Windows and space and sunshine, oh my! Smart design is all about building a space in your home that is fully functional and convenient to live in. Oh, and obviously aesthetically pleasing as well, full of natural light flooding in. How we live indoors should reflect how we enjoy a natural touch of the outdoors. Do you like to snuggle up by the fire? Do you prefer natural wood accents? Big, open windows? Spaces your family can spread out for game night? Along with remodeling a space that works for your lifestyle, smart design is all about the space itself – and perhaps – making it as open as possible.
The term “open concept home design” is used when a home blends two or more traditional-use spaces into one space (getting rid of those partition walls). Open concept home design often conjoins the kitchen, dining area, and family living area to create a holistic space to gather, no matter the occasion. This particular residential construction ramped in popularity in 1990 to create openness and a greater traffic flow into a prominent “great room.”
Pre World War II, the kitchen was typically pushed to the back of the home because it was considered a servicing area, not a social area. Entertainment in the 1950s was pretty formal, so food and staff would go in and out of the back door in the kitchen, as to not show themselves. Frank Lloyd Wright, in the meantime, was toying with open floor plans that were spacious and bright, but kept the kitchen pushed in the back of the home.
During post-war years, families grew and kitchens became less utilitarian. Parents wanted to keep an eye on their kids during dinner time and cleanup. An open floor plan eventually became more practical. It adhered to the growing population and new construction materials made an open floor plan much more functional. Effortless, in a way. Things we’re used to now, like steel structural beams, drywall, central heating systems, drywall, and cinder-block construction were born. Fireplaces, and keeping warm near them, adjacent to kitchens in these new open floor plans eventually turned the kitchen into a happier social space.
1. The layout is flexible: Without a partition wall to deal with, you can openly rearrange furniture and change the entire feel/layout of the room from season to season.
2. Improved social experiences: Without so many walls, family and friends are able to go about their own activities and communicate efficiently. If you have friends over, they can lounge and watch sports in the family room, or mingle around the cheese plate in the kitchen. And still have a conversation!
3. Shared and better light: This is a big one. Lighting in a room is a huge element to any quality custom home. Interior spaces once blocked by a wall can now share the light from the other room. Adding big windows will open the space up even more.
4. Improved real estate value: An open floor concept are what homebuyers are looking for. Adding this makes your home that much more desirable for prospective buyers.
5. Extra character: By getting rid of extra partition walls, the design will probably call for additional steel or laminated beams for support. However, these additions bring in so much personality and punch to a home.
6. A small space will instantly look larger – and could be a cheaper option. If you can’t make it, fake it. That’s what open concept home design does so well. And if you think about it, adding more space in the rooms you already have will save cost for you in the long run (as opposed to adding another room entirely).
7. Open sight lines: If you have bold, strong accessories, an open concept creates a beautiful element of flow. Everything ties together and the beauty of your entire home is on display. When Frank Lloyd Wright created open concept living, his idea was to encourage indoor-outdoor living. An open concept can be a stunning visual if done right and all of those natural elements are threaded into the space.
8. Get rid of underused spaces: Perhaps you have a dining room that gets no love aside from the holiday season. Maybe your grandma is the only person that uses the reading nook when she comes to visit. Opening up a space will immediately bring those spaces to the forefront of a room (and offer even more space to design) and people will start to utilize the space more.
Before making any big decisions on remodeling your home with this open-concept, it’s always important to deeply consider what kind of humans you are. If you’re truly entertainers and have people over more than just the holidays, this could be a great remodeling switch-up for your home. If you love indoor-outdoor living, enjoy communicating with your family members on an ongoing basis, or would love to see the decorating in your kitchen or living area blend with one another – open concept design may be just for you. The best fit for your family is most important, after all.
