New home sizes are shrinking and each space in a home is up for evaluation as to its usefulness when builders design new floor plans. In many cases, the traditional living room is getting the proverbial ax in favor of larger, more efficient open floor plans.
J. Lawrence Homes is one builder that offers such floor plans at each of its builder communities. This floor plan at Ambry Estates in Lynwood has no living or dining room, but features a great room that is open to the eat-in kitchen and family room.
Remodelers are also seeing demand for opening up existing space. Smykal Renovations recently won a Gold Key Award from the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago for the renovation of a home in Naperville that included re-allocating space from the old living room into a larger dining room with a sitting area and a new den.
Says John Wozniak, president of J. Lawrence Homes, “If you find you’re using a room only a few times a year, there is probably a better way to lay out the home.”