O-T’s opinion on open floor plan houses

Would make it impossible to one day do the Scooby Doo thing where they all go in and out of different doors while being chased by a ghost.


And because of that, I just wouldn’t want an open floor plan.

I prefer closed floors. I do not wish to fall into any pits found below the foundation.

After owning a couple houses that had them, we are now building a house that does not have it. However, the living room will be flanked by two courtyards on both sides. It will be light and airy. but it won't be a living room, dining room, kitchen, breakfast area all in one room.

It has its advantages, and if you never had one you will probably like it.

Don’t make the mistake of having a bathroom as part of it. Nothing like bathroom noise right beside a sitting area.

Depends on what you mean by that. Commonly it’s referred to as living/dining/kitchen combo with bedrooms accessed by short hallways, maximizing usable square footage.

Big fan of those.

My first house had about 140 sq feet of halls. Current one has about 48. Given the cost per square foot for your average house it just makes sense.

Depends on the floor plan. I hate “shotgun” style open house floor plans. Too many are too open and are echo chambers when you get large family gatherings.

I think living room dining rooom kitchen layouts that are T’s or L’s with beams offer better flow and sound breaks.

I also hate the 1950-1970s style where each room was separated by a door. There is no flow.

I think it depends on the size of the house. I grew up in a pretty small house, without an open floor plan. I always wish we had an open floor plan to make it feel bigger. With more space, having some closed off areas is probably ideal.

What do we fully define as " open floor "?

Zero walls between kitchen, living room, dining room?

A wide doorway where you can see the kitchen from the couch?

I've been told our house is an "open floor plan, but all rooms: kitchen, living room, dining room, study, and foyer all have distinct places and there exist some definition of walls that separate.

Levels, i'm going for levels