Are open concept floor plans going out? The latest discussion surrounding open concept homes is whether or not they are phasing out and being replaced by more separated living spaces. That is definitely not to say that we don’t still love them! But we have indeed been seeing a rise in more of our clients wanting less open floor plans. Check out some layouts that are increasing in popularity below!

Open Concept

When you think of an open concept floor plan, you probably think of something like this. While there are small variations between each home, it normally consists of a kitchen leading into some sort of dining space and then a living room. These layouts are very functional for entertaining guests and making a smaller square footage feel larger, which is no wonder why they are so popular. However, some things that people are starting to realize is that noise travels much easier and lessens privacy, if those are important features to you.

Separated Dining Room

An option to consider if you want a little more divide between some spaces is creating an “L” shaped design. The layout flows nicely between all the rooms, yet still has a little more privacy. At #OronoOrchard, we separated the dining room by placing it to the side of the kitchen instead of in between the kitchen and great room. The kitchen and great room are still fairly open to each other (great room is in the left of the image above), but the dining room is a little more out of sight from the great room.

Separated Great Room

Something else to consider is separating the great room space. At #BloomingtonBuild, we separated the kitchen and dining space from the great room with a double-sided fireplace. This makes the great room space feel more cozy, since it has more privacy. The layout also provides more noise reduction from the great room if the tv is on into the kitchen if you are entertaining guests.

Additional Living Spaces

If you are absolutely dead set on a fully open concept floor plan but still want a space that is private to hang out in, consider an additional living space on the main floor. This could be a porch with an extra living room or dining room, or also utilize fully outdoor spaces! Here in Minnesota, we can’t use our patios and decks year round which is why it’s nice to have a three or four season porch.

Open concept floor plans are not just a trend in our eyes, however, there are other layouts on the rise that steer away from a fully open plan. There are pros and cons to any home layout, whether you value privacy, entertaining, or noise, we always advise designing based on how YOU live YOUR life, not how others do!

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