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If there has been one trend in home renovation Leicestershire and indeed in home design in general that has stood out over the last 20 years then it is the shift aware from conventional room divisions to open plan living spaces. There is, of course also the in-between option of a little bit of open-plan space such as a kitchen/diner, with separate living room and bedrooms and even a partially open-plan kitchen/dining space that is more about good flow between rooms than a complete abandonment of division.
It stands to reason that as the typical family dynamic has become more fluid and less traditional, then so has the layout of the average family’s living space. The barriers between male and female division of labour have continued to be dismantled and there are increasingly blurred lines between housework (especially cooking) and leisure time. As cooking and smoothie-making, juicing and other areas of food preparation have become de riguer and somewhat social activities and cooking has evolved into an often shared activity then the role of the kitchen has also evolved. With working roles also ever-evolving, families now spend more time together than ever before and what better solution to this trend than open plan living?
The benefits of fully opening one’s living space are numerous, but the decision can involve quite drastic building work and before taking the plunge it is wise to consider the pros and cons.
The open plan kitchen/diner is ideal for those who like to revel in the glory of the mealtime, those for whom a dinner is not microwaved and consumed over 10 minutes on a tray in front of the TV. The open plan living space is also conducive to minimalist design and enables watchful parents to keep an eye on their children while preparing dinner. For the stir crazy among us it can be especially liberating not to sit in a room and feel like the walls are closing in and open planned space can certainly feel less claustrophobic.
However, with too much open plan space, privacy can become an issue, especially as those children become teenagers and while of course it is possible to retreat to the bedroom this can bring its own worries on occasion! Those with sensitive noses can be put off by the aromas that spread from the kitchen in an open plan ground floor and while this can be partially remedied with odour-neutralising candles, it would be less of an issue in a kitchen shut off from the rest of the ground floor. Even the cons can become pros, however as few could deny the pleasure in the warm waft of freshly baked bread spreading throughout the house. Another drawback of open plan living is that there are obviously less walls throughout the ground floor. Fewer walls equal less wall space to hang art, shelving and cabinets.
While it is possible that the decision to embrace open plan living could be taken out of your hands by circumstance, if you are thinking of renovating a closed room type house and plumping for the open plan option, hopefully this article will have given you some idea as to where your allegiances lie.