Changed my mind about open floor plans after a week in a friend's new condo

I always thought open layouts were the way to go. Then I stayed at my buddy's place in Phoenix for a week. His condo is basically one big room. No walls between the kitchen, living room, and dining area. The noise was constant. I couldn't watch TV while he made coffee because the blender drowned everything out. And the smell of fish cooking for dinner hung around in the living room for hours. I used to think walls just made places feel cramped. Now I see they serve a purpose for keeping different parts of life separate. Has anyone else had a similar experience after spending time in an actual open floor plan?

3 comments

3 Comments

murphy.aaron18d ago

@tarabell nailed it with the noise thing. It's crazy how even normal sounds like someone opening a bag of chips or pouring a drink can feel so loud without walls to buffer it. And yeah @max_torres44, the grease coating fabric is real. My buddy's couch actually feels slightly sticky near the kitchen area after just a few breakfasts.

tarabell18d ago

Yeah the noise thing really gets to you after a few days.

max_torres4418d ago

And the kitchen grease gets into everything, coats your couch cushions eventually.