When designing, building, or remodeling your home, it’s very likely that you are envisioning an open-plan layout throughout your living space. And why not? It’s appealing to the eyes and feels comfortable and relaxed the minute you walk in through your door.
More and more individuals and families are opting for open floor plans that have no defined borders or obstructions that come in the way of the view. However, despite your space feeling large and modern, you could end up making some mistakes while designing your open floor that may ruin the look you had hoped for.
Here are a few common mistakes homeowners make with open-floor plans and a few tips on how to avoid them:
Not taking zones into consideration
The most important thing to consider when looking at blueprints for an open floor plan is to envision the various zones you will be creating. You need to define specific areas for your kitchen, your dining area, your entertainment and relaxation area, and so on. Failure to create these individual settings within the larger space could end up making your area feel like one big room or hall instead.
Although you want to create a sense of visual continuity throughout the space, separating different areas through furniture, rugs, lighting, and other anchor points will help define various zones in your living space.
Using different flooring
Using multiple flooring throughout your open floor plan could make your home appear disjointed and possibly cluttered. Although you might think using various flooring options could help differentiate the separate zones in your space, you will probably end up creating too many visual breaks instead.
Use other anchor points such as furniture, lighting, and accent walls instead to separate your zones and keep the flooring constant.
Inconsistent aesthetics
Having multiple interior design styles within the same living space will end up complicating the look of your home and create unnecessary inconsistency. Different aesthetic elements can disrupt the free-flowing look and feel of an open floor plan and make things appear very mismatched. An extremely traditional kitchen with a contemporary dining area won’t fit well together.
Decide on a style that you like the most or find most functional, and then continue to design your different zones according to that style.
Not enough lighting
Lighting plays a very important role in setting the mood and look of your home. Lighting fixtures often get ignored when an open-floor plan is being designed and end up not being located at the spots where you will be requiring them the most. For example, designing a dining area without thinking about where your lighting fixtures will be positioned could end up dampening the whole ambiance you were hoping to create.
Keep electrical outlets and elements in mind when designing your open floor plan to avoid last-minute changes or re-doing your design and furniture placement.
There are lots of other ideas that can help you create the perfect open floor plan that you want for your home. Contact us at Kargar Homes, your trusted team of home builders in Volusia County, and let us help you create the living space you desire!