Read HomeTriangle’s comprehensive, insightful guide on the distinct advantages and potential drawbacks of designing a modern open-plan home.
Open-plan layouts have been the dominant architectural trend in many urban residences since the last decade. The main aim of an open-plan design is to eliminate the barriers such as walls and doors to join the kitchen and the dining room, the dining room and the living room, or all the three into a kind of communal living space or great room.
This article focuses on the various strengths and weaknesses of an open-plan layout. Here’s HomeTriangle’s guide on the pros and cons of an open-plan home.
Pros :
1. Gives A Spacious Look
Removing the walls between the living room, dining room, and kitchen helps in acquiring more space. Moreover, the high ceilings in an open floor plan (more than 10 feet) can make it look a lot more spacious. The best feature of an open-plan home is that it creates a free-flowing space with continuity in the design. This helps in making the home look large and spacious.
2 Flexible And Multi-Functional Space
Another advantage of an open-plan layout is that unlike a traditional home, it allows a lot of flexibility in the furniture layout. You can periodically switch around the furniture to create different layouts. An open-plan layout also creates a multi-functional space that can serve as a family room, dining space, TV room, or the perfect spot for entertaining your guests.
3. Encourages Social Interaction
Open-plan homes are excellent at encouraging social interactions. As these homes bring together multiple functionalities, they become neutral areas for bringing the whole family together.
4. Shared Natural Light
Open-plans homes are usually brighter and well-ventilated due to the removal of interior walls. The fresh air and sunlight entering through the external windows penetrate into the areas of the homes that would otherwise be blocked by walls or partitions.
Cons :
1. Kitchen Odors
We Indians use a lot of oils and frying while preparing our elaborate meals using masalas and spices lavishly. The smoke and odors subsequently produced are easily spread into the other open areas of the home.
A heavy-duty chimney can suck up most of the kitchen smoke and unpleasant odors and expel them outside the home. To get the best professionals offering quality chimney services, contact HomeTriangle.
2. More Maintenance Requirements
One of the biggest downsides of an open-plan home is that your messy kitchen is always visible from the open areas of the home if your kitchen is prone to chaos and clutter. Also, you have to keep the living-cum-dining space in order round the day to avoid an untidy look.
Our experts advise you to opt for a semi-open kitchen that can keep the kitchen clutter and soiled utensils out of direct view.
3. Increasing In Cooling Costs
The cooling costs of an open-plan home might be significantly higher because the entire space needs to be air-conditioned. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right size and type of air conditioner for your home.
4. Noisier Space
Sound can travel easily in an open-plan environment and can also cause echoes if there are high ceilings. As there are no partition walls to block the noise, the sounds from the kitchen appliances and television can create a noisy space.
5. Lack Of Privacy
While open-plan homes are brilliant at stimulating social interaction, the downside is that finding a quiet space for reading or studying is next to impossible.
Verdict :
We at HomeTraingle loves open-plan homes. But the choice is yours to make. Depending on your needs and requirements, you should choose the type of home you want.
