Open Concept Layout vs. Closed Floor Plan: Pros & Cons (Which one is better?)

[@JulieKhuu]

The grass is always greener y’all. Wait until the kids grow up, let’s see if open concept is still desirable to me 😂 Which team are you on?

[@simonekeijzer7468]

I like both, I would look how costly things are to keep it warm.

[@firestick4991]

@simonekeijzer7468 I have an open concept space with a vaulted ceiling. In the summer, cooling is easy. In the winter, we huddle into our bedroom with a small heater. Otherwise, it’s really expensive. The place was built in 1973, so it has really bad insulation. I have to cover our 2 sets of sliding glass doors with foam insulation boards when the weather becomes extreme, cold or hot. We live in the mountains near Lake Tahoe.

[@simonekeijzer7468]

@@firestick4991 Thank you, I figured as much. I live in Portugal, we don´t get extreme cold, but we do get extrem heat here in the south (not so much in the center and north).

[@mrbillinsf]

Do not have kids, do not want em or need them so it is a totally irrelevant point for many of us

[@ellikatachana3607]

Amen!

[@candyadams-frazier1759]

I love the traditional closed concept.

[@JulieKhuu]

I want that next 🤩

[@fiddlersthree8463]

Me too. Give me a closed concept every time!!

[@whatheck6797]

My first home was open concept and my now home is traditional closed/sorta open but not completely open. I would have to say I like the traditional layout much more than the open concept. To me I think the traditional layout gives you that warm and inviting feeling once you enter the home and it hides your unwashed dishes/ or messing kitchen. 😅

[@lcheng8241]

Open concept with pocket doors and/or portable screens and/or seamless partitions - best of both worlds 🙌🙌

[@JulieKhuu]

I have yet to meet a pocket door that works the way I want it to. You sacrifice acoustics for space. Private, yes. Soundproof, hardly 😬

[@lcheng8241]

@@JulieKhuu soundproofing is ideal for bedrooms but hardly necessary for the kitchen/dining room/living room LOL. how else is a pocket door supposed to work other than slide back and forth...?!

[@LilyValmonte]

I have always felt like Open Concept kitchen/living room design was like a throwback to living in a cave. I don't enjoy cooking in the living room and in front of guests. And as far as watching kids like a hawk----it works out. They come in the kitchen with you and want to help and learn, or hopefully!

[@shelleybluebell397]

Open concept every time for me - I love the openness and airiness of open concept 😊

[@natvtxn1213]

Wow Julie, you always seem to pack an hours worth of content into fifteen minutes. You provide so much information and I love it!

[@loes6839]

When we were looking for a home to buy, we were living in an open concept rental and I didn't like that the dogs could come into the kitchen easily (we have one very big one that can just lick the whole counter without effort). So I hated that we had to keep an eye on the kitchen all the time, couldn't have anything laying around and when we went out, everything had to be put away because otherwise the dogs could get into it. So when we started looking for our first home to buy, I really wanted a door between our living space and the kitchen. Now that we've lived ve in a closed concept for about 5 years, I prefer closed. It feels more cozy to me to have smaller spaces, it's lovely when you want some alone time (my husband and I are both introverts) and you can just go sit in another room of the house. And your point about renovating has saved us as well. We just renovated one room at a time. That way, we could also just close a door to the mess and the rest of the house was still nice and tidy and clean. I hate visual clutter, so I love that there is no mess I have to look at while eating. Having a messy kitchen while having dinner used to bother me so much in our previous open concept home. I visit a lot of homes for work, and open concept is just the norm here (the Netherlands). Most older homes have been renovated to have open concept. But with the pandemic, lots of people found that they now needed an extra bedroom as an office. In our home we have living and dining together, a seperate office space/future children's play room(again, I won't see the mess when I am just relaxing in my home), laundry room, half bath, 2 hallways and a seperate kitchen. Upstairs we have 4 bedrooms and a full bathroom. Yes, lot's of seperate spaces, but I find it really practical.

[@estelsaradop492]

I think the best is somewhere in between: semi-open concept❤

[@amyfrancis9423]

Interesting. How do you define semi-open concept?

[@kena3681]

@@amyfrancis9423My living and dining in one area and I walk thru a short hallway going to the kitchen

[@estelsaradop492]

@@amyfrancis9423 It's when the kitchen is not fully open but instead, there is a wall either half way or a full wall with an arched, wide opening.

[@ladyramen7655]

That’s our house

[@mist1301]

Yes semi open is the best. My house is semi open!!

[@mamazoe2620]

This video is gold. In my case, I like closed concept. I have two toddlers I want them to be confined in their own space where they could mess around and play. It's comfortable for me to clean or cook in the kitchen without them running around and the reduce the tendency for them to slip. Since we don't have anyone visiting us often, our living room would be their play area if I'm in the kitchen/dining. It's more effective this way for me to not have a whole floor area to clean. We might have an open floor plan on their preteens or teens era. They could help me with daily chores then.

[@Tra_C]

Open concept can be a bit intimidating to style, but I prefer this layout due to all the natural light it typically brings. I'm big on natural light, it improves my mood and brightens up my day. Great discussion, Julie!

[@JulieKhuu]

I’m big on natural light as well, but unfortunately with my open concept space, I sacrificed some natural lighting to rebuild the kitchen according to Feng Shui. Now thinking of adding some strategic skylights to make up for it. Thanks for watching!

[@victoriasrandomstuff]

I have lived in both styles over the years and do prefer closed concept. I like walls to put art up and provide privacy. My current home has a combo living/dining room and I am ok with it even though I would have liked a wall. I have my grandson so it is nice being able to see what he is doing. I get it. If I have him when he gets older, I will invest/diy in a nice screen for separation.

[@gregpendrey6711]

That huge ceiling is beautiful. I think a really good thesis topic would study a clean ceiling plane. No speakers, that's easy and then where do smoke detectors go? Now lighting, it could be an upside down landing strip of pot lights, or can we light the room not using holes or objects on that ceiling plane? How about HVAC, should there be holes and soil from ventilation visible? Skylights are popular. How many skylights and how or if they should be in the ceiling plane. Maybe dormer out for high windows or clestory light. It's harder than I thought thinking out loud here. Sending love Jewels the channel gets the creative juice going.

[@ashleyk397]

I love that you gave examples of how a living room and kitchen and dining can be different styles and colors. I have closed concept, pre-war apartment in NYC and always felt like the tips of keeping cohesive color palettes for your whole space were difficult to follow, and feel much better about not carrying through a central theme throughout now.

[@JulieKhuu]

That’s a personal design decision if you want a cohesive space that follows a specific color palette. I say have fun with it and allow each room to have its own vibe. If the colors mesh, great! If they don’t, I’m probably more intrigued 😍

[@vyhuynh2201]

Good comparison video! I grew up in an open concept home and didn't enjoy it. It felt like there weren't enough private areas and didn't have good sound isolation. Going forward into purchasing my own home I'm looking for older closed concept homes. I also like the benefit of being able to decorate different rooms in varied manners.

[@bigaarmory100]

I’ve lived in several closed floor plan houses, but my last two homes have been open floor plans which I truly appreciate for the amount of natural light in the larger common area as well as the inviting/shared space.

[@timilisafogal6990]

I have a semi-closed concept and I really love it. You can see and talk to family and friends in the dining room and the living room from the kitchen, but a wall separates the dining room and living room so people in the living room can't see into the dining room, and vise versa. We also have a foyer that is not super formal or grand. It has 3 walls that separate it from the living room and the "back if the house," which I love. One of the things that sold me on my house was when you walk in the front door, you're not immediately in the living room shuffling in next to the couch.

[@treluvstrees999]

Just moved into my new home and that is what I have. Mostly open but a separate front room. I am excited!

[@lisaanderson3549]

🎉 Congratulations!​@@treluvstrees999

[@velzing22]

Your house sounds perfect, it's not likely to happen but can you make house tour video, or refer to an image that show the example of wall that separate living room and kitchen?

[@rangersmith4652]

My downstairs is mostly open concept, with the kitchen, eat-in area, and living room open to each other. It works well for gatherings. But there is an office that's separated visually and a guest suite that's separated by a short hallway. Upstairs, I have a wide hallway with the master suite, bonus room, hall bathroom, and two bedrooms, all traditionally separated. This arrangement is ideal for me.

[@SabrinaLWilliams]

I don't mind a living/dining room but I want a separate kitchen for a few reasons but namely because of smells (cooking fish for example) or if there are dishes in the sink, it makes the whole space look messy. Love your videos!

[@RaspberryLemonade101]

I'm growing tired of open concept spaces. However I like the flow of light. My house has compartments within the open space so that certain areas are more defined by either headers, partial walls , and flooring changes between kitchen and living areas.

[@drivesmecrazy1000]

Thank you for an awesome video! My favorite part of open concept is that there is no wasted space. My parents have an open concept living room and dining area with a closed in kitchen and the dining room is almost never used. I think open concept is closest to natural human traffic patterns

[@Fabulist]

My house is closed but feels open. This is achieved by having slightly-larger than normal rooms with wide doorways. Best of both worlds. The one thing I did was remove the wall between our small kitchen and small dining room, creating a larger kitchen with a sitting area. I then turned the living room into the dining room. Everyone was skeptical until it was done. Even those who saw it before now think it was always meant to be that way. (The living room was extraneous since it also has a family room. Now the 1st floor only has 3 main rooms, each separate but spacious.)

[@samtakhandhia1012]

Hi Julie we renovated our home in 2018 and have an open concept kitchen/ dining room at the back of the house with doors out to the garden. It’s perfect for entertaining as there’s so much space. Our living room is next to this area and we installed pocket doors either side of the wall so you can do a big loop between both areas. Easy for flow of traffic and no bottlenecks. For best of both worlds we have a cosy snug at the front of the house which is great for watching TV in the evenings. Love your vlogs ❤

[@ronnierooney6378]

Would love to see photos - I need some inspiration to do something similar!!!

[@lindabirkes-lance8915]

My previous home was a large L shaped living - dining - kitchen. We had that when our teenagers were with us and we had people coming and going out of our home on a daily basis. I wasn’t fond of the fact that someone could be sitting on the couch and could see me cooking pasta sauce at the stove. But entertaining was easy. I am now alone and bought a different house in a different / retirement state near my adult daughter and her family. I don’t need a big open concept area to remind me that I’m alone. I have a closed concept now in that there is an arched doorway between the living and dining rooms. The kitchen opens to the dining area with a counter in between. It is really nice for me because it fits who I am and where I am in my life now.

[@allalala9916]

My ideal set up is an L shaped common area: living room by the entrance then dinning room without any walls and kitchen to the left or the right of the dinning room.

[@melissanagy7744]

Open concept is what we are doing, our Lacanche range in Armor will be the show stopper, we have some outstanding French style lighting to tie the living room and dining to the kitchen. We are planning a cool accent dining wall and have a gorgeous stone floor to ceiling fireplace in the living room. There is a walk in pantry, which is normally where you would have a coat closet which we are planning to wood and stone the outer sides for texture. Our mudroom off the kitchen will serve as the coat area, laundry and large dog shower. The master bedroom, 1/2 bath, and home office will be our fun color areas as well as the fun gameroom, bar, weightroom and 2 additional lower level bedrooms, It's been 3 years in the planning and I got word today our jewelry of the kitchen is ready to ship! ❤❤❤ So excited!

[@JulieKhuu]

I love that Melissa! Put the money where everyone can see it and skimp in the private areas if need be 😂🙌🏻 This is the fun phase! Where you can finally see how it all comes together. Exciting!!!

[@TereseLeigh]

This sounds so stunning!!! 🎉

[@chelin7023]

Loved this video. I like traditional closed floor plans, BUT I would combine with open when treating the kitchen/entertainment room combo with access to outdoor space. Ideal, in my opinion.

[@wendykornfein3337]

I like closed concept, best. Great suggestions!

[@seraphimcelestial132]

I want a closed concept with big living room/family room/kitchen. By that way, it gives me both advantages of open + closed concepts. More fun to be that way.

[@rikwen96]

I live in a 70s ranch style house that was built all over the South. I took down the wall between the living room/dining room/den to create one large open concept room. But I kept the dividing wall between that and the kitchen. There is a pass way between the two rooms, but I really prefer a more closed off kitchen as I get more storage room and I am not sharing my cooking messes with visitors. I just redid the kitchen with new colors, appliances and countertops and I love walking in there to cook.

[@JulieKhuu]

My kitchen is the heart of the home, I can see my kids from every vantage point of the house. Next house, I’m going to do what you have. Open common areas, huge closed kitchen that can still host a group. I imagine the dads cooking in the kitchen while the Moms hang out in the open dining> living> family room 😍

[@sandrateal8723]

I live in a mix of both namely partial wall between kitchen/ diner and living room. I love it

[@JulieKhuu]

When dining and kitchen open, the spillage can accommodate larger groups. Love this type of layout! Thanks for watching and commenting Sandra 💗

[@Fawn0001]

My home is closed concept and built in 2001. The open concept is more modern but it seems like it would cost a fortune to heat and cool such a large room.

[@hagun6535]

As empty nester's we are building an open concept. It works for us. Also, I want to be part of the action when I am cooking.

[@The_Robs]

That’s exactly what we are doing. When the entire family gathers we can have 20 people, and separate living, dining, kitchen and family rooms make it so difficult to feed everyone. That’s why after over 30 years in our large 2 storey traditional layout, I can’t wait for a simple open concept living space.

[@TereseLeigh]

I can definitely understand that. We just purchased our first home and the kitchen opens to the den. I love that!! The rest of the house is traditional. Prior, we were in an apartment and the kitchen was completely separate and when cooking, I would feel so isolated from everyone else. I didn’t like that.

[@mayangirl2012]

I love kitchen and family room together...since everyone loves haging in the kitchen.., you get a big Tv..everyone can watch a game..Play board games etc...and the kitchen is right there , and usually the back yard /pool area , so for me is a must!......BUT I love the rest of my home close layout....Great video.

[@leanneford6836]

We have both. An open kitchen , dining, living room with a separate games room, and a study. The games room is off the living room and has double doors, so can be opened when entertaining or as required. The study is adjacent to the living room close but quite separate. My husband listens to a lot of music in there. I can hear it in the background, but it doesn't take over the whole open area.

[@ferwallace1903]

I'd like a house that is semi open. My house is one big kitchen and dining room, then there's a wall separating the dining room from the living room. It's a beautiful design and this is a 50s house!!!

[@bozenawiatrak2039]

For me, the feeling of spaceousness is the most important whether I get to live in a big house or in a shoe-box of a small apartment. In a big and bright house I can live with traditional concept, in a smaller/small or not very bright I will always prioritize open concept. It has been my fantasy to live in a loft (haven't so far) where I get to arrange the space according to my needs with furniture and furnishings and, if necessary be for privacy, a couple of walls/half walls

[@hokeypokeypots]

I had an old house with separate rooms and moved to a house that has a semi-open concept. It has walls separating each room, but the openings between the rooms are either wide archways or wide double doors with French paned glass. Even the kitchen is separated from the dining area by a high counter that's perfect for passing dishes back and forth, but still gives the kitchen it's own space. I also have soaring ceilings with skylights and plenty of large windows and sliding doors to bring in lots of light. The house is well-insulated with double-paned windows and is nice and warm in winter. I don't want a living area that looks like a restaurant/bar/lounge and I'm not interested in shifting my furniture around. But I would never want to move back into an old house with small windows, since they can be quite dark on even the sunniest summer day.

[@SunandSweettea]

I like a closed concept because I can be in the kitchen cooking and listening to music while my husband watches sports in the living room.

[@johnoneill7450]

But then you have to watch/listen to sports whilst you're trying to listen to music, and he has to listen to music whilst trying to watch sports God forbid that there's a third person involved who wants to sit quietly with a book, they're totally out of luck Open plan only makes sense when you have small kids or live by yourself

[@LydiasDesignerHomes]

It's a great discussion to have, there are real benefits to both depending on your lifestyle.

[@youbetcha108]

Hi Julie! I have always had walls and doors. When my children were little, I had to peek around walls to see what they were up to, but the room that they were in to watch television and play with their toys was closed off with baby gates. it worked, but I can see young parents wanting to have the children in vision while they are in the kitchen or cleaning or even doing work at home. I think that the open concept home is safer for a young family because the parents can see the children. I prefer walls and doors because I like to hang things on my walls. Plus electrical sockets are easier to access. I like to have different colors in the rooms and I like to hang wallpaper. I do try to keep cohesive from room to room, but sometimes I want a room to look different and having walls, let me do that easily. For me, I think living in an open concept would be easier because I would have less furniture and other household decor. But life with children means that you’re going to have things you’re going to need storage and you’re going to need to put those things out of sight at times and let’s face it walls and doors let us do that .🥰❤nice work!

[@bloodliriel]

Hello Julie! We currently live in a European row house from the 50s. We have all the disadvantages (small rooms and a staircase that is not encased and has brilliant acoustic) without the advantage of having enough light, since it anyway only comes from two sides. As much as I enjoy its original features, if the house was mine and not rented, I would tear out so many walls.... my neighbours all have the same house as us, and all of them made at least part of the rooms bigger by moving or knocking down walls. We lived in an open concept apartment before and I really miss it - the noise is just as bad now as it was then. Nonetheless, this house has charm and since we have a pretty unique style anyway, there's no big difference between rooms, except for the kitchen that came with the house. From the 70s! 😂 It's a look... Greetings from Luxembourg 🇱🇺

[@jackiecuba3414]

Loved this video, Julie! I vote for closed concept since I don't have kids and appreciate the privacy aspect... but for entertaining purposes, I think open concept is best. Looking forward to the minimalist vs maximalist video. 😊

[@tirhasmesele244]

Wow Julie you're amazing every time you bring a accountant is full of information and encouraging. Thank you so much. Keep doing it.

[@tquirkyt7118]

❤️Great video🔆 8 years ago we moved from a small, traditional Cape Cod (closed) to a Ranch, 1-level Open plan. We love this layout, but noise is the only concern. My husband and I both work from home, in opposite corners, and we can hear each other. Luckily we have doors in both offices, and we use them. It is just us now, but in the Cape we had 2 boys at home😉

[@BrunoKalix]

Great video, Julie! I live in an open plan flat, which is great for entertaining. I do prefer a separate kitchen like at my parents’. It keeps the sitting room/dinning area tidier.

[@susanquainter792]

I live in open concept. You have me great ideas! Thanks, Juli

[@susanquainter792]

I live in open concept. Thank you for the tips!

[@marilynndesilva7620]

We raised our family in a traditional, custom built two story house (nothing fancy, but solid construction and comfortable). Recently sold that home and moved into an apartment created from an attic over our son's workshop. It is 1100 sq ft, open concept. Four well-lit dormers were added: one for kitchen, one for bathroom and laundry room, two for bedrooms. I love our new home, which suits this stage of our lives but the issues I had to address were: (1) the lack of walls to hang pictures, place bookshelves, etc.; (2) having to be conscious of how one sweep of the eye takes in decor, living & dining furniture, desk, sewing/craft area, kitchen, etc. and making sure that it all flowed pleasingly together; and (3) the lack of privacy with everything but bed and bath being visible and audible from anywhere in a relatively small space. The first two issues were an interesting challenge that I feel we resolved well (although always a work in progress), especially after getting rid of a LOT of our stuff! As for the privacy issue, it's not too big a deal since it's only me and my husband, but definitely something to consider for anyone thinking of an open floor plan. It could be particularly problematic for anyone working from home unless a bedroom is big enough to accommodate an office area.

[@treluvstrees999]

Great video! Very balanced. I prefer semi open. One or two rooms that are walled off. When I had a traditional layout, I was always missing the best parts of conversations taking place in different rooms.

[@bfranklin1052]

Loved this video. Our home is partially open and I'd like it more open to help fix an "awkward L" living/dining + closed breakfast room situation to make an open living room plus dining out of the breakfast room and better define those spaces. All the homes in my area have both a formal and an informal dining 'room' right next to each other, which isn't how anyone lives anymore. I also have an opening in the wall, like a window, from my interior galley kitchen, into the living room, that I'd like to include in opening up this space. I'm not sure what walls are load-bearing, so that will come into play. $$

[@glendabanta4832]

So right about your attitude toward cooking. If you are a social cook, open concept works great. If you hate having people underfoot, closed concept is better. I have a semi-open concept and threaten to put up a rope to keep people out of the kitchen all the time! I also struggle with furniture placement in open concept in a way that I never do with more traditional layouts. We've lived in at least 10 houses, and I always prefer the more traditional closed concept.

[@TereseLeigh]

10 houses! Wow, Glenda!! You’ve done a lot of moving. My husband and I just purchased our first house. In looking at different houses, I thought that I’d enjoy an open concept. But I enjoy having walls/traditional layout. The kitchen opens to our den and I like that because while I cook in the kitchen, I can still chill with the fam.

[@GirlieB-e5c]

Open concept for me❤

[@lolasalesmoore236]

You are so good at what you do, love the open floor plan, but, unfortunately that’s not my home. I always gain a lot of knowledge from you.. thx!! Blessings!!

[@solarwinds-]

Hmmm, I never thought about the open concept being limiting but you're right, it needs to be continuous.

[@cliftonbazar9984]

A combination of the two works best. Closed concept for formal living and dining rooms. Open concept for kitchen and family room. Having the formal areas closed, you will be able to have people of all types over at any time. Open concept with the kitchen and family room can allow for a more I casual design and more casual living.

[@TereseLeigh]

I thought I wanted a total open concept but I’m enjoying a partial open concept instead. Our kitchen is open to the den/fam room. And it’s nice because I can cook in the kitchen etc and still enjoy the company of the fam while they chill in the den. And I like that the other rooms are closed/have walls.

[@jeanne-marie8196]

Although I am very drawn to an open layout aesthetically and live in an open concept basement apartment, it is not a good choice for me personally. As storage is very limited, and I have accumulated decades of “stuff”, my clutter is very evident, making my home visually chaotic. I am working with the Swedish Death Cleaning concept, (Seriously, give this a new name!), and find it is not as easy as it appears. I always have things laid out so I can ask what relatives may want and give the rest away. This is not easy for me with ADHD. I pull out one cupboards stuff, then randomly think of something else, and then have the closet dismantled as well! Flat surfaces are always covered. Sigh

[@chauncypeters3394]

I have an open concept downstairs where the living room/dining room looks it a family room separated by a half-wall. Luckily the kitchen is around the corner and only looks into the family room so I'm able to use the family room as a neutral anchor to speak to both the living room/dining room and kitchen through neutral complimentary colors and a mix of furniture styles.

[@TheBarefootedGardener]

I like open concept or maybe a hybrid. Cohesive design is essential regardless.

[@reneeburich9497]

Semi open!

[@clt2744]

Julie, you look so good wearing this green top! ❤ jsyk 😊

[@1Perseveresinrelience]

I have an open concept but have a formal Livingroom and dining room. I chose my favorite white shoji white for my open space. I like calming colors and can use browns tans and can change that pop of color. My hardest decision right now is changing out the front door which is a French door. Do I get a solid door or does I go with a 3/4 liter upgrade with iron? It’s Mediterranean.

[@PepaYarar-Tileva]

Best concept is bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, open living and dining, closed kitchen and open kitchen bar.

[@ingridkarg-ross8793]

I prefer semi open or closed. I’m going from closed to open and I want to keep my quality furniture but every wasn’t the same style and my artwork is super modern and bright. I’m still struggling. I refinished my dining set but just haven’t found the right rugs to define each room and I’m not allowed to buy the same rug in different colors. Finding peices that speak to each other but are not the same is hard. I it took 3 months for me to pick coordinating chandeliers for the kitchen, hallway, living and dining room and I still have to find a fixture for the den😢

[@ronnierooney6378]

We purchased a nee open concept home. Retired from the military and we had limited time to find a house in a crazy market. That said, i wish i could have gotten the builder to add some walls... i have teens and we all need some privacy. I wish i could show all of you my house so i could get some tips on how to section it off....

[@kitty_s23456]

I've been watching a lot of HGTV and home reno shows. The clients/ homeowners usually want open concept and the renovators knock down walls. I prefer *closed* concept - like the older homes/ cottages that I see that are in the UK. Each room can have its own personality. Some of the UK cottages are really small compared to American houses. Some don't have a separate dining room - the dining table is in the kitchen. I don't have kids, so I prefer my private, compartmentalized spaces. However, if a person has young kids then I understand why they want the open concept. Btw Julie, you look great in that green outfit! 💚👍

[@MichelleQuintiaVLOGS]

My new home is an open concept cuz that’s what my husband wants since I’m a homemaker who keeps the house clutter-free so the aesthetics stay calming to the eyes. 😆

[@timward3116]

I don't know why new homes are not designed with moveable flexible walls on tracks that, when totally open, would be recessed into an existing wall and, when closed, would be pulled out of that existing wall. It seems to be an easy solution that addresses BOTH the preferences of different home owners but also the changing preferences of an individual home owner who may sometimes want it open and sometimes want it closed.

[@daryachernina7387]

As someone who’s lived in apartments all her life, I want open concept living area (kitchen/dining/ living room all as one) because it feels more airy and inviting to me. I also have a toddler that I’d like to keep an eye on from the kitchen. So the house we’re building will have exactly this concept, but with rooms on both ends of the house and master suite separated by a pocket door.

[@csyiphk]

I think most people do not try to appreciate the choice of open or closed interior are more relevant to the type and structure of the property themselves than the home owners preferences. Most period, or existing, properties did not built or designed to be completely open. It is because when your home is too small, you need the walls as you need to utilize all the spaces up till the ceiling. All other things designers or “experienced” relatives will not matter as they are not the one who will face the very limited amount of space of a condo. In one of my project, I specifically picked a full open plan rental condo instead of terraces / houses because these houses do cannot let enough natural lights inside as more than one of the occupants study / work with really paper and books all day. This is not to say the owners or occupants should not design their house as they wish. I am just saying the structural / intrinsic value of a property also call for serious considerations. To be honest, this is actually one of the top advise I gave to my clients - keep an open mind to buy / move more than one property in the life cycle of your family if you want the best for them. Most of the time, you can simply buy / move to the next property as a much simpler and superior solution.

[@chrisb3902]

Great video Julie!!!

[@susanjoseph5953]

Love this video, thank you.

[@Thisnthat979]

Hi Julie you look and sound great!

[@JulieKhuu]

Thank you so much 🤗💕

[@amapolagarcia8074]

Thank you very much.mine I am happy with the open concept idea. We have a garage convert to kit and dinning area.

[@JulieKhuu]

That’s awesome, how much space did you gain from this conversion?

[@twitt9265]

Thank you 🙏🏼 for explaining & sharing. Love ❤this concept

[@gsogymrat]

I don't like people watching me cooking, so I prefer a closed concept. I understand that the open concept is nice if one has small children.

[@doglife7028]

I have an open concept and I love it…I could be in the mix of everything…

[@pasoroblesbruce7370]

Have you done a video for creating a tv media/interest wall in an open concept?

[@JulieKhuu]

I have, check out “media room ideas” 😊

[@flaviasilvaa]

Hi Julie , I really like open concept but my husband hates 😂 He says that the smell of food, noise when one of us is cooking is not for him We live in a closed concept house, as you mentioned our living room is one style and kitchen completely different style as we have completely different styles 😂😂😂 Thanks for your input 😘😘😘😘

[@debraperez3860]

I was just having this talk with a friend. I think I prefer traditional

[@colleenfuller9236]

I’m on the fence about open or closed concepts. I think it has to do with what style your home is…mine is Spanish Mediterranean so somewhat open would apply to my current home.

[@allalala9916]

We have semi closed concept. You come in there is a living room, then a laundry room partially blocks the kitchen from view and dinning room is by the sliding back door.

[@lenoretaranto3743]

If you had a linear open concept, kitchen- living- dining- how would you lay it out for construction?? Kitchen sandwiched in the middle of DR and LR?? Or kitchen first, and then DR and LR In back?? It’s linear only 25 ft wide. Thanks!!

[@1375chelsea]

Open concept for me but i would put the kitchen half hidden or on angular view from the entryway or living area which I made on myhouse. But as Asian though, I have 2 kitchens, one is formal the other is an auxiliary or wet kitchen where I do my everyday cooking. This auxillary kitchen is totally hidden from the living area.

[@carolhollinger6949]

i think it depends on the style of home. there are great parts to both styles.

[@JulieKhuu]

Definitely also depends on your lifestyle and the stage of life you’re in. But I love this discussion to help inform those who are deciding between the two. Thanks for watching Carol! 🤗

[@annafilban2859]

As someone who is very tempted by everything in the kitchen, I need it blocked off from my view. If you're skinny and you like an open concept kitchen, more power to you. It also makes alot of noise that reverberates into the living and dining room. We try grandma! 👵

[@cynthiafialka]

I like closed concept. I have a lot of art and need walls to hang it on.

[@Red2k15]

I bit of both…. Just throw down a wall or two and boom done ✅

[@verydenise]

A lot of nice houses are somewhere in between these two layouts. What would you call that? Most homes don’t literally have doors to separate even if there are walls.

[@mamacat68]

I have a closed-concept traditional tri-level home built in 1962 The problem is that at 1,625 sq. ft. there is not enough space to entertain people. My husband has to move the sofa and chair from the living room into the garage to accommodate guests in the upstairs living room. This is a hassle and creates a lot of stress. Expanding the living room would cost at least $56,000. We have been in the house for seven years. What is the solution? Is it worth expanding the living room or should we move to another house? If we move to another house, what should we look for regarding a floorplan that would allow for entertaining?

[@lynncarden]

Closed concept has lots of storage spaces ....for not just dishes but food storage and kitchen equipment..like mixers, crockpots,extra glasses,cups ect ect ect 4:09

[@jayburris6252]

I can see a “new concept” coming to be. There will be some more closed off layouts but I think most people are still going to continue to want open concepts. I don’t think anyone wants completely closed off spaces. We will see layouts where rooms flow together but have some kind of minimal dividers AND we’ll see some separate rooms with designated uses. Think of a separate tv room that loud teenagers can be sequestered to.

[@marylut6077]

Open concept works for us, is a Z shape, except TV in loft upstairs can be heard downstairs.

[@lonnie224]

Open plan living will never go out of fashion in Australia where open plan was conceived because of our hot climate. It allows the breeze to blow through the house. If you live somewhere where it snows, probably not the best design as your house will always feel cold in winter.

[@theajackson1950]

I love closed concept. I have opened concept right now hate it so much.

[@marlawegrzyn6991]

I love my home. It is open kitchen and family room but living room is sectioned off but open to family room if that makes sense. Kind of a L shape. So I have the open concept and walls with some sections. Is there a way that you can tell me how to paint ?? I also have board and batten in living room but only on 1 wall and Dow the hall. Really struggling

[@Liezl-2017]

I love open concept but I will put close little kitchenette to cook fried foods and savory dishes, so that, the whole house will not smell like s resto.😅❤

[@hchayes9431]

We have Open Concept and it's small. It cost us a fortune in updating the kitchen and livingroom because technically it just one large room.

[@kbm4409]

I live in an apartment and all the walls are pure white. I'm redoing a bedroom that has a wall behind the bedroom door, a wall that's shorter in width it's between the closet and en suite. I also, have a wall that is broken up by a window at the end of the wall. My bed placement can only go on the wall with the window on the end of the wall. Only one nightstand would fit because the way the room is made. Ima. There isnt any furniture in the room except the bed (charcoal gray). I want the room to be relaxing and calm. I have OCD and too much throws my brain in overload. I have pink solid curtains with light gray sheers. Again, I am revamping this room and I want the gray/pink. Help me with where to take this especially with the entire wall spaces being white. The TV is going onto the shorter wall with a 3 tier bookcase underneath (also white). Help I'm lost. I can't figure where to take this. Any and all ideas are excepted. Thanks and continue bringing awesome knowledgeable content.

[@nikahu1646]

I have a very open concept but don’t know how to paint it !