We can understand the hype surrounding open floor plans and firmly support the movement of more people dipping their toes and exploring their creative expression through home design, but we think treating it as the quintessential layout for a house is quite the stretch. Sure, there’s no denying that among its many features, such as a more contemporary vibe and open feeling, is something a lot of people are looking for in a home, but saying that it works for every house and all types of families are apparent exaggerations.

Of course, we have no intention of saying something without evidence and proof that will inevitably have people raising their pitchforks and torches against us. So, to define the reasons why open floor plans aren’t as awesome as people make them out to be, we’ll be going over some of the faults most people overlook and the redeeming factors that contrast the downsides.

Sometimes, It’s A Lot More Trouble Than It’s Worth

On paper, more space will naturally appear to be the smarter choice; however, having more space doesn’t necessarily solve all your problems and creates a perfect house because there’s more to interior design and home renovations than just better foot traffic. As a result, you might end up with a lot more trouble on your hands than the project’s actual benefits, namely (1) design challenges with too much room, (2) utility expenses rising, (3) the loss of privacy, and (4) expensive project costs. 

• Too Big Of A Space Is A Design Challenge: Like with painting, a bigger canvas doesn’t mean you can more freely express the subject matter; in fact, it might even become more difficult to distribute every corner of expression in the piece. Consequently, the same principle applies to open floor plans wherein too much space becomes a design challenge on your end. For example, you can’t just add a kitchen backsplash without considering how it looks from the living room or place furniture that could obstruct an otherwise good view.
• Expect Your Utilities To Jump Up In Price: Besides design troubles with space and proportions, open floor plans and layouts will cost you more every month because you should expect your utilities to jump in price. You see, while some people like to label walls as restrictive, they help with the circulation of heating, cooling, and ventilation, localizing them into one room. However, since an open floor plan gets rid of most walls, your HVAC system will be doing twice the workload.
• Throwing Away The Privacy Of Traditional Layouts: Sure, big and expansive spaces feel great to explore and make you feel like the room is a lot larger than it actually is, but this comes at the cost of throwing away what little privacy you had left. Likewise, this does mean any kind of party you plan to throw or all sorts of social activities will see this as a plus but don’t expect to get any quiet reading done on your alone time.
• Upfront Project Costs Are Expensive: Lastly, since switching to an open floor plan from a more traditional layout will require a complete overhaul of the space from checking on structural clearance and working with a plumbing contractor to see if the pipes are fine, the costs of this project will be expensive. Therefore, unless you’ve got deep pockets or have been saving up for quite some time now, you shouldn’t jump the gun on a financial decision as big as this one.

Of Course, Open Floor Plans Also Have Objective Advantages

Needles to say, it wouldn’t be fair if we aired out all the diary laundry associated with open floor plans without batting an eye at their advantages because that would just be painting the layout in a bad light. So, if you’re looking for reasons to pursue an open floor plan remodeling, the objective advantages you will undoubtedly get in return are (1) an increase in property value and (2) more natural lighting throughout your home. 

• In Demand = Increase Property Value: As we’ve mentioned before, people love the idea of open floor plans and the amount of freedom you get when stepping into a house that feels and looks a lot bigger. And because a lot of first-time homebuyers don’t mind taking on the challenge of designing something as spacious, you’ll see plenty of offers line up with the right pictures. As a result, you can consider open floor plans as a long investment into your property as well.
• Accessible And Beautiful Natural Light: Apart from the financial advantages of remodeling your home to an open floor plan, one distinct benefit you receive from an open layout is free reign over the beautiful natural light in your home. You wouldn’t need to worry as much about lighting fixtures because you have the best light source the world could ever provide 24/7. Furthermore, installing a skylight or floor-to-ceiling windows really accentuate that contemporary vibe.

Play To Your Strengths And Weigh Your Choices.

At the end of the day, pursuing an open floor plan is a choice you get to make, so feel free to decide which option suits your needs and wants best. Just remember to play to your strengths, weigh the pros and cons of the project, and take your sweet time before making anything final.