The open plan home layout style is an idea that is seeing increasing popularity in recent years, and today it is a key selling point for many people who are actively looking to buy a new home. The open plan gives a home a definite feeling of space and “openness,” and it’s a very modern feel, as opposed to some older homes that can feel closed off.

This airy feeling (with it’s multi-purpose capability) is definitely appealing to many home buyers and interior designers, and all of this suggests that the open-plan lifestyle has gone beyond being merely a fad and into a lifestyle choice that is definitely here to stay.

What’s behind the ongoing trend towards open-plan living, and what is it about this style that is so appealing to so many people? Here are a few of the pros and cons on living with the open plan lifestyle.

Factors in The Open Plan Lifestyle

Builders like Alair Homes Sanibel are utilizing the popular open plan design in many of their new model homes, because of the plan’s great appeal to modern home buyers. The open plan is basically a large living space that has few structural walls. This gives the space a feeling of one area flowing into the other, which lends itself to multi-purpose use and greater flexibility.

Open Floor Plan
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What’s Behind The Popularity of This Trend?

Today, many modern families have a more casual, less structured lifestyle, which means that traditional dining rooms are rarely utilized anymore. Many homeowners would rather use that space for different purposes, so they prefer to keep the entire space open. Some former dining areas become work or recreation areas. The open plan gives homeowners many more lifestyle options.

Open Plans Create a Feeling of More Space

Today, as many urban areas become ever more crowded and the cost of housing increases, many people are living in smaller spaces. An open plan greatly increases the feeling of space in a home, and assures that no space is unused (as in the forgotten dining space). Having more space and letting in more light is a very attractive concept these days, for sure.

Privacy Can be A Concern

While the open plan idea has many advantages, there are certainly some disadvantages, too. Storage spaces needed to be planned into the space, to avoid a messy look when all areas are used by a family at once. Privacy is another concern. Cooking odors or a messy looking kitchen can also be a problem in a plan where the kitchen space is shared with the main living area.

Yes, there are many pros and cons in the open plan idea, yet the trend does seem to be here to stay. Will it stay popular or will Victorian style living make a comeback? Only time will tell!