Even homes with modest square footage can be transformed into airy and open space. Open floor plans are a relatively new concept in residential home design. The term can also refer to landscaping of housing estates, business parks, etc, in which there are no defined property boundaries such as hedges, fences or walls.
An advantage of an open floor plan is the feeling of spaciousness that it offers. In the past, homes were frequently divided into very specific small rooms. For those who love to listen to their surround system televisions in the family room while the kids play in an adjacent room, talking on the phone could be a challenge. Open floor plans allows for visual connection and also allow for sound to travel easily.