10 Ways You’ll Love Your Home More After An Open Concept Remodel

Open floor plans are a beloved and endlessly popular option for modern home designs. And countless West Michigan home remodels, including whole home remodels here in Grand Rapids, are launched each year with the goal of expanding living spaces through kitchens, dining rooms, and living rooms that feel dated, small, separated, and closed off from one another.

While taking out a wall or walls can be a sizable project that requires some planning, there are plenty of reasons why homeowners are so open to it and the feelings of freedom, change, and connection that an open-concept design can invite.

Open Concept Homes Feel Bigger

As much as open concept spaces are actually bigger (because they eliminate walls and create clean open passages through the home) they also tend to make smaller homes feel bigger than they are. They can also help larger homes really emphasize their space in a luxurious way, especially when a stream of different rooms opens from one into next or when the open concept moves vertically as well as horizontally, connecting a living space with a loft.

Closer Connections

While traditional home designs often offer very focused, cozy, intimate spaces, the fact that they are divided by walls means that the people using these spaces are going to be cut off from one another unless they purposefully share a limited amount of space.

In open concepts, on the other hand, you can have each member of your home doing something different like cooking, playing on the floor, working on homework on the dining room table, or reading in the corner, and you are still going to be in the same space, sharing one another’s company and able to talk, joke, or simply enjoy one another’s presence without words.

It’s just as great for parents with small children who need some watching after as it is for parents of teenagers who are home less and less often.

Improved Utility

While open floor plans are not inherently more or less energy efficient than traditional floor plans, they are often more comfortable and more efficient in other ways.

Thanks to the open space, homeowners are able to avoid hotspots or colds spots from uneven AC systems while also increasing overall air circulation in the home. It’s also easier for everyone to navigate to bathrooms, sinks, and trash cans without barriers in the way, making your day-to-day living more streamlined and natural.

Great For Hosting

In a traditional home, where the main living spaces (kitchen, dining area, living room, etc.) are separate and walled off, entertaining can be tricky. Depending on the crowd, there may not be enough space on the couch, in the dining room, or in the kitchen for everyone at once. So, the guests end up divided and at least one of the hosts often finds themselves hidden away in the kitchen.

In open concept homes, on the other hand, a much larger group can be hosted all together in one space, with the hosts participating even if they are also working on a meal, mixing drinks, or handling any of the many other little hosting tasks that come with a memorable get-together.

Increased Home Value

The popularity of open concept homes can also help to increase home property and resale value, whether you are building your brand-new West Michigan home from the ground up or remodeling an older West Michigan home to feel new and updated.

This boost comes both from increased buyer appreciation for open concepts, as well as increased square footage from the removed walls. And, all else being equal, open concepts also tend to get more offers and sell faster than traditional designs.

In addition, when or if you do eventually opt to sell, open concept spaces look FANTASTIC in photos, helping to increase buyer interest and, potentially, drive higher bids.

Better Lighting

Natural lighting is:

Free!
Great for productivity
Good for your mental health

With fewer barriers and clear lines, open concept spaces make better use of shared lighting. Spaces tend to feel warmer and more ambient, and natural light can reach further from more windows at more times of the day.

Indoor-Outdoor Connection

One of our favorite modern home trends is the increasing connection between indoor and outdoor spaces with multiple large windows and doors.

Not only is this great for open concepts in terms of natural daylight, but it can make it easier for busy families to have kids playing outside while still in line-of sight from the kitchen, living space, dining room table, or other busy spaces. It can allow the home to flow from indoor spaces to outdoor patios and other communal areas.

Highlighting The Kitchen

Kitchens are the most remodeled room in the home and the difference a professional kitchen update can make can be astonishing. It can change the entire atmosphere and character of a home for the better, and save a tremendous amount of time and energy through improved convenience and efficiency.

But all of this is wasted if the kitchen remains a closed-off, isolated space. Instead, take your kitchen remodeling project to its natural conclusion and open up the space into the rest of the house so you can really let your new kitchen shine and show off what it has to offer.

More Options For Furnishing

Fewer walls, more options.

Larger spaces naturally offer more room to create, decorate, and furnish in new and interesting ways. You can use couches, accent tables, and benches to mark off zones within your open concept, or move furniture to the edges of the space and open up the floor for an unobstructed play area.

It Feels Different

Few remodeling projects can make a home feel fresher and more reborn than removing walls and opening up spaces that used to be isolated. This type of remodeling really can have a fantastic overall effect and can help you to see your space and appreciate your home in ways you haven’t for a long time.

Call Today!

At Amber Valley Construction of Grand Rapids Michigan, we are proud to serve our friends and neighbors from across West Michigan with high quality design and remodeling services.