that is temporary, and at least we can keep an good eye on them.

  • Ljr - 12 years ago

    After 18 years with a living room separate from the family room and the kitchen partially closed to the family room/dining, we remodeled to a totally open floor plan (19'x38'). I wish we could have done it sooner. I love, love being able to be part of everything going on while i am cooking or doing dishes! And we can actually invite more than 6 people for dinner, without being cramped or needing to put some in another room. Another huge plus for me is that I can easily change the look by re-arranging the furniture.

    I do admit that it was nice when the kids were younger to be able to close the living room off from the mess of family life, but I would have liked this open style even then because I often felt left out of what the rest of the family was doing. In addition, the kitchen would often get too warm from cooking, while the other rooms were cooler. Now the temperature is even throughout.

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