I’d Like a Few More Walls Please!!

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Whomever came up with the idea of open floor plans clearly didn’t have children.

And quite honestly, I really think whoever that person is should have to spend some time in an open floor plan home.  With children.  I volunteer mine.

A typical evening in my home (if we’re all home), involves someone either cooking dinner or cleaning up dinner, a kid watching TV (with, of course, the volume turned up to be heard over the noise in the kitchen), a kid talking into a microphone to coordinate an attack in a game, music turned up to be heard over the TV and a threenager running around yelling ( he likes to be heard and it’s already loud….).  That’s an average evening.

I’d give just about anything to have somewhere to shove each of them.  Really.  I love them.  And I understand one of the selling points of these open-floor plans is the idea that we are all together.  But, really, I’m over it.  I could use a little less togetherness at this point.

I know, I really shouldn’t say that.  I’m sure I can hear the gasps of disapproval coming at me from over the internet.

I love them.  I know, there will come a day when I miss them terribly, and I’d give anything for the noise and chaos that an average day involves.  But, right now, today, I’d give anything for a little peace and quiet.  And for the chance to smack whoever it is that came up with this ‘open floor plan’ idea.  Seriously, did this person not have kids?  Or are mine just really really loud??

I’d love to go back to the days when the family room was a room with walls, and so was the kitchen.  I understand when people entertain they end up in the kitchen.  But does my front door need to open up to the kitchen sink?  Should every person that I open my door to have a direct line of sight to a mound of dirty dishes?  I’ll get to them, I swear.  Really.  One day they will all be done.  But is that really the first thing someone needs to see in my house?

maybe someday....
maybe someday….

I miss the days of my youth.  My parents would push away from the dinner table, hand off dinner clean-up responsibility to us kids, disappear into the next room, put their feet up and watch a TV program.  There is no way I could do that.  Oh sure, my kids are doing dinner clean up.  But between the water running in the sink, the kids arguing about who was supposed to do what, and the music they like to listen to (turned up to be heard over the running water in the sink), we have no chance of having a decent conversation, let alone watching a TV program.  I know, I’ve tried.  Again and again I have desperately tried.   I am totally in love with the idea of putting my feet up at the end of the day and hearing the sounds of someone else cleaning from the next room.  Doesn’t that sound like heaven?  Don’t I deserve a little bit of that heaven?

Instead I hide in my room.  The way my kids do when they want some peace to get their homework done.  Or read a book in peace.  Or just have some peace.

So, we’re either all together in the noise and chaos, or everyone is off hiding in their rooms.  I’m not sure that was what was intended with this design trend that has taken over home design in the last 20 years.  But I really wish it would go away.  I’d like a few more walls.  Didn’t someone say that good fences made good neighbors?  Can I get some of that INSIDE my house?  Maybe then the 16 year old wouldn’t be yelling at the 3 year old so much.  Maybe.  I could hope.  Really. From where I’m hiding in my room, I could hope!

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Kristin, Senior Writer
Once Upon A Time, in another life, Kristin graduated from the University of Michigan with a plan to teach high school math. But then, life happened when she wasn’t looking…. She married an Army guy and 23 years, 3 kids, a few dogs, 7 homes, and 2 continents later she’s now a single mom living here in Colorado Springs. Along the way she volunteered for the Army, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and several schools; managed volunteer organizations, coached judo, trained to be a whitewater rafting guide, biked down Pike’s Peak and even managed to teach some high schoolers a little math before forging new trails writing, teaching and financial planning. She never knows what’s coming around the bend, but she’s learned to handle whatever life (and the Army!), throws at her with a smile and a laugh. She’s pretty sure you can get through anything with those, even if you have to fake it occasionally!!

1 COMMENT

  1. I completely agree! My front door opens up right to the dirty dishes in the sink. We absolutely need to revisit this idea of an “open floor plan.” Great reference to Robert Frost by the way. He wrote the poem, “Mending Wall,” and that’s where the phrase good fences make good neighbors is from! I smiled when I saw it. I’m a sucker for classic literature references!

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