6 Reasons to Avoid Open Floor Plans

Designers often use open floor plans in their projects, merging zones of common use (kitchen, dining room, living room) and keeping private areas (bedroom and children's room) separate. However, open floor plans have several features that may make you reconsider this approach in favor of isolated rooms. 

Irina Vasileva, designer. Having graduated from the International School of Design, Irina has a profession that allows her to make people's lives more comfortable.  "I believe that interior design is a reflection of a specific person, family, or company."
1. You're Not a Neat Freak

Open floor plans require maintaining perfect order and cleanliness in all zones. It's unlikely that you or your guests will enjoy dining in an environment filled with dirty dishes and scattered items on the sofa.

Therefore, if you're not a neat freak, you might prefer isolated rooms instead. However, there's an alternative in this case too: unwashed dishes can be hidden in a concealed workspace on the kitchen, and clothes can be thrown into the walk-in closet. 

Design: Tatyana Vorontsova
2. You Sometimes Need to Be Alone

If we're talking about a fully open floor plan, including the bedroom area, this option suits one person or a young couple better. If it's a family of three or more people, a studio is inappropriate. 

Design: Geometrium Studio
3. There Are Early Birds and Night Owls in the Family

This refers again to a fully open floor plan. Even if the flat is occupied by a young couple, but their working schedules don't match (for example, one family member works in an office on a standard schedule while the other is a freelancer who's used to working at night), combining the bedroom zone with public zones will be uncomfortable. 

Design: Space for Life
4. Noise at Any Time of Day

In open floor plans, there is no sound insulation in the apartment. Even if the private zone is separated from the public one, noise can become a problem. For example, if the apartment owner is accustomed to turning on a mixer to make an omelet while other family members are still sleeping. Or if the owner enjoys watching hockey in the evening and doesn't usually restrain their emotions when their favorite team loses. 

Design: Space for Life
5. Kitchen Odors

Often clients refuse open floor plans precisely for this reason. Kitchen smells can seep into other zones, permeating soft furniture, curtains, carpets, and even clothes. This issue can be partially solved by using a good exhaust fan, but if the family cooks frequently, it's better to make the kitchen isolated. 

Design: Anastasia Kamen-skikh
6. Adherence to Traditions

Open floor plans are only possible in modern interiors. If you dream of classic design (not eclecticism), combining zones such as the kitchen and living room would be a wrong decision. 

Design: Anastasia Kamen-skikh

Photo on cover: SVOYA STUDIO project.