How to Close the “open Concept” of Your Home Now That You Hate It
This is what every show on HGTV made you believe in what you wanted: an open floor plan. The call was clear. Open-plan homes appear larger, brighter, and more spacious. Also, if you are a parent of young children, that open concept meant that you could keep an eye on the kiddos while making dinner. Every parent’s dream!
It was probably only after you moved in that you developed a new love for walls. As much as you love your family, you don’t need to see them all the time, especially after a year in which you probably rarely left the house. And wow! Everything really seems louder now, doesn’t it? Perhaps your kids are a little older, and seeing them fight and hear them argue is not exactly the atmosphere you once envisioned when preparing dinner.
And of course it’s great for fun, but then again, you didn’t make as much of it as you wanted, did you?
If you are open to remorse, you are not alone. As the Boston Globe reports , homeowners are starting to rebuild the walls:
“Buyers are moving away from unobstructed views,” said Lauren Larsen, a Boston-based real estate agent for Compass, which hears from clients who don’t want to put their kitchen and dirty dishes on the public display.
“The pendulum swung back,” said Bob Ernst, president of FBN Construction in Hyde Park. “The reality is life can be noisy.”
However, if you don’t have the budget to build walls and move to a “closed concept” is not in your foreseeable future, what should a repentant homeowner do?
Start by softening the noise
Aside from the lack of walls, part of what makes today’s open-concept home so loud is our modern avoidance of anything plush. We replaced the carpet with parquet flooring and ditched draped curtains in favor of cleaner lines. Unfortunately, we also gave up on ideal sound absorption materials.
Look for ways to soften the ambiance with large fluffy rugs, floor-length curtains, and whatever decorative pillows and fabrics you can put together. It’s not a drug, but it will prevent some of the noise from spreading all over the place, especially if you have uncarpeted floors.
Create physical boundaries
Of course, you can get real partitions or partitions to separate your dining or living room. But for a less obvious approach, try including large shelving, buffet tables, or storage items to define the space, make it cozier, and block out some of the view from other “rooms”. Hanging pendant lights, especially in the kitchen, can also create a sense of separation and obstruct your view slightly.
Convert your bedroom (or basement or attic) into a living space
Look for any wasted space in your home, whether it’s a guest bedroom that isn’t overused, a part of your basement, or a finished loft. A guest room can become a TV den, and an attic or basement can become a playroom or a “children’s cave,” as I like to call it.
Even installing a comfy chair or small sofa in your bedroom can give you another option when you want to read a book or make a phone call. The trick is to find other places in the house to retire (or send the kids) when you need some time alone. This article was originally published in April 2019 and has been updated on March 17, 2021 with new images.