What’s so great about Open Concept anyway?

We sat down with Bielinski Homes COO and fourth-generation home builder, Paul Bielinski, to ask him about one design trend that has become incredibly popular in the past twenty years: open concept floor plans.

What drove Bielinski Homes’ transition to open concept floor plans?

We started to design open concept homes in the ‘90s when we recognized a shift in American family life. As the world was getting busier, formal dinners and time spent together at home were starting to disappear, especially between long hours at work for parents and more and more extracurricular activities for kids. So we decided to design homes where families could make the most of their time together, even if it wasn’t necessarily around a home-cooked meal. In our open concept homes, even if family members are performing different activities, they’ll still be together.

What are the most common reasons clients select open concept?

It really is just a matter of families wanting to make the most of the time they have together. A parent can be preparing dinner while their spouse finishes some work on the computer and the kids do their math homework. Before open concept, they would all be occupying different rooms for different tasks. Now they can do all this while enjoying each other’s company. Plus, open concept design isn’t any more expensive to build than traditional design, even though it is often much more desirable to modern homeowners.

How has Bielinski Homes evolved open concept customization?

Unification of style is one big change we’ve noticed. For example, instead of wading through 100 carpet samples for four different rooms, open concept floorplans are more integrated and require only one or two flooring types. This simplified design will also connect spaces to make them feel even larger.

 

Any new trends for open concept?

Well, traditionally open concept refers to the kitchen, casual dining area, and great room. What we’re seeing happen is other rooms, such as home offices, entertainment rooms, and formal dining rooms, are all being included in open concept spaces. Soon homes will have no interior walls at all! All joking aside, it’s the perfect design for busy families, and allows everyone to flourish in their homes, no matter how hectic their lives get.

To see the latest in open concept, visit a Bielinski model home or browse our floorplans.