Open plan living is often billed as the perfect floor plan, bringing family together in a single room where cooking, conversation and the screen share the same space.
It has been a popular feature of modern homes for the last three decades and more. However, a growing school of thought – encouraged somewhat by lockdowns – now suggests it’s time to reconsider the idea of rooms having specific purposes in the interests of privacy, noise – and sanity.
As experienced local agents, we have seen real estate fashions come and go and come again and there is no doubt that open plan has been a stayer. But there are pros and cons which we’ve explored below.
Open plan benefits:
- A living area where no boundaries lie between leisure and the kitchen will be a magnet for the entire family at least twice a day. Interaction is essential for a harmonious household – especially if you have teenagers – and open plan living helps you hang out together even if everyone is doing different things.
- Young families benefit because it is far easier for mum or dad to keep an eye on young children. It also avoids the temptation to pack them off to their bedroom or playroom, where they won’t see you or talk to you.
- For anyone who loves entertaining, open plan living is essential. You can continue cooking while not being excluded from your guests.
- An open plan space naturally lends itself to extending outside and flowing into the garden or a patio or deck with cafe or sliding doors and lots of glass. This can be great for your sense of health and wellbeing.
Open plan drawbacks:
- An open plan area is usually the highest maintenance area of the home. With so many activities going on, there’ll inevitably be a mess at the end of the day. Island benches become dumping grounds for bags and keys, while toy mess can spread across everything and you can’t avoid seeing it. If you love a tidy home, you might find yourself continually cleaning.
- It’s a privacy killer. Without a sound barrier, it’s hard to read a book when the TV is on, when there’s a conversation in the kitchen, or home schooling is taking place. And if you need to do a Zoom call at the dining room table, everyone else in the room is asked to keep quiet, or you’ll find yourself in the bathroom praying your background filter doesn’t fail!
- Decorating an open plan area can be tricky. Furniture needs to match and be of a similar size. The visual balance of an open plan area can be ruined if your couch is far larger than your dining table.
- Heating and cooling can take a lot of energy. With large spaces to fill with warm or cold air, you’ll need an efficient air conditioning or ducted system to keep you comfortable or it can get expensive.