Our minds are totally changed about the trendy home layout.
Flip to any home renovation show on TV, and more often than not, at some point throughout the episode, you’ll see a realtor and clients oohing and ahhing over an open floor plan.
Many on the search for a new home also covet the open concept floor plan as a must-have feature when touring potential abodes. But are these layouts really that great, after all? In a recent article, Realtor.com addressed six things in your new home that will soon drive you nuts, citing an open floor plan among the offenders. Laura Mineff, a Cleveland-based interior designer and owner of Array Design Studio shares several reasons you may want to reconsider buying a home with an open floor plan.
The first reason? “Sounds are multiplied in an open floor plan; they don’t offer sound protection,” notes Mineff. Secondly, she points out the fact that you’ll likely need to buy rugs and window panels to help with sound control. You’ll also probably have to think about buying extra furniture, artwork, and plants to fill the space. All of this, of course, cuts into your budget, and the dollars can add up faster than you think. And here’s another bummer to open floor plans: The lack of privacy can be a drawback, especially if somebody is watching a movie while another household member is trying to study for a school exam on a kitchen bar stool. Or what if you have a guest spending the night on the living room pull out bed but you need to turn the lights on in the kitchen to cook breakfast before they’re awake? So much we never thought about, everyone. You can check out Realtor.com‘s full list of features you’ll regret having in your new home here.
So, where do you fall on this debate? Do you see the benefits of an open floor plan, or do you agree it can become a headache in the home?
By Perri Ormont Blumberg
Source: Open Floor Plans Home Buying Advice | Southern Living
