How to Create an Open Floor Plan in an Existing Home

Many homeowners prefer their home to have an open floor plan, because it makes the house feel more spacious and inviting as well as making the house easy to navigate. The design options for open floor plans are endless. However, if you already own a home and the floor plan seems lacking, there are ways to open up the space.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Use smaller pieces of furniture. If you have a cramped floor plan, you can give the illusion that your rooms are bigger and more open. This goes for artwork, too. Hanging a large painting on a small wall only makes the wall look smaller.
2. Reposition any decor that gives the appearance of cutting a room into sections. If you have a couch positioned in the middle of a room, move it closer to a wall to make the room appear larger.
3. Paint your walls, doors, baseboards, chair rails and any other architectural elements in light colors. This allows the eye to scan the room without interruptions and gives a seamless appearance.
4. Remove a wall. If you have a room that you don't use often, knocking out a wall can open up your home. Installing a pass-through window from the kitchen can open up the floor plan. You also can remove doors and expand the doorways.
5. Add more windows to your home. Natural light gives an open and airy feel.
6. Vault your ceilings if you have a gable roof and don't need the extra attic space. If you can't vault your ceilings, raise them a foot or two. Any of these options will give the illusion of a more open space.

Tips & Warnings

• Check with your local permit office before remodeling a home and support any load bearing walls before knocking out entire walls.

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