Do you want to create the illusion of a bigger space in your home? Do you love entertaining guests? An open concept floor plan might be a good fit for you. But before you start knocking down walls, our team here at Orange Contracting has a few things you should know about an open plan layout.
Are you unsatisfied with the current layout of your home? Does it feel claustrophobic and hard to entertain your guests? Are you feeling constrained by space? An open concept home can solve all these problems by creating the illusion of more space being available. In today’s real estate market, this floor plan is the most popular and sought after. Creating one cohesive living environment has increased in popularity and is now trending.
Open Concept Floor Plan
We would like to start off with saying to not be too hasty and blindly jump onto this trendy bandwagon just yet. You shouldn’t be considering this option just because your neighbour got their kitchen done or that you are seeing it all over Pinterest. You need to critically think about your own individual needs and how your current house layout is designed. Not to mention that your budget is a big factor for any home renovation, especially one this big of an undertaking. Your overall future plans are also important to consider before knocking all your walls down. In order to make this decision easier for you, here are a few tips.
Calling the Experts
You cannot do an open concept floor plan as a DIY job. There are dangerous electrical lines and tricky plumbing that is conveniently hidden behind your walls. Not to mention that you need to consider any and all load bearing walls. These should not be hastily torn down because this will cause structural integrity damages and make your house unsafe to live in. When the decision has been made to convert your house to an open concept floor plan, the experts need to be called to get the job done properly and safely. Structural engineers, architects, electricians, plumbers, painters, and contractors all need to work together in order to efficiently tackle any issues with this renovation.
Strategic Decision Making
The best part of open concept layouts is that all unutilized space is effectively eliminated. Now, all the space is being utilized, such as living spaces for entertaining guests, having a play area for the children, etc. When deciding if this layout is right for you, if making optimum use of all the space in your home is your goal, this is the right layout for you. But be warned, once you open up your home, there are relatively no quiet spaces left, except maybe the bedrooms and bathroom. This means you will be faced with your family at all times. We recommend not opening up the whole house and only picking certain areas to have a balance of this open concept and privacy at the same time.
Small Homes Vs Big Homes
In Toronto, the biggest problem people face is not having enough space in their homes. Open concept layouts create a beautiful illusion of having more space. When adding an addition is not an option, knocking down some walls will open up your rooms nicely. For smaller homes and rooms, this is the perfect solution. But if you have plenty of space and large rooms already, opening them up even more might not be the best option. Doing this will make it feel like you are in a warehouse. Your energy bills will probably also go up as well when you are trying to heat a very large room.
Cohesivity
When the walls come down, the entire family is now essentially forced together. Spending time together becomes very easy when there is nowhere else to go if your home is basically one big room. You will always be able to socialize while making dinner, watching TV, or just hanging out. Open concepts are a social butterfly’s dream home. But now instead of having individualized rooms to furnish and decorate, it’s all one big room. Everything is on display and this means you need to keep your whole home as clean as possible at all times, since there is nowhere to hide the messes. You need to ensure your furniture, flooring, and what few walls you have left are all complementing each other nicely.
How Our Renovation Experts Can Help
Our team at Orange Contracting can help you create an open concept layout for your home. We specialize in Newmarket Home Renovation and can help transform your home into something you love. We will work closely with you in order to come up with the perfect renovation plan. Give us a call today at (416) 817-2590!