Unpopular opinion: open floor plans are overrated once you actually live in the house

I was at a builder meetup in Nashville last week and overheard two guys arguing about this. One was saying open concept is the only way to sell a custom home. The other was adamant that families hate having zero privacy and hearing the dishwasher from the living room. My wife and I built a semi-open plan 3 years ago with a half wall between kitchen and living room. It still feels connected but you can hide the mess when guests show up. I'm starting to think the all or nothing approach is wrong. What do you all think? Has anyone else gone with a compromise layout and regretted it or loved it?

3 comments

3 Comments

felix_lane991mo ago

My buddy built a fully open concept and regrets it every time his wife bakes because the whole house smells like flour for days lol. He said they can never escape the noise from the TV if someone's watching in the living room while he's trying to read. They're already saving up to add a partial wall next year.

wright.lisa1mo ago

Haha @felix_lane99 that's so true! We did the same thing and now we hate it.

mila_flores820d agoTop Commenter

Oh man @felix_lane99 that's brutal lol. My friend Sarah did the same thing and she said every single smell from cooking just hangs around forever, she can't even burn toast without the whole place smelling for hours. They're literally looking at those sliding barn door things now to split up the space a bit.