To Have or Not To Have: Open Floor Plans

Open floor plans have been a trending buzzword in interior design for a while now. An open floor plan means having one of more large rooms that function as multiple rooms in the same space. This trend that began with office designs can now often be seen in Indian homes. As the size of apartments shrink, knocking down interior walls is often the most practical solution to make the most space. If you’re contemplating designing a home with an open floor plan or breaking down a few walls as you remodel, here are a few pros and cons to keep in mind.

Natural Light

The argument of yellow light vs white light will probably never end but every interior designer in India will agree that natural light is the best way of lighting up a home. Advocates for open floor plans stress on its ability to maximize natural light as one of its biggest advantages. Having an open floor plan breaks down interior walls that block the natural passage of light and thus promote both natural light and cross ventilation.

Keeping it Clean

Most homes that feature an open floor plan integrate the living dining and kitchen spaces into one room. For compact homes this is an excellent arrangement as the space looks larger than having tiny individual rooms. On the flip side, having an open floor plan implies having everything on display and segregating activities might become difficult. Choosing to have an open floor plan means that your kitchen needs to always be a spotless as the living area and while this won’t be an issue for people with cleanliness OCD, it can be quite a challenge for others. So before you break down the walls take a serious honest look at how clean you can keep your home.

Privacy

When an interior designer, designs a home for a family with small children an open floor plan may be suggested so that the parents can always keep an eye on the little ones. However, this also translates to a lack of privacy and can be distracting at times. Along with open lines of vision, sound also travels easily with an open floor plan.

Entertaining

Entertaining with an open floor plan has its advantages and disadvantages. Having an open floor plan can make entertaining easier as it allows you to cook while mingling with guests. Most often guests anyway find their way to the kitchen and so this can be quite advantageous. However if you’re used to entertaining on a formal basis, this style of interior design will not work for you.
Kitchens in homes with traditional compartmentalized rooms usually are spaces for a hostess to catch her breath while entertaining and for gossip to be secretly shared. With an open floor plan, it is impossible to be out of sight without someone noticing and the only space to have a moment to yourself are private spaces like the bedroom and bathroom.

Showcasing Artwork

Furniture layouts can be a challenge with open floor plans. The bigger challenge is a lack of wall space to hang artwork. Similarly displaying curios and travel souvenirs can also be difficult with an open floor plan. Bookcases and sideboards are usually designed to stand against a wall and hence can’t always be used in the centre of the rooms. Thus having an open floor plan might also mean having to get customized furniture designed for your home.

Thus having an Open Floor Plan is not only a matter of aesthetics and designs trends but also a matter of lifestyle and practicality. Do you think your home could have an open floor plan?