Open-concept homes are a popular choice in new construction and luxury homes in the High Country of North Carolina. You will have to decide if an open-concept home or a traditional floor plan works best for your lifestyle.
When purchasing an existing home in the High Country, you will have more options for a traditional, or closed floorplan, unless it has been renovated recently or is newer construction. Open concept floorplans, or modern floorplans, are a more recent design trend.
Whether you are searching for the perfect home or building the custom home of your dreams, understanding the differences between an open concept and vs traditional floorplan is important. Below is additional information about what each style of home has to offer.
What is the Difference Between Open Concepts and Traditional Homes?
As the names indicate, an open-concept floor plan is one with an open flow. There are fewer walls and fewer designated “rooms” with an open-concept floor plan.
A home with a traditional floor plan is one that has more walls with designated rooms and spaces. When thinking about which style might work best for you, consider your lifestyle.
Do you entertain, do you keep a tidy and organized space, what are your priorities with spaces? Below will explain the features of each layout as well the benefits and disadvantages of both types of popular floor plans.
Open Concept Floor Plans
Open-concept floorplans are considered a more modern style and very common in High Country luxury real estate. This layout has fewer walls, therefore you typically get more natural light in this type of space.
The lack of walls helps to improve traffic flow and makes entertaining and hosting gatherings a bit easier. Open floor plans also allow more flexibility in layout.
There are a few downsides to this type of floor plan. They can be more expensive to heat and cool. They do not allow for as much privacy and can be noisy with the lack of walls. Lastly, they require more upkeep because it is harder to close off the clutter or mess in one room.
Traditional Floor Plans
A traditional house plan offers more designated rooms. This space has more walls and doors.
This allows you to have more privacy and be able to “hide” your mess or clutter with a surprise pop by a guest! The spaces in a traditional floorplan home can feel cozier and are typically less expensive to heat as you can close off spaces.
They also offer the ability to use different color pallets and designs as you do not have to worry about the spaces flowing as one. These spaces offer a bit more of a challenge if you like to entertain and can often be darker with less natural light.
Are Traditional Floor Plans Making a ComeBack?
Traditional floorplans fell out of style for a while with more modern floor plans being the most requested style. That said, more and more builders are being asked to go back toward a traditional floor plan.
People miss having a designated dining space and being able to have a private office off the primary bedroom suite as working from home is becoming more and more popular. The word traditional means “long-standing”.
I would imagine that this type of floor plan will never totally go out of style. They stand the test of time.
Pros and Cons of Traditional and Open-Concepts in Luxury Homes
Both traditional floorplans and open-concept floor plans are popular in Luxury Homes in the High Country. As you have read, both layouts have their pros and cons.
In a luxury home, many people love to entertain and host gatherings as these types of homes tend to offer more space, making your home feel more expensive. Having an open flow and flexible spaces is important.
Additionally making sure that there are designated office(s) and private spaces are equally important. In a luxury home you tend to have more space, so having a hybrid of the layouts seems to work best.
How to Decide Which Floor Plan is Best For You
At 828 Real Estate, we will have a buyer consultation either in person or over the phone. At that time we will ask questions to get a better understanding of lifestyle, wants, needs, family members, goals, and plans.
This will help us guide you as you start the process of looking for a mountain property. We will help you weigh the options of whether an open-concept property or a traditional-style floorplan best suits your needs.
That decision comes down to what you want, but it is always nice to have input from an experienced broker who has seen and heard firsthand the responses from other homeowners as they occupy a property. Whatever you decide, purchasing a home in the High Country is a lifetime investment that you will enjoy for years to come.