The open floor plan is one of the most popular architectural trends in the past 30 years. If you are considering renovating your home to include an open floor plan, read on as local home renovator DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Northwest DC takes a look at the pros and cons.
About the Open Floor Plan
The idea of an open floor plan is to remove the partitions that separate the common rooms in the house, such as the living room, the dining room and the kitchen. In an open floor plan, these areas are often separated by dividing lines rather than walls. The kitchen and dining room are typically separated by a kitchen island or bar-style countertop, while a dining room and living room can be separated by contrasting flooring or a short set of stairs. Other rooms in the house that require privacy, such as bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices, usually retain the separation of walls.
A standard open floor plan is supported by heavy-duty beams. In contrast, older homes are often supported by load-bearing walls, which means they will require structural modifications before interior walls can be taken down.
Pros & Cons of Open Floor Plans
A home with an open floor plan allows for movement and better communication because the space is essentially one large room. It also makes it easier to keep an eye on your kids, even when you’re at work in the kitchen. Open floor plans are also easy to reconfigure. You can, for example, create more space for the living area simply by moving furniture a few feet. The greatest advantage of an open floor plan is that it allows natural light to permeate all the common areas in the house. You can get more light from existing large windows and patio doors this way.
Open floor plans also present some challenges that are worth considering before you commit. A large indoor space has greater heating and cooling requirements, which means you might need a more powerful HVAC system after switching to an open floor plan. This is especially important if the common rooms are individually heated and cooled by mini-split systems instead of a whole-house system.
Noise is also a consideration. Without walls, noises from one room — the television in the living room, clatter in the kitchen, conversation at the dinner table — can bleed into the other areas.
Let’s Start a Conversation!
Searching online for a “home remodeling contractor near me”? Call DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen of Northwest DC first. We offer a wide range of professional remodeling services, including whole-home remodeling. To get started with a no-obligation consultation, call us at (202) 933-7196 or contact us online! We serve homeowners in Woodley Park, Friendship Heights, Glover Park, Cleveland Park and The Palisades.
