Whilst still popular with many homeowners, it has been noticed that the humble wall is making a comeback, and that perhaps open plan living has had its day…
‘Open plan is one of those scams that has been sold to us to make pokey little houses seem larger.’ Mumsnet contributor
Back in 2016, Houzz went as far as to say, ‘Open plan living has not only risen in popularity in recent years, it seems to be the mainstay of what many people look for in a home. At the time of writing, there are more than 600,000 photos of ‘open plan’ spaces on Houzz.com, so it’s clearly a key lifestyle choice with a strong fan base.’ Victoria Harrison, Editor, Houzz
At the time of writing THIS blog though, we’re down to just over 400,000… And whilst the opinions on mumsnet seem to be evenly split, we definitely believe the trend is on it’s way out, and these reasons might be why…
Lack of privacy
This is a big one for families, especially since the pandemic brought hybrid working models to the forefront of modern employment agreements. Whilst being all together is lovely, you must admit some quiet private time is essential at times!
Noisy
Picture this, it’s the weekend, but you have some admin to catch up on, the washing machine is going 10 to the dozen and a friend has popped round to see the other half – factor in the dogs, cat, radio, TV, kids and you’ve got a relative cacophony. How else would you get peace and quiet if you can’t close the door?
Smelly
Do you cook? Do you dry clothes indoors sometimes? Do you have a downstairs toilet?! A few extra doors between the kitchen, the toilet and your relaxing living space might make you feel far more comfortable, and that roast lamb smell, whilst delicious at the time, isn’t so great when embedded in your sofa (or laundry)…
Draughty
Let’s be honest, England isn’t known for it’s long hot summers and mild winters – it’s cold, a lot! A wide-open space is much harder to keep warm than a series of smaller ones, and you don’t have to have the heating at the same level in every area if you’ve got rooms. Open plan living may even require you to upgrade your insultation or have underfloor heating put in. But there’s still a draft from the front door (unless you build a porch) or coming down the stairs!
Rather than open plan living we’ve seen a far greater interest in being able to open out the house to the garden. Essentially, adding large, or bifold doors that mean the kitchen can seamlessly go onto a new deck or patio with a pergola or gazebo-style roof. This coupled with a kitchen-diner makes entertaining easier, and more interesting, and allows you to have some peace and quiet in a cosy space too.
If you need help putting back any walls, or indeed opening out your living space if you’re sticking with the open plan trend, get in touch with the office to make an enquiry.
