topic Re: Open Concept in Among Friends

Open Concept

CherryHugs — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 11:15:46 GMT

Does everyone everywhere now days love this open concept in homes? We grew up in a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom house and did just fine without open concept. I am probably in the minority but I like having separate rooms in a house. On the shows on HGTV almost every one wants open floor plan.

Re: Open Concept

Ladylaughsalot — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 11:22:54 GMT

I’m with you. I prefer separate rooms, especially having pets. I like to be able to close the living and dining rooms off to keep my pets out of those areas.

Re: Open Concept

ms traditional — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 11:30:44 GMT

not a fan. i appreciate separation of function. i don't want whatever is out in the kitchen spilling into views from my living and dining area . i am a bit more formal and like more order.

Re: Open Concept

queendiva — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 11:33:24 GMT

I like kitchen open to the family room, but when I did a complete reno of my kitchen I chose to keep it separate from the dining room for multiple reasons. I did not want to eliminate an entire room from my house, I wanted a different decor in each of those rooms and who wants to see all the mess left in the kitchen from preparing a meal while enjoying that meal in the dining room?

I just opened up the doorway between both rooms to let more light into the kitchen. Very satisfied with the result.

Like @ms traditional I have a formal living room off the kitchen, too. Two separate rooms with very different functions. My house is almost 50 years old and reflects a different period in time.

Re: Open Concept

nyc1 — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 11:41:31 GMT

I LOVE an open concept. That doesn't necessarily mean that they entire downstairs is open with no walls, but I prefer not having a lot of separate closed off rooms. I definitley like the kitchen to be open to the family room.

When I'm cooking I don't feel closed off, which is especially important to me when I'm entertaining.

Re: Open Concept

jackthebear — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 11:43:28 GMT

hate

those giant rooms, with a teeny horrible kitchen, tucked in a corner, lazy architecture and cheap to build

can do a more open design with a bit of thought.

Re: Open Concept

Mominohio — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 11:43:58 GMT

I can handle a nice kitchen that opens to a family room, but other than that, I want traditional rooms. I want a formal living room, formal dining room and bedrooms that can't be seen from the main living areas of the home.

Re: Open Concept

mimomof4 — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 11:45:28 GMT

While my home is not open concept because it is very small, I like the open concept idea. It makes a smaller area look much bigger. I have walked in houses with an open concept and while the room looks huge, upon really looking at it the living area is the same size as my house.

When I walk in homes that have separate living, family, dining and kitchen I feel very closed in and claustrophobic. The rooms seem much darker than those in open concept. Those homes were built in the style of that day nto today.

Re: Open Concept

gmkb — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 12:40:44 GMT

When we bought our home we had the option of a closed kitchen or open concept. I chose open and love it.. It does require keeping a neat kitchen, which we do, so no problem there. It all makes for a roomier and brighter atmosphere.

Re: Open Concept

Regal Bee — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 13:43:49 GMT

My dining room is open to our living room and my kitchen is open to the family room. This is really nice when we are entertaining. (Which is fairly often.) But, I do not like an open concept home.

Our home is a large and rambling ranch and I don't mind if you see the bedrooms or other rooms.....I keep my home neat and orderly all the time so it is not a problem. Everyone always wants to see my studio.....which I don't mind at all.

Re: Open Concept

VanSleepy — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 13:49:04 GMT

I wouldn't want the whole main floor to be totally open. When we remodeled I hesitated to knock down the wall between the kitchen and dining room, but I'm so glad we did.

Re: Open Concept

redwingsgal — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 13:49:08 GMT

We LOVE open concept. My kitchen and family room are open, there is an opening to the living room/dining room combo, but no door. My decor is very contemporary and each room goes with the next any way. We did not design our home for entertaining, we did it for living !!!

Re: Open Concept

50Mickey — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 14:19:03 GMT

Well I have had both. We sold our colonial style house in January of this year. It was a traditional 2 story home with a center hall and all of the rooms were separate. It was easy to decorate and looked lovely especially for the holidays. We downsized and most of the new homes geared to retirees are open concerpt . It does help a smaler house appear larger. But you are basically cooking in your iiving area and there is no formal dinning room. There are advantages to both styles but I really miss my colonial. I don't understand the notion that you HAVE to be able to see your children when you are cooking so no walls. Maybe look around the corner now and then like most of us did when our kids were small. I have a feeling that open concerpt will run it's course in due time just like barn doors hopefully will. What goes around comes around.

Re: Open Concept

Shanus — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 14:26:01 GMT

We built our house 21 yrs. ago, so were fortunate to work from plans & arrange rooms as we liked. The kitchen is open to sunroom/family room/eating area & 12’ island w/ stools (runs the length of that side of the house)...huge area w/ French tile floors & area rugs...where we and the beagles spend all of our “together” time. I have a big desk/drawing table in there as my “command central”, sketching, computer, bill paying, etc.

I kept a formal dining room at front entrance, open to living room. Very rarely use either. Glass French doors separate those areas from our family area. Doors can all be opened back for a lg. entertaining space, but have only done that several times. Prefer smaller gatherings.

Our bedroom is on main floor...closed off down a private hallway from the rest of the house. Although, DH’s study and 3 other bedrooms & baths are upstairs, there’s an open loft area that looks over front entrance/living room. My studio & bath is the bonus room over the garage w/ separate stairway up from the kitchen.

I only did the formal rooms for resale. When we sell & look for smaller house, I’d like 1 Great Room w/ kitchen, dining, TV area all together. The formal rooms were a waste of square footage & furniture/decorating.

Re: Open Concept

x Hedge — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 14:41:21 GMT

No, I don't love it and wouldn't want to live in it or maintain it.

My brother's home is 'open'.

On the main floor there isn't a single door between kitchen, dining, family, and living rooms.

The open staircase leads to an open upper hall that looks down to the first floor. If you leave the upstairs (bedroom) doors open, then the entire house is 'open'.

All I see when i look at this design is lack of privacy, with all sounds and smells rapidly traveling throughout the entire house, and I shudder with horror imagining trying to heat it!

Since heat rises and the entire first floor and upper hall are one big space, you have to be able to afford to heat a lot of rooms you aren't using just to be comfortable using one area.

Re: Open Concept

Shanus — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 15:27:34 GMT

Open concept or closed, our house is just way too big for us now...Thinking we only want to move once, from here to condo in gated community w/ health care, assisted living available. At 70 (OMG on Friday!!!!), I’m 10 yrs. younger than everyone else there.

It’s a real predicament! Keep discussing what to do. If we move to smaller house, will be moving again before long. DH is 74, still works full time.

Re: Open Concept

Hayfield — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 15:36:07 GMT

We lived in a traditional Williamsburg colonial for 30 years and we loved it, the front of the house the formal living room and dining room, the back of the house the kitchen and family room were "open" to each other and I loved it. We never used the formal livingroom and the formal dining room was used 3 times a year. When we retired we moved to another state and bought a house with an "open" concept. It does have a seprate foyer entrance with a study/den to the left and hallway to the guestbedroom and full bath. The great room, kitchen and dining area are "open" and we love it! Down another small hallway is the master bedroom, master bath and laundry. No wasted space! We did add a "bonus" room over the garage that we'll use as a bedroom, there's also a bath up there too. Our new home has many wonderful architectural features, Craftsman style moldings throughout, tray ceilings, built-in cabinets with arches on either side of the fireplace and many more. It's a beautiful house! Open concept or the traditiional style house is a personal choice, we loved our traditional style house but it was time for a change!

Re: Open Concept

Hayfield — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 15:37:37 GMT

@Shanus wrote:
Open concept or closed, our house is just way too big for us now...Thinking we only want to move once, from here to condo in gated community w/ health care, assisted living available. At 70 (OMG on Friday!!!!), I’m 10 yrs. younger than everyone else there.

It’s a real predicament! Keep discussing what to do. If we move to smaller house, will be moving again before long. DH is 74, still works full time.

I'm 63! DH retired last year at 63!

Re: Open Concept

jeanlake — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 15:46:51 GMT

Love open concept in our patio home. High ceilings, modern, looks larger than what it is, benefit of windows from every angle. Now all I need is a relaxing beach view from the middle of the country!

Re: Open Concept

chrystaltree — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 16:11:49 GMT

Don't confuse real life with tv shows. I know several people who have built new homes in recent years and while they opted for either an open kitchen/dining area or open livingroom/dining area...everything else is a separte room. I see open floor plans and lofts and they feel livable to me. People need the ability to go into a room, close the door and keep the everyone out.