Open Concept - Page 2

VanSleepy · ‎10-05-2010

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.

redwingsgal · ‎03-10-2010

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 !!!

I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend, til death, your right to say it

50Mickey · ‎05-21-2010

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.

Shanus · ‎05-17-2010

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.

x Hedge · ‎08-18-2016

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.

Shanus · ‎05-17-2010

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.

Hayfield · ‎03-10-2010

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!

Hayfield · ‎03-10-2010

@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!

jeanlake · ‎03-10-2010

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!

"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees." Henry David Thoreau

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

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.