In one corner, the reigning champ: open floor plan, which has been the preferred layout for hosting. In the other, the underdog: closed floor plan. And in this rumble, the closed floor plan is quickly becoming a favorite. Why? With more people working and studying from home and needing private spaces for their jobs, doing homework, and unwinding—especially around the holidays—the closed floor plan has once again taken the lead.
Still trying to decide on your own home layout—or considering a swap? Here are a few things to keep in mind.
When choosing a layout for your new home, it’s important to consider your family size, lifestyle, day-to-day needs, and design tips. Both open and closed floor plans have pros and cons, so how do you determine which one is a knockout? Check out our list below!
What it looks like: One large central space for the living room, dining room, and kitchen.
Who it’s good for: Families who want to keep an eye on kids or people who entertain a lot and like big rooms to socialize (especially during the holidays!). It also works well for those in the deaf community since it’s easy to see everyone in one space and communicate.
Benefits: Open floor plans offer great visibility and make it easier to see what’s going on throughout the house. They’re also easier to clean and maintain since everything is in one combined space.
Challenges: An open floor plan can lack privacy, be more difficult to heat, and it can show clutter.
Design Tips: Create smaller spaces within the room by using large bookcases as walls. Investing in energy-efficient windows and insulation can reduce heating and cooling bills. And it’s easy to add cubbies, chests, armoires, and other storage solutions to hide clutter.
What it looks like: A classic home layout composed of a separate kitchen, dining room, living room, and bedrooms.
Who it’s good for: Those who work from home or need a dedicated space for activities like studying. It’s also great for those who want to separate the loud TV watchers from those doing work or cooking dinner.
Benefits: Peace. Quiet. Privacy! Closed layouts provide separate spaces designed for specific tasks like cooking, eating, watching TV, studying, and socializing.
Challenges: Large families who need to keep an eye on a big brood may find it more challenging to run from room to room.
Design Tips: Make small rooms seem larger by painting them in light colors and installing mirrors or expansive windows.
What it looks like: Open concept kitchen/living room with separate rooms in the rest of the house, or any combo of open and closed rooms.
Who it’s good for: Those who appreciate the benefits of both open and closed-concept homes, or those who can’t decide between the two!
Benefits: Homeowners get the best of both worlds, with one big kitchen and living room combo perfect for large gatherings, while still creating smaller, more private rooms like a formal dining room, office, or bedrooms.
Challenges: Because it’s neither fully open nor totally closed, this floorplan might feel indecisive or incohesive design-wise.
Design Tips: Pick a consistent color theme and patterns in furniture, paint, and decor to unify the design.
When picking a layout, it’s important to consider function as well as form, timelessness vs. trends. Think about what would be the most practical for your everyday life and annual get-togethers. And if you’re working with an existing open floor plan, you can always add a half wall to suggest a division of space into rooms. For closed floor plans, you could take out a wall or two.
Still not sure which layout is right for you? Luckily, Trilogy has over five decades of experience and is skilled in helping our clients choose between an open floor plan, closed floor plan, and hybrid floor plan. We’ll make sure you pick a winner! Contact us today to find out how.
