Open concept living has been the standard for newly built homes for the past few decades. You can almost take for granted that any new home that hasn’t been renovated that you walk into will likely have a kitchen, dining area, and living room that are all seamlessly connected. But what if I told you that you actually have the option to be the exception in this regard and not the rule? Have you ever considered planning your space to be a closed concept?

If not, this article will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of both open and closed concept living, so that you can consider all of the design possibilities as you consider s home renovation, or if you are looking to buy a new property!

Open Concept Living

Open concept living is very mainstream, and so you might already know what this looks like, but for greater clarity, open concept living involves the exclusion of walls and doors that divide rooms into distinct spaces. Essentially, the spaces of your home – mainly the kitchen, dining, and living areas – all flow seamlessly into one another within a larger space.

Open concept is the epitome of contemporary home design, and for good reason, as there are a lot of positives for structuring your home as an open concept:

Appearance of More Space

There is a greater flow in open concept spaces as the obstruction of walls and doors is removed. An open concept is great for a smaller home, as it allows you to make more use of the floor space.

Flexibility

An open concept allows you to arrange your space and designate zones more freely, as opposed to rooms built for specific functions. This means that you can freely rearrange furniture to suit your needs for the space with little hindrance.

Natural light

Light is able to flow freely in an open concept space as it can travel throughout the room and reach every corner. Walls can definitely block the entrance of light into an enclosed room, especially if there are no windows in that room. Generally, with an open concept, this is not an issue.

Enhances Social Interactions

Whether you are entertaining guests or simply preparing a meal for your family, an open concept kitchen helps to facilitate interactions with those in your vicinity, without the need to feel cramped up in that space if you are looking to have some company while you cook. It also makes for an easier transfer of food from the kitchen to your dining area if they are adjacent to one another.

Boosts Home Value

“Open concept” has definitely been a real estate tagline for many years now, with this being used as a major selling point. Naturally, if you intend to sell your house in the coming years, having an open concept space definitely appeals to a larger pool of potential buyers, potentially making your home more valuable.

Despite how wonderful an open concept is, it is certainly not for everyone, and the drawbacks may be dealbreakers for some, so it is important to consider them as well:

Interior Décor Limitations

Because open concept living combines multiple rooms in one space to serve as a larger multifunctional area, there can be some design limitations you may have to address in order to achieve a more cohesive-looking space. Whereas smaller rooms can allow for greater creativity and individuality in each room, the same can’t be said for an open concept space. You will have to choose one design concept or aesthetic, and stick with it throughout, to avoid making your space look chaotic and accidental instead of intentionally and thoughtfully designed.

Travelling Smells and Noises

Walls provide a reasonable amount of soundproofing and can keep smells enclosed within the areas where they are coming from. However, in an open concept space, sounds and smells can easily permeate throughout the house. If you are not a fan of the smell of food in general, this is something you’ll need to factor in if you are considering open concept, or if you are overstimulated by too many simultaneous sounds – cooking, tv, children playing – then this could also be quite the downside for you.

Inefficient Heating

In an open concept space, it certainly takes longer for heating and cooling to affect the space, which may drive your heating expenses up. There is also the additional limitation of having to set an entire large space to the same temperature conditions, even if the people using different zones of the space have varying preferences.

Closed Concept

Closed concept living is a more traditional layout, often found in older homes, where each room serves a unique function and does not merge with other rooms of the house. The division is created by putting up walls and doors to separate the spaces.

A lot of people consider the closed concept to be dated, but there are a number of unique charms about this layout, which is why it is slowly regaining popularity.

Increased Privacy

If you are someone who enjoys moments of solace, not wanting to have your time encroached on by others, either whilst doing some work in a home office, or watching a tv show in the family room, then the closed concept will grant you just that. Behind walls and a closed door, you can enjoy a space to yourself, which can be so important, especially if you have long days of expending your energy socialising and sharing spaces with others at work, or at school.

Contains Sounds and Smells

Closed concept rooms inhibit sounds from travelling loudly throughout your home, which is great if you want to have a quiet moment, or if you need to separate social activities, for example, children playing vs. adults having an important conversation in another room. The same can be said for smells as well. You can rest assured that your dining and living rooms can smell fresh and clean as you cook, and not be impacted by smells like burning food or other potent scents.

Interior Design Freedom

From a design perspective, having closed rooms allows for more freedom and creativity in terms of how to decorate those rooms, as you are not limited by the need to give them a uniform or cohesive look. You have more ability to play around with different styles and colour schemes, and give each room its own personality. This is also great for establishing the energy you want in each room, and tying that to its function, e.g., having a colourful and fun games room vs. a more sophisticated dining area.

Despite all of these good and wonderful things, the closed concept is not everyone’s cup of tea, and it’s important to consider its drawbacks when thinking about the structure you want your home to have.

Reduced Natural Light

Unless you have a very large home with access to windows at every turn, closed concept will likely block out a lot of natural light, which may make the spaces feel smaller. Natural light is good for overall well-being, as well as productivity in a lot of cases, so it will require some extra space planning to determine the best way to designate the rooms in your home to maximise light where it’s needed most.

Hinders Social Interaction

It is always great to be able to converse with loved ones or with guests as you entertain in the living room whilst cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Closing the kitchen off inhibits this type of interaction in your home’s heart – the kitchen – which often serves as a great hub for communing. This can be true for all other rooms in your house as well, where it can be easy for people to close themselves up behind doors and interact with other household members less.

No Line of Sight

For parents of babies and toddlers, it may be of great importance to you that you can keep a good eye on your child to ensure that they are out of harm’s way. This is harder to do in a closed concept space, as you will need to be in the same room as the infant to watch them, which can also inhibit their own sense of adventure and curiosity. This can be true of pets as well, or persons suffering from other impairments – like seizures – that require you to keep a watchful eye on them.

Other Safety Issues to Consider

Designing for function and safety is just as important as designing for appeal, so there are a number of other factors you may want to consider when deciding whether or not to go open or closed concept.

Fires

If you are disproportionately at risk of experiencing a fire in your home because, perhaps, you live in an area prone to wildfires, you may want to consider a more closed concept space. It is much easier to contain a fire if you are able to shut it behind a door as you make your escape. Open concept spaces can easily allow fire to rip through the entire space much quicker, making it riskier in this situation.

Sinkholes

If you are in an area that is prone to sinkholes, then an open concept space may be a safer option for you, as this can allow you to quickly react and escape a sinkhole with minimal obstruction from doors, walls, and navigating a lot of passages.

Burglary

If you are in an area that is disproportionately more prone to crimes like burglaries and break-ins, there are a few things to consider. On one hand, an open concept space will probably make it easier for you to detect unusual activities occurring in your house at night, allowing you to act fast. It will also allow you to easily confront any intruders, without having to go room to room searching for them.

On the flip side, however, closed concept rooms help hide or elude an intruder’s gaze. This may also make it more difficult for intruders to find valuables in your house, as they won’t all be in a single line of sight, as may be the case for an open concept space. There are pros and cons for both layouts in this kind of situation; it will ultimately come down to your own preferences and discernment.

Conclusion

At JG Contracting, we want to frame your vision and bring it to life. Whether you need us to demolish some walls to make your space feel airier and more open, or whether you’d like to get back to the good, old-fashioned and cozier set-up of a closed concept home, we want to be there for every step of the process.

Perhaps you may want to reenvision the heart of your home with a kitchen renovation, or transform the space completely with some paint as well. Whatever the desire, we are always ready to exceed expectations. If you are considering a home renovation, always feel free to reach out to us anytime!

📧 Email: jgcontractingyyz@gmail.com
📞 Phone: 437-259-9632
🌐 Website: https://jgcontractingyyz.com