Open floor plans are all the rage when it comes to home architecture these days, but not all of us have the luxury of being able to purchase a brand new home or build one from scratch. If you are living in an older home that does not feature an open design, fear not; you can work with what you’ve got and add on additional space to achieve the style you are after.
The Old Way
In many older homes, the focus was on creating smaller, more private living spaces, typically bedrooms. In addition, the placement and size of many of the windows fails to take advantage of passive solar techniques, allowing natural light into the home during the day and minimizing heat loss during the winter. Lastly, older homes do not have the benefit of being constructed from today’s more modern materials that are environmentally friendly and provide significantly better insulation. That being said, older homes often have great bones and stunning architecture, so it would be a shame to let that go to waste.
Working with Your Existing Space
It is very likely that there is a lot you can do with your existing space to create a more open flow through your home. You can likely make many of your window openings larger in order to allow more natural light to come in and create more of a flow into your outdoor spaces. Adding sliding glass doors or French doors to your patio area can also accomplish this.
If your home has the kitchen, living room and dining room all separated, you may want to knock out some walls or at least turn them into open walls to create the illusion of more open space. However, knocking down walls can be costly and time consuming, so this isn’t always your best option. You may prefer to leave things the way they are and create a new add-on to achieve the open floor plan you are going for.
Building a New Addition
When you put a new add-on onto your home, you have complete control over what goes in and how it turns out, so this is a highly attractive option for many homeowners. In addition, your new space will be made using the latest in building materials and design, taking advantage of sustainability and solar capabilities.
When designing your new space, think about how everything will flow, not just inside your home but into the exterior as well. The greatest open floor plans incorporate the outdoor space as an extension of the interior, making your home feel even larger. You may even be able to turn some of the smaller areas in your existing home into additional bedrooms or bathrooms, which could potentially add a lot more value to your home whenever you decide to sell in the future.
Trust the Experts at Alair Homes West Vancouver
Here at Alair Homes, we have a lot of experience in conducting home renovations, as well as in building additions and new homes. Our designers will work closely with you to understand exactly what you are going for. Through our decades of experience in this industry, we have gained a lot of insight into what works, what doesn’t, and the latest trends. This enables us to offer advice and guidance throughout the entire process to help you achieve the look you are going for without going over budget. We would be happy to sit down with you to discuss your ideas for your home in greater detail, so get in touch with us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.