Anonymous
10/14/2012 11:11
Subject: Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
I haven't seen this mentioned yet, so ....
I feel a tiny sense of panic when I'm forced to spend too much time in one of those 2.100 sq ft "rooms" that are 2.5 stories tall. My brother has just such a family room/dining area/hearth room (WTF is that anyway)/breakfast area.
The "room" just goes on forever and is literally 40+ feet tall. I feel dread sitting on the puny couch in there on thanksgiving.
The panic part comes from, I think, feeling like I'm seating in the middle of the floor in Union Station or the Natural History Museum atrium or something. Why would you do that, right? You wouldn't. So why would you design a living space to mimic that.
I feel a tiny sense of panic when I'm forced to spend too much time in one of those 2.100 sq ft "rooms" that are 2.5 stories tall. My brother has just such a family room/dining area/hearth room (WTF is that anyway)/breakfast area.
The "room" just goes on forever and is literally 40+ feet tall. I feel dread sitting on the puny couch in there on thanksgiving.
The panic part comes from, I think, feeling like I'm seating in the middle of the floor in Union Station or the Natural History Museum atrium or something. Why would you do that, right? You wouldn't. So why would you design a living space to mimic that.
Anonymous
10/14/2012 10:51
Subject: Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
I think the open floor plan trend was a scam by builders too cheap to put up walls in new construction but who wanted a way to trick buyers into paying more for less.
Anonymous
10/14/2012 10:48
Subject: Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
i am over open floor plan too! we are moving out of our open floor plan townhouse after 10 years. my kids are getting older and everyone needs their space. i dream of nooks and tiny rooms where everyone can get away. i really don't always need to hear my kids practiciing their instruments.
Anonymous
10/14/2012 10:34
Subject: Re:Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a renovated center hall colonial and love that. I like rooms and prefer a moderate sized space with high ceilings, but no 2-story family rooms for me. I also dislike a 2-story foyer which is pretentious to me. I want to be able to paint my own house for the cost of the paint only.
Also 1,600 sf is my ideal home size for a family of 4. I clean my own house and don't want to spend more time cleaning than I need to. I don't want to pay to heat more than necessary. Also I like nice things (furniture, molding, built-ins, quality paints and fabrics) and I'd much rather have the smaller space so that the home is quality for what I'm willing to pay, not have cheap furnishings/finishes in a 6,000 sf place.
I do like the kitchen somewhat open though so that the person cooking can talk to the rest of the family hanging out. A far-away, isolated kitchen reminds me of a servant cooking. You can certainly achieve this connection between kitchen and family room, and have a more traditional floor plan too. I also think a formal living room tends to be wasted space for the way most families live. I like it smaller, and to double as a playroom (good but durable covered leather furniture, toys hidden away most of time).
All of this! Yes.
Anonymous
10/14/2012 10:27
Subject: Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
We have kind of a combination that works great -- open family room/dining room but separate kitchen. That way we can have a party with lots of people and extend the table but no one sees the dirty dishes!
Anonymous
10/14/2012 10:26
Subject: Re:Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
I hate the open flor plan, especially after living in one for a year.
Who wants their kitchen mess visible from the front door? No casual area for kids toys and now formal area that is always ready for guests?
Unexpected visitors suck in an open floor plan. So does trying to watch the news or an adult show while kids are awake. It is harder to heat/cool an open floor plan and more challenging and limiting to decorate.
No thanks!
Who wants their kitchen mess visible from the front door? No casual area for kids toys and now formal area that is always ready for guests?
Unexpected visitors suck in an open floor plan. So does trying to watch the news or an adult show while kids are awake. It is harder to heat/cool an open floor plan and more challenging and limiting to decorate.
No thanks!
Anonymous
10/14/2012 10:18
Subject: Re:Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
I grew up in a renovated center hall colonial and love that. I like rooms and prefer a moderate sized space with high ceilings, but no 2-story family rooms for me. I also dislike a 2-story foyer which is pretentious to me. I want to be able to paint my own house for the cost of the paint only.
Also 1,600 sf is my ideal home size for a family of 4. I clean my own house and don't want to spend more time cleaning than I need to. I don't want to pay to heat more than necessary. Also I like nice things (furniture, molding, built-ins, quality paints and fabrics) and I'd much rather have the smaller space so that the home is quality for what I'm willing to pay, not have cheap furnishings/finishes in a 6,000 sf place.
I do like the kitchen somewhat open though so that the person cooking can talk to the rest of the family hanging out. A far-away, isolated kitchen reminds me of a servant cooking. You can certainly achieve this connection between kitchen and family room, and have a more traditional floor plan too. I also think a formal living room tends to be wasted space for the way most families live. I like it smaller, and to double as a playroom (good but durable covered leather furniture, toys hidden away most of time).
Also 1,600 sf is my ideal home size for a family of 4. I clean my own house and don't want to spend more time cleaning than I need to. I don't want to pay to heat more than necessary. Also I like nice things (furniture, molding, built-ins, quality paints and fabrics) and I'd much rather have the smaller space so that the home is quality for what I'm willing to pay, not have cheap furnishings/finishes in a 6,000 sf place.
I do like the kitchen somewhat open though so that the person cooking can talk to the rest of the family hanging out. A far-away, isolated kitchen reminds me of a servant cooking. You can certainly achieve this connection between kitchen and family room, and have a more traditional floor plan too. I also think a formal living room tends to be wasted space for the way most families live. I like it smaller, and to double as a playroom (good but durable covered leather furniture, toys hidden away most of time).
Anonymous
10/14/2012 10:13
Subject: Re:Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
I love the open floor plan. If your house is well-insulated and you have a well-designed HVAC system and good windows the climate control shouldn't be an issue. I can see how some people prefer other floor plans but I personally am not over the open floor plan. I can't imagine ever living in a house that was more split up.
Anonymous
10/14/2012 09:53
Subject: Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
I like natural light so the extra walls, doors, door frames all over the place would annoy me. Not to mention how difficult it was to get furniture in/through my old Boston brownstone layout...
That said, some of the very new arts/crafts homes are extremely open. Just pillars on the main floor and large entry coonedting ways. Am not sure how I'd furnish them or tie the "rooms" together. Luckily most houses since 1990 are not that extreme.
As for energy, efficient systems and doublepaned windows plus cheap nat gas are great. We saw little 1930s home in au park having $400 monthly heating bills. Newer bigger builds, $150 per month.
That said, some of the very new arts/crafts homes are extremely open. Just pillars on the main floor and large entry coonedting ways. Am not sure how I'd furnish them or tie the "rooms" together. Luckily most houses since 1990 are not that extreme.
As for energy, efficient systems and doublepaned windows plus cheap nat gas are great. We saw little 1930s home in au park having $400 monthly heating bills. Newer bigger builds, $150 per month.
Anonymous
10/14/2012 09:44
Subject: Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
I like large colonia withl open floor plan
Anonymous
10/14/2012 09:37
Subject: Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
Never been a fan of the open floor plan. I like cozy rooms and privacy and having the ability to get away from the chaos of family life. I like being able to have the radio on in the kitchen while I cook and not hear the tv in the other room. (Luckily my kitchen's big enough for company to sit down and join me while I cook.) I like being able to close off my kitchen after preparing a big meal so I don't see the mess when I sit down to eat. I've always loved the typical floor plans of European homes with the long central hallway with doors off each side opening into separate rooms--sort of like that Make a Deal magic -- what is behind Door #2?! 
So, no, you're not the only one!
So, no, you're not the only one!
Anonymous
10/14/2012 09:37
Subject: Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
Everything old is new again. Open floor plans and granite counters are going to be what dates homes in 10 years, when no one will want them.
Climate control was a major reason they made rooms smaller back in the day, fwiw.
Climate control was a major reason they made rooms smaller back in the day, fwiw.
Anonymous
10/14/2012 09:30
Subject: Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
I really think it depends what you like and what works for your family. I grew up where everyone was in the kitchen together and this often spilled over to the family room. So for me, I like the idea of open area. I am also not big on the formal dinning room, it feels like wasted space to me. I'm thinking of making my kitchen bigger, with an eat in area large enough to hold 8-10 comfortably all open to the family room. We will still have a formal living room area, but I really don't see it getting used.
Anonymous
10/14/2012 09:11
Subject: Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
Argh -- typing on iPad, without glasses equals typos.
Anonymous
10/14/2012 09:11
Subject: Am I the Bly one who is over the open floor plan?
I originally liked the kitchen/great room/dinning room own plan, but now I am yearning for a center hall colonial. The open space is hard to heat, everyone is in the same space most of the time, it is just not cosy.