Gathering together is an idea important for many homeowners and is especially true as we enter into the holiday season where doors are opened for friends, family, and loved ones. Once they enter through that open door though, what do you do if your home is sectioned off, rather than with the open concept floor plan you wish you had? Gerard Construction has ideas for your next remodel to take down walls and rebuild space to create the larger and more open space you are looking for.
Picture Living in It
Whether you are designing a custom home or you are planning a remodel with our Gerard Construction team, we encourage you to consider how you would live in your dream space. This may involve actually living in a home you already own and listing out what you love and what frustrates you in your day to day. For custom homes or remodeling, picture what an ideal day, ideal dinner party, ideal movie night, or whatever your family usually does and consider how the space can make that more comfortable and inviting. Take notes when you love features or design aspects of other people’s homes and bring those when you meet with our team. If you have no idea where to start, we can ask plenty of questions to begin the planning process.
Consider Your Home
While an open concept floor plan may be part of your dream home, your current home may not be ideally suited for these changes. A Cottage or Victorian style home is designed with cozy spaces in mind. This doesn’t mean you cannot create more open space, it just means you may want to be intentional and selective about what is and is not opened up. Altering this original design could also impact your resale value, depending on the market, and should be taken into consideration. Conversely, barndominiums and industrial conversions are perfect for leaving everything as open as possible.
Think Structurally
As fun as it sounds, we cannot simply hand you a sledgehammer and set you on your home to start tearing down walls. The structural integrity of the building should be kept intact, and we will work with our architect to make sure any support walls are kept in place or replaced with beams. Some homes may be better suited to adding additional square footage to create more open concept space. As you are considering the structure, we will also discuss the purpose of the room and if you need flexible spaces. Large sliding doors can help rooms serve dual purposes. According to realhomes.com, “a change in floor level can subtly zone spaces” to create a feeling of rooms within a room.
Planning for Design
There are many design elements to consider for open floor concepts. You will want to choose a color palate that is carried throughout and neutral enough to support the larger space. You will also want to include furniture, rugs, and other pieces that can help absorb sound within the space, especially if there is a TV or sound system. In regards to your flooring, you will want to choose something you love enough to see in the entire space and is durable enough to handle different types of traffic.
To begin planning your open concept remodel, contact our team at Gerard Construction. Our construction team, architect, and designer will take you through every step, helping plan for every detail you have imagined and anything you haven’t yet thought of.