Pros and cons of semi-open floor plan

[Anonymous]

Just moved into a house with a pretty closed floor plan--center hall colonial. I'd like to have a more open floor plan, but would like DCUM's collective wisdom on how open to make it. Kids are now in elementary school--not sure if I'll want more open as they get older so I can keep an eye on them, or if we'll all want more privacy.

My initial thought was keep the dining room and living room more closed--but open up kitchen to family room. But maybe all I need is to widen the doorways to create better sightlines/more openness from room to room, rather than completely take down walls?

[Anonymous]

My house is open and I personally do not like it - it's not cozy and there's little privacy.

[Anonymous]

We have a semi open floor plan. Kitchen and family room are open. Dining room and living room are more separate. I love it. Works great for our family.

[Anonymous]

I would widen the doorways between rooms with double french doors between the rooms that are big enough so that the house has a "figure 8" walk through plan.

I would also open the kitchen intk the family room.

[Anonymous]

Family room and kitchen should be open

[Anonymous]

Your instinct to widen doorways instead of completely opening walls is good. You can do some nice molding around the doorways to keep the traditional feel.

[Anonymous]

Perfect plan is to enter with a dining room
And study either side of entrance.
Back of house has large eat in kitchen open to family room.

[Anonymous]

The con is not everyone likes an open or semi-open plan and it may limit future buyers. I prefer more closed.

[Anonymous]

In my SIL's center hall colonial, the family room is open to the kitchen and the living room connects to the family room with two wide, sliding glass doors. It's really nice because you can close the living room off if you want, or open it up to create one big space. Her dining room is more separate, but also has a glass door to the kitchen so there's a sense of space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My house is open and I personally do not like it - it's not cozy and there's little privacy.

I agree with you as a visitor to the open home floor plans that I have been in. I really don't like it when I go to someone's house to drop off or pick up our child for a play date and just standing at the front door I can see everything in the main rooms of an open house. It may be just me but it makes me feel completely awkward that I can see the kids playing, what's on tv, the breakfast dishes still on the dining room table and what is in the kitchen sink. There is no way of not being in the middle of everything in a completely open space. I need more definition and more sense of privacy.

[Anonymous]

We have an open floor plan and I loved it at first, now I'd give anything for that traditional colonial you're describing. The worst part is you can see everything from everywhere. Didn't wash the dishes? Be prepared to look at them. Junk all over the kitchen table. You're looking at it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My house is open and I personally do not like it - it's not cozy and there's little privacy.

I agree with you as a visitor to the open home floor plans that I have been in. I really don't like it when I go to someone's house to drop off or pick up our child for a play date and just standing at the front door I can see everything in the main rooms of an open house. It may be just me but it makes me feel completely awkward that I can see the kids playing, what's on tv, the breakfast dishes still on the dining room table and what is in the kitchen sink. There is no way of not being in the middle of everything in a completely open space. I need more definition and more sense of privacy.

Yup not for packrat slobs, true colors come out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The con is not everyone likes an open or semi-open plan and it may limit future buyers. I prefer more closed.

No moron , the majority like open, closed is not sought after because people no longer have servents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The con is not everyone likes an open or semi-open plan and it may limit future buyers. I prefer more closed.

Yea, but that's even more limiting. Most people want open floor plans. Im an interior designer and all renos I work on, people are opening the home up. Ive never ever once worked a project where people wanted to close rooms off. Not once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would widen the doorways between rooms with double french doors between the rooms that are big enough so that the house has a "figure 8" walk through plan.

I would also open the kitchen intk the family room.

This is what we have in our center hall colonial. Plus expanded kitchen out back and that is the " open " part. The rest just gracefully flows in a circle but sep rooms.