Everyone differs in their preferences and expectations for home design. One major aspect of home design is whether the layout is traditional, or open concept. There are benefits and downsides to each, depending on your goals and preferences. In a home with a traditional floor plan, each room is separated at least partially by walls to create distinct rooms. Open concept floor plans instead minimize the number of interior walls on the home’s first floor.
Much of modern home design has moved away from the traditional layout with enclosed rooms. While this can make a floor plan feel more spacious, it’s often difficult to create a style that flows well. Instead of just coordinating the style and colors of the dining room, you now need to make sure the living room and kitchen fit the same aesthetic. Traditional layouts allow you to decorate each room in its own distinct way without clashing with the style of another room.
Benefits of Open Concept Plans
There are many benefits of open concept floor plans, which are popular in most new construction homes.
- A significant benefit of open floor plans, especially in sunny Sarasota, is the amount of natural lighting you can achieve. In traditional-style homes, the interior walls block sunlight from one wall’s windows from reaching across the house. Open floor plans take advantage of the natural light and thus feel more airy and spacious.
- If you’re a fan of entertaining large crowds, open floor plans are attractive in how they allow guests to freely move throughout the space. They also make it easier to rearrange furniture and change the way your home is laid out. Traditional layouts close off rooms and make it more difficult to move around; however, they may feel much cozier and warmer because of this.
- Many parents these days prefer open floor plans because of the increased line of sight. You could be cooking in the kitchen or doing work at the dining room table and still be able to watch your toddler as they play in the living room area. If you’re someone who values privacy though, an open floor plan may not be for you.
- It’s easier to make traditional-style homes appear less cluttered, since you can close doors to certain rooms or move a mess to another area where your guests won’t be. In an open floor plan, it’s much harder to conceal an area such as a playroom or dirty dishes in the sink from visitors.
- However, when it comes to cleaning the floors, open floor plans are usually much easier–the material used on the floor is usually the same throughout, meaning you can use the same products and cleaning methods in the living room as you can in the dining room and kitchen.
In terms of increasing your home’s value, open floor plans are currently more in style. About 70% of buyers looking at homes prefer an open floor plan to a traditional one. However, style is fluid and often cyclical; what is popular today is not necessarily what will be in demand ten years down the line. We recommend choosing a home layout that suits your family and makes you happy. Both floor plans are beautiful and have their pros and cons, so it’s up to you to decide what is best.If you want to renovate your kitchen, bathroom or outdoor space to open up your floor plan – or to make the best use of your traditional floor plan- call the professional contractors at West Coast Design Build Florida today for a design consultation.
