Creating Open Living Spaces

Older homes often have narrow hallways, wasted space and living rooms that are separated from the rest of the living area and often unused. Maybe you’ve lived in your house for years, or perhaps you’ve just recently purchased a home that could use an update. With the concept of open space floor plans rising in popularity, many homeowners are updating old floor plans to accommodate open space design. Parker Design Build Remodel shares our design tips and expertise to help you open up determine the best ways to open up your home’s living area.

One of the first factors that must be considered when ‘opening up’ a home to the possibility of an open floor plan is whether or not the home is structurally capable of the change.  Older homes were often designed divided. In addition to determining if the wall you want to knock down is load bearing, you will also need to evaluate the floor and ceiling joists.  The design team at Parker Design Build Remodel can help with these assessments and offer recommendations for the design, before you spend money on plans.

While the concept of open plan design is desirable, it’s important to consider the way you live and design the home with your priorities in mind. One common complaint is that open plans provide more space, but they also provide more sound. For example, if the TV is on in the living room and kids are trying to do homework at the kitchen island or table, these sounds can be distracting.  You may want to build in shutters or French doors that can be closed to help filter sound when needed.  An ultra-quiet dishwasher may be worth the investment if you want to entertain without talking over a loud appliance. If you don’t want to look at dirty dishes or clutter, you may want to invest in an extra deep sink. Your design team can help evaluate you’re the way you live and make recommendations that will make the transition more enjoyable.

When designing an open space plan, it’s important to evaluate where your electrical and electronics needs will be. Your design team will want to incorporate wiring systems into ceilings and floors since, in an open plan, outlets are typically less accessible.  An integrated control system can allow you to turn on lights, adjust the TV, control the air temperature and even charge your phone, all from one centrally located device.

The design team at Parker Design Build Remodel utilizes the Design-Build approach to remodeling projects like these.  This allows homeowners to have one point of contact from concept to completion.  This approach also prevents cost overruns and hidden surprises.  Contact Parker today to schedule a design consultation!