My Argument Against An Open Floor Plan
I grew up in ranches and raised ranches. While not the open floor plans of the contemporary homes and modern designs we see today, I always remember yearning for more separation. Where did you go? When you wanted to read but other family members wanted to watch a movie? And how glorious would it have been to walk up a flight of stairs to my bedroom from the living room, adding just a layer space between the public and private spaces of a home?
Flash forward a few decades — I ended up spending a few short months living in one of those same raised ranches with my husband and two children. It was available and we were transitioning back to Connecticut from out of state in the midst of a hot real estate market. I hated the layout even more as a parent. Being able to tuck in a sleeping child upstairs, and then creep downstairs and go about living your life is magical to me. Another magical thing about stairs, is that toys can largely stay put either up or down depending on where you, the parent, put them and how young your children are. In the ranch? They flowed everywhere. The ball pit specifically was a disaster.
From a design standpoint, I’ve always loved old homes — the aesthetic, the character, and yes, the rooms. I love a house with a dining room, living room, keeping room, drawing room, dressing room etc. etc. I enjoy being able to create little nooks, individual little design stories in each designated room. And, on top of that, weave that whole narrative together throughout the whole house in a way that it makes sense and unfolds as you move throughout the home. It’s also a wonderful way to explore and share who your clients are, and allow them to share who they are to their guests.
Additionally, it’s truly lovely to have smaller areas in a home to retreat to at the end of the day — or even enjoy at certain parts of the day. The early part of the 2000s we were overtaken by the “man cave” which was followed by the “she shed”, crafting rooms, “cloffices” — the closet/office. Would we really need all of these new spaces if we still had drawing rooms & studys, or dens and rec rooms?
I’m hoping to see a reversion to rooms from open floor plans. I wouldn’t be surprised by it, either. Younger families are changing and they are prioritizing time spent together. The beauty of such a home is that there’s also a flexibility to it as families and people living in the home age. With spaces having a cozy feel over cavernous, it’s much easier to continue using spaces as needed and not feel swallowed by a large open space as children grow and dynamics shift.
So, there. That’s my argument for the open floor plan. I think they had it right for much of the history of homes that were beyond 1 single room. And we’ll see where the next trends take us.
