Are you looking for a modern relationship?
Open floor plans encourage family interaction and I am finding that floor plans in homes are becoming a focus of homebuyers in modern relationships. There is less focus on the amount of square footage and more focus on the way the home works. I will never forget the comment made by one of my clients about 20 years ago when open floor plans were just starting to become popular. After seeing several open floor plans, we looked at a more traditional home and he said, “Barb, we don’t need a home with an insurance man room” . In the past, formal living rooms were only used when “company” came. In my home the living room was used for traveling salesmen like Bible salesmen.
Modern relationships favor a more casual lifestyle with families wanting to take advantage of the time they have together to interact with each other. The person cooking and cleaning wants to be able to talk to the rest of the family, help with homework or enjoy a program on TV with the other family members. An open floor plan design also fits more usable living space into the same amount of square footage for those thinking energy conservation.
Homes with open floor plans generally combine the kitchen, dining room and living room areas into a single, large gathering space (public space) where family and guests can interact during their time together – not just during a formal sit-down meal. Some of the other added benefits of open floor plans are that they allow more sunlight from windows in the exterior walls to enhance the room. A room with light from two sides creates a better social atmosphere. (More information on this concept can be found in A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander or go to his website for an example.)
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