The “open” design of a home floorplan, also known as the “open floor plan”, allows families to live without the more traditional walls breaking up the space of the home.

 An open floor plan allows for the space of the home to appear much larger than the square footage would allow. Each room blends into the next created a series of multi-functional areas as opposed to the more traditional living room, dining room and family room defined by the more closed nature of more traditional homes.

Initially made popular in the 1950’s, the open floor plan was nixed and the homes we most commonly see in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s built in their wake. The multiple doorways used in homes with no open plan, are confining and reduce the size of the rooms substantially. Moving from a more traditional design began to gain momentum in the late 1990’s and early in 2000 and the plans have skyrocketed in popularity ever since.

For those with an eye for art and design, there is no greater option. The open floor plan opens the rooms to a creativity and flow beyond that of broken rooms. Furniture and art can be displayed in a flowing manner, bleeding from one room into the next.

This bleeding of design creates the overall feeling of one large space, as opposed to several smaller rooms. Furniture placement, when managed correctly, can bring a visual division to the areas without breaking the airy flow.

Style is also a very big factor when it comes to purchasing an open floor plan for your home. Your floor plan can help you dictate how you will design the décor for each room of your home. With an open floor plan, it is best to have a similar theme running throughout that will compliment each area of your home. You can use the same color throughout, or you can change it up by adding accent walls that will compliment the major color of your walls.

Beyond the stylistic function of the home, the open quality of the rooms will allow for better interaction between family members and guests. When hosting a party, everyone will be able to move freely throughout the rooms and still maintain a connection to the group as a whole.

For families, the benefits are even more far reaching. From the kitchen area or the assigned dining area, the others rooms are visible and thus children are as free as the air flowing through the rooms. This freedom allows for less disconnection between family members during everyday activities like preparing meals and dining.

Another primary reason that people choose open floor plans is for the savings on overall square footage. The home purchased can be smaller but appear larger due to the unrestricted open spaces. When money is on the table, the open floor plan looks very appealing.

Depending on your needs and preferences, an open floor plan design can be a great option for your new house plans.

To view a list of best-selling house plans, see

Best wishes in the building of your new home!