Decorating & Design

April 22, 2011

Open-Concept vs. Closed Rooms

It’s been trendy to tear down walls in small Victorian homes, allowing light to flow though and families to share the wide open space. I love the idea, although I sometimes wonder if the lack of privacy (and the cost of heating) would become bothersome in the long run.

To help you visualize this dilemma, here are a few inspiration photos of open, lofty spaces, followed by smaller, closed-off rooms:

Open-concept living makes for bright, spacious rooms, but noise and cooking smells get around fast. As the alternative, check out these cosy, closed-off spaces:

Closed rooms are more private, but aren’t always the best for entertaining. However, I do like that each individual room can have its own decor style — which is difficult to pull off in a space without walls or doors.

Seeing as I haven’t lived in a true open-concept space, it’s difficult for me to judge, so I leave it up to you — what do you prefer, open-concept or closed rooms?

Photo credits:
1. House & Home, photography by Virginia Macdonald
2. House & Home, photography by Robert Lemermeyer
3. House & Home, photography by Virginia Macdonald
4. House & Home, photography by Michael Graydon
5. House & Home, photography by Donna Griffith
6. House & Home, photography by Chris Tubbs