Have you been binge watching your favorite home design show and dreamed about knocking down walls in your own living room? Well, now it may be time to make those dreams a reality.
Open floor plans can increase the efficiency of your Centerville home. Without walls to inhibit airflow, these spaces can be easier to heat and cool.
Knocking Down Walls
A common goal for homeowners is to create a more open floor plan. Whether it’s to accommodate more furniture, create a cozy reading nook or let in the natural light, knocking down walls can be the solution.
Knocking down walls can be a tricky project and it’s important to consider all aspects of your home before swinging that sledgehammer. Be sure to check with your local building department to see if any of the walls are load-bearing. If they are, you’ll need to calculate the size of beam that will be needed for support and get a permit before starting the demolition.
The main benefit of opening up walls is creating a free flow throughout the home. This allows for more conversation between rooms and makes a home feel larger.
Benefits
Open floor plans improve traffic flow throughout your home. They also let in more natural light without the limitations of walls and doorways. They are perfect for households with children or pets because you can keep an eye on your kids or pups from the kitchen as they play in the living room.
With fewer walls, your home will feel bigger and more spacious. However, it can be more challenging to create a sense of privacy with an open floor plan. Noise from kitchen appliances, TV shows and loud conversations can be hard to ignore or drown out with a lack of walls. Also, heating or cooling the entire space can be more expensive than with traditional closed floorplans. This can be mitigated by using rugs and other furniture to define spaces.
Space
Open-concept floor plans offer a number of benefits that make them a popular choice amongst homeowners. From the luminous rooms that are perfect for entertaining to the superior resale value they offer, there are many ways this type of floor plan can benefit your lifestyle.
One of the main downsides to an open concept home is that it can feel less private, especially without obvious walls and doors to separate each room. To counteract this problem, there are many ways to create boundaries in an open floor plan.
One way to do this is through furniture placement. Strategically placing sofas near each other can help to define a space as the living area. Additionally, incorporating decor pieces that have a similar material or color can also help to tie the room together.
Design
A well-planned layout can help your open concept home feel connected and cohesive. From furniture arrangement to paint colors and lighting, every design decision plays a role in how your spaces read as a whole.
Noise tends to travel easily from one space to another in an open floor plan. Blaring TVs, screaming kids, or your spouse’s virtual meetings can quickly disrupt your downtime. Using heavy furnishings and rugs as sound barriers is a great way to keep these distractions from reaching other areas of the house.
Without partition walls, open concepts can be costly to heat and cool. Adding extra insulation and installing smart-home heating and cooling units can alleviate these energy costs. Adding built-in storage can also reduce clutter that’s often found in open living areas.
Process
Unlike traditional house layouts that feature walls and separate rooms, open concept living allows you to connect spaces that typically don’t have direct contact with each other. This creates a cohesive feel and gives you the option to utilize different themes in each room without having to change the entire home’s design.
Another benefit of an open floor plan is the ability to access natural light throughout your home. Taking down walls and opening up spaces helps to optimize lighting and make your home more energy efficient.
When planning for an open floor plan, it’s important to consider travel paths between rooms. This will ensure there is adequate space for guests to move freely and comfortably. Also, consider furniture arrangements and wall decor to help define different areas.