What Are the Benefits of an Open Floor Plan?

In a house with an open concept floor plan, two or more rooms traditionally separated by walls, such as the kitchen, living room or dining area, are combined to make one larger space. Open floor plans started to become more popular in the 1970s and remain common today. While there are some downsides to this style of architecture, there are many reasons why people choose this concept and consult remodelling services in Saskatoon to redo their homes. Here are a few benefits of an open floor plan, along with some disadvantages.

Open Floors Plans Encourage Traffic Flow

When it comes to a home and its inhabitants, traffic flow refers to the flow of people between each room and throughout the house. The scarcity of walls and doors in an open concept plan, compared to that of a closed floor plan, allows people to better move around in the home. Good traffic flow is especially important if you have a large family or if you have guests over. An efficient flow of movement is something that you might not even notice until you experience the difference.

Open Concepts Allow More Light Inside

Along with providing the body with vitamin D, sun exposure can help lessen the symptoms of anxiety and depression, encourage productivity, and improve people’s moods and outlooks. With an open floor plan, light coming from the windows in another section of the home can spread across the house without being blocked by walls. In addition to having positive mental health benefits, increased lighting in the house helps with:

• Making a softer and more refreshing ambiance 

• Lowering power and utility bills by allowing the use of natural light rather than electric lights

• Warming the house during the colder months of the year

• Expanding the appearance of a room, making it seem larger than it actually is 

An open floor plan allows more light into the home without needing to increase the number of windows and doors, which can lead to problems with energy efficiency.

Open Floor Plans Make for Easier Entertaining

Communication and visibility are other reasons people choose to have an open floor plan. When you can see what others are doing, you know how best to adjust the home’s lighting, noise and other factors to their needs. This is especially beneficial when hosting guests. Without walls, the home feels more welcoming and inviting to guests.

Of course, open floor plans still allow for spaces such as bedrooms to be out of the way and hidden from guests, just as they would be in any other architectural style. But an open concept is great for letting guests wander around common spaces as they converse and mingle with each other. This is why many people go this route when they want to make the most efficient use of their space.

Potential Downsides

All great things have a few downsides, including the hugely popular open room concept. Some notable disadvantages of this layout type include:

• The fact that noise will more easily travel between the open rooms, which can especially be a problem if you have kids or multiple people working from home

• The expenses involved with heating a large open space, rather than isolating an air conditioning unit or space heater to one smaller room

• The fact that you will have to pay more attention to picking up clutter since it will be visible from more locations in the home

Consider all the benefits and downsides of an open floor plan before making any decisions. And when in doubt, talk to an expert! If you need remodelling services in Saskatoon, contact Handyman Connection today to see how we can assist you in creating your dream home.