Walls: Should They Stay or Should They Go?

In the 1940s-1960s, there was a baby boom after WWII, resulting in a demand for housing for all of the growing families of that time. It is not surprising that there was also a corresponding housing boom to fill this need. At that time (and in homes prior to that), most houses were made up of a series of enclosed rooms. For example, there might be a formal sitting room near the entry of the home, and there was also typically a separate dining room for formal dining. The kitchen was closed off from the dining room so that guests would not see the food preparation and the unsightly dirty dishes that resulted from preparing a meal.

The famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright was ahead of his time in that he was an early advocate of an open concept floor plan, with wide open spaces and few walls, which currently is at a pinnacle of popularity in home design.  The lack of walls in contemporary design is reflective of shifts in our society toward less private, less formal social interactions.  We have collectively decided that it is acceptable for guests to see our kitchens and even to witness us making a meal, as we casually chat over hors-d'oeuvres.  Rooms for formal dining are now typically used only once or twice a year, perhaps during Thanksgiving.  Even eating dinner at the table as a family has morphed into watching TV and eating on the couch or grabbing a bite separately at a kitchen island.  Since the kitchen and living room are such commonly used areas of the home, many newer homes have “great rooms” that have no separation between the kitchen and living room, allowing the family to flow back and forth between these two areas and allowing cooks in the kitchen to see what’s happening in the living room.

When choosing a floor plan for a new house, or if you decide to remodel your current home, a crucial decision is the placement (or removal) of walls.  Walls serve many functions.  They not only provide privacy and separation, but they also allow for wall cabinets in kitchens (commonly called “upper” cabinets), a place to mount a TV, or a place to mount shelves or bookcases.

Walls can also make a space feel cramped and smaller, however.  Due to the popularity of open concept designs, many homeowners are currently removing walls as part of their home renovations.  If this is part of your desired renovation, it is essential to have a structural engineer investigate whether the wall you wish to remove is load bearing, meaning that it is holding up the structure of your home.  If it is load bearing, then you may have a couple of options, such as installing a structural post or installing a large beam that can carry the load of the wall you are removing.  It is important to make sure that a licensed structural engineer has provided clear direction to your contractor (typically in the form of stamped drawings) and that you have city permits before proceeding with any such modifications to your home.

Two primary considerations when thinking about wall placement include site lines and flow/function. Site lines are what you want to be able to see (or hide) and from what angle or direction. As mentioned, many parents like open concept kitchen/living spaces so that they can see their children in the living room from the kitchen. But also consider, however, what guests will see if you take down all of the walls from the entry to the kitchen, and whether it bothers you for guests to look into the kitchen (dirty dishes and all) upon entry into the home. Site lines are also important for bathrooms and bedrooms. Take a look at whether your layout has a view of a toilet if the restroom door is left open from a common area or whether guests will be able to see directly into your bedroom. On the flip side, if you have a lovely view or a well-landscaped backyard, you may want to remove a wall that obstructs this view as you enter the home.

In terms of flow and function, walls direct our path of travel and limit how many people can be in a space at a given point in time. You may already have a good handle on the main paths of travel and hangout spots in your home, but as an exercise, you could take a few days and jot down notes on which rooms you and family members spend the most time in, and common movements throughout the house, such as refrigerator, couch, kitchen island, hall bath, etc. Are there any bottlenecks during the day, such as people trying to get by in a tight hallway or waiting their turn at the refrigerator? These bottlenecks should serve as important cues for your new home or renovation. Adding enough space for these common paths of travel will reduce these daily annoyances. Also, consider implementing a floor plan that minimizes functional distances, such as keeping bathrooms close to bedrooms or including “en suite” bathrooms that are connected to bedrooms. If you experience a bottleneck in your bathroom(s) due to multiple people getting ready at once, consider carving out space in your bedroom(s) for a vanity desk area where people can dry and fix their hair, apply makeup, etc., without taking time in the bathroom. Also, try to incorporate a separate W/C in your design, if possible.

The open concept home is popular for a reason. It fits most people’s lifestyle and allows the maximization of square footage, producing areas that feel large and open. In fact, most home renovation TV shows have some degree of wall demolition as a key part of the renovation (with dramatic sledgehammer footage to boot). However, before you take on something like this, make sure you have considered all of your floor plan options, and make sure you leave it to licensed professionals. Walls serve many vital functions, but some of them may not fit how we live today, in which case, it might be time for them to go.