Open Floor Plan vs. Closed: Which Is Right for You?

Open floor plans have become common over the past few decades as an alternative to traditional closed floor plans. Many prospective homebuyers prioritize one type of floor plan over the other due to how they plan to use their home. We’ve broken down the differences between these two floor plans so you can decide which one is right for you. 

Open Floor Plan vs. Closed: Key Differences

Open and closed floor plans differ in how they separate space for different uses. Closed floor plans use walls and doors in between rooms like kitchens, living rooms, and dining rooms to create clearly defined spaces for each purpose. An open floor plan removes traditional divisions between rooms to create one large living space that includes the kitchen, living room, and dining room.

What Is an Open Floor Plan?

An open floor plan creates a large, multi-use living area where cooking, dining, and leisure all happen in the same space. This floor plan is popular with families and homeowners who like to entertain since the large space can accommodate many people all doing different household activities in the same area.

Best for: Families with young children, homeowners who like to entertain

Pros of an Open Floor Plan

Fans of open floor plans love how airy and spacious the larger area feels, allowing more natural light farther into the house than a traditional closed floor plan. With an open floor plan, parents cooking dinner can supervise their TV-watching kids without having to step away from the stove every few minutes. In addition to being a great environment for family time, an open floor plan is ideal for entertaining, creating a large, welcoming space for more people than could fit in a closed floor plan.

Cons of an Open Floor Plan

While open floor plans have a lot of benefits, they also have some drawbacks. While it’s great to be able to interact with people, the lack of walls means that messes are more visible, and cooking smells can easily travel into living spaces. It’s also more difficult to make an open floor plan feel cozy due to the vast space between walls and often higher ceilings. Those big open spaces can be more expensive to heat and cool, as well.

What Is a Closed Floor Plan?

A traditional closed floor plan separates out the home’s living spaces using walls and doors, so your kitchen, living room, and dining room are all distinctly different spaces. Older homes traditionally have closed floor plans, with multiple smaller rooms making up the living space rather than one open area.

Best for: Families who prefer private spaces, homeowners who want each room to have a distinct feel

Pros of a Closed Floor Plan

Privacy-loving homeowners can opt for a closed floor plan, keeping household activities confined to different rooms. A closed floor plan is also better for keeping messes contained since you can’t see the kitchen’s dirty dishes from the living room. The walls and doors between rooms also help keep heating and cooling costs down and aid in sound reduction, keeping occupants of one room from clearly hearing everything happening in another.

Cons of a Closed Floor Plan

Closed floor plans can make it more difficult to entertain since multiple smaller rooms can’t accommodate as many people, and the boundaries between rooms make socializing less convenient. A closed floor plan can prevent more family time—if Dad is cooking dinner in the kitchen, Mom’s reading in the living room, and the kids are doing homework at the dining room table, they’re all in separate spaces. It can also be more expensive to finish and decorate with a closed floor plan since each room will need its own decor.

Open Floor Plan vs. Closed Floor Plan

Which floor plan is right for you depends on your personal style and how you want to use your home. Take a look at how each floor plan measures up in the following categories.

Appearance: Tie

Open and closed floor plans appeal to different homeowners. Each has a distinct aesthetic feel, and while some homeowners may prefer the light, airy, open look of an open floor plan, others will opt for separate rooms, each with its own decor and feel.

Privacy: Closed Floor Plan

Open floor plans are great for facilitating family living since multiple people can be in the same space doing different things, like cooking or watching TV. A closed floor plan allows for more privacy since each room has walls and doors separating it from the home’s other living spaces. If your household prefers privacy to togetherness, a closed floor plan is the best option. 

Sound Reduction: Closed Floor Plan

Since open floor plans don’t have walls separating each room and often have high, open ceilings, sound can easily carry through the space. For homeowners who prefer a little more quiet, a closed floor plan’s walls and doors offer sound reduction, keeping each room’s activities self-contained.

Ease of Entertaining: Open Floor Plan

Open floor plans are a host’s dream. The larger space is perfect for entertaining and allows hosts to be active in the kitchen and interacting with guests while not feeling cramped. The lack of doors and walls also makes it easier for a large number of people to congregate in smaller groups and easily move between groups, facilitating a more festive flow during gatherings.

Resale Value: Tie

While open floor plans have been highly prized features for homebuyers for the past few decades, many prospective homeowners are starting to seek out closed floor plans for the privacy and cozy feel they offer. While 20 years ago, buyers were knocking out walls to create open floor plans, these days, some homebuyers are prioritizing finding homes with closed floor plans rather than having to incur floor plan costs and hire a local architect to put those walls back up.