The open floor plan has been a popular architectural style for a number of years. Buyers shopping older traditional houses ponder removing walls and opening doorways to create more flow between rooms and give a home more of an expansive feeling. Load-bearing-wall are the three least favorite words to many house flippers. But according to a recent article in Realtor magazine, there are a growing number of buyers who desire more wall space and distinctive room separation.
Older consumers may be growing most tired of the popular floor plan. Thirty-seven percent of baby boomers say they prefer the open concept, while 40% of Generation X buyers and 43% of millennials say they also prefer it. Among seniors older than boomers, just 29% said they prefer open floor plans, according to a survey from the National Association of Home Builders. Older buyers are more likely than younger buyers to desire more separation between the dining and family areas in a home, the NAHB notes.
The homeowners desiring more closed off space say they don’t like their kitchen always on display. Also, they say there’s more wasted spaces and it can be difficult to decorate. Some owners say they’re forced to put furniture in front of the windows because of the lack of walls.
“I think what people are seeking these days is kind of a mix of the two,” Greg Howe of Searl Lamaster Howe Architects told the Chicago Tribune. He described a place where the kitchen, living room, and dining room were open, but a secondary space was created for more privacy. In this home, it was a place behind the staircase with a study that had a TV. “It’s closed enough that it’s usable but separated enough to provide a sense of privacy,” Howe says.
Is an open floor concept simply a generational thing? It’s always nice while entertaining to be close to ones guests while preparing the treats. Open rooms definitely provide a sense of community. But sometimes a little separation is nice to get away for some private time with a good book or intimate conversations. Which house style do you prefer?
