Open houses have been popular for quite a few years now, but here’s what you should know if you’re choosing open floor plan designs this year.

With the new year, it’s time to think about renovating your living space. In 2019, the go to style is still the open plan living space.

With so much creativity and practicality in the style, you’ve got to try it for yourself.

Here’s our favorite open floor plan designs for you to consider this year.

Should You Choose Open Floor Plan Designs?

There’s so many reasons why you’d want to try an open plan space in your home.

If the current layout of your home isn’t working for you right now, then open plan could be the answer.

Using such a floor plan means that you’ll get more natural light in your home, and that you’ll have views all the way out to your garden if you plan it right.

Open plans also give you a lot of space that you wouldn’t have had before, as you would have had walls in the way.

What To Know Before Creating Open Floor Plans

Before you get excited and dive into a whole new renovation project, it’s an excellent idea to talk to an contractor and see what advice they have for you.

You may want the open plan, but it may not be the right thing for your home. Talking to one now will help you see what the right option is for your home.

You’ll also have several factors to consider when thinking about an open plan.

—- Can your home even support an open plan structure? You may not be able to take walls out without affecting the structural integrity of the building.

—- The age and character of the building is important. If you have an older, period home, an open plan space may not work. That isn’t true for all period homes though, so it’s still worth looking into.

—- The style of your home will have an effect. If you have a cottage, then an open plan space won’t be the best as cottages are designed to be cosy. Barn or industrial conversions, though, work really well with open floor plan designs. They were designed this way, so they’ll be easily converted to open plan.

Floor Plan #1: The Ultimate Kitchen Diner

Is your kitchen too small and cramped as it is right now?

If you have a kitchen and a dining space next to each other, there’s nothing stopping you from opening them up by taking out the adjoining wall.

This creates a much larger space that gives you room to move about as you cook, and encourages your family to come together in there for meal times.

To avoid large empty spaces in the floor, you can consider adding a kitchen island to the room.

These are great as they add extra counter top room, as well as extra storage. They’re perfect for gathering around at parties, too.

Floor Plan #2: Living Space For Everyone To Enjoy

If your living room is smaller than you’d like, opening up the living space with other areas of the home is one of the best ideas you’ll have.

Most commonly, home owners like to combine the living space with the kitchen, leading to an open space that allows them to see into the living room as they cook, or watch the kids when they’re working on something in the kitchen.

Again, these layouts are perfect for those who like to entertain.

They allow you to see everyone in your home, even when you’re busy getting drinks or food for your guests. You’ll never miss a thing when you have a layout like this.

Floor Plan #3: Open Plan Bedrooms

Another option for open floor plan designs that you may not have considered is the bedroom.

When home owners create these bedrooms, they’re combining the bedroom, bathroom, and dressing spaces together.

If you don’t already have a bathroom attached to your bedroom, you can connect a small adjoining bedroom to your room, and create a bathroom in it.

In some homes, bedrooms are created on the upper level of split level buildings. These are often accessed via ladder, and offer views of the entire home from your bedroom. These are a great idea for anyone who lives on their own, or as a couple.

It’s an idea that’s a little bit different, but makes all the difference to your home.

What To Know When Planning An Open Plan Home

If any of these ideas sound good to you, and you’re able to create an open plan space in your home, then that’s great. Before you get started, keep the following points in mind so you get the best results.

—- Consider lighting and heating: When you have traditional walled off rooms in your home, you’ll light and heat them in a certain way. Take those walls out though, and you’re going to have to rethink how that will work. Your architect or contractor will be able to help you organize this, so you will get the most from both of them in the new open plan space.

—- Zone the area: If you’re going open plan, you’ll still need to zone the area into different living spaces. For example, in one open plan space you’ll have an area for lounging and watching TV, another for cooking, and another for eating. Think about where your furniture will sit in the space and create those zones.

—- Create temporary barriers: In some cases, you may want to partition a space off when you’re using it. Think about buying bifold doors to install into the space, or a screen that can be moved around as needed.

—-Bring the outdoors in: Do you have a beautiful yard or garden that you want to see from your open plan living space? Then you can extend it further by using large, floor to ceiling windows to show it off. This will help you enjoy that garden every day, even if you don’t step outside.

There’s so many reasons why an open floor plan designs is perfect this year. You’ll really unlock the potential of your home, and take advantage of larger, airier, and more comfortable living spaces.