Hi, Chelsa here 👋🏻
When Nick and I moved into our home together, there was one thing we really wanted: an open concept. It was still fairly new back then, and we were all in.
And for that season of our lives, it was perfect.
We had babies. Being able to cook dinner or fold laundry without chasing little ones from room to room was the biggest draw. From the kitchen, I could see everything.
When family and friends came over, I didn’t miss a thing. I could finish dinner and still be part of the conversation in the living room, so we felt together long before we sat down to eat.
And the light. It could flow through the whole space instead of getting trapped in small, dark rooms.
Then the years went by
The babies aren’t babies anymore, and somewhere along the way I started noticing things.
The noise, I already knew about. The TV, the dishwasher, the kids, the dog, a phone call, all bouncing around one big room at the same time.
What I didn’t realize was that the noise wasn’t the only thing.
A while back I watched a video about how open floor plans can feel overstimulating, and things started to click. It wasn’t just the sound. It was seeing the mess of every room, all the time: the dishes, the toys, the pile of mail, all in view whether I was cooking or trying to relax on the couch. It was the smells drifting everywhere. It was never quite having a space that felt calm and separate.
Those things had been wearing on me for a while. I just hadn’t put my finger on why.
Maybe you can relate?
But here’s the thing
I’m not telling you open concept is “out.” I’d do it again in a heartbeat for those early parenting years.
The trend didn’t phase out on us. We grew out of it. Our family changed, and our home just serves us a little differently now than it did back then.
And that’s exactly why I don’t want anyone to feel bad about loving something just because someone says it’s out of style.
Why we don’t design by trends
At Bennett Design + Build, we try not to design around trends, because most of them don’t stand the test of time. It’s easy to spot a house that was remodeled in the 90s. In five or ten years, it will be just as easy to spot the decade yours was done, if it was built around a trend.
That said, if you truly love a trendy look, we’re all for it. We want you happy in your space. We’ll just be honest with you when something is a trend, so you know you may want to change it again someday.
The real question isn’t “Is this in or out?” It’s “Does this work for the way we live?”
So keep what you love
If you love the warmth of honey oak, embrace it. There are plenty of colors that pair beautifully with it if you just want to freshen things up.
If farmhouse is your style and someone tells you they didn’t know it was still in, smile and keep it.
And if your Christmas village is still above the cabinets in July for the fourth year running? That’s not a trend. I just didn’t want to take it down. 😆 (A tip while we’re up there: if you can, run your cabinets all the way to the ceiling. One less dust trap to discover later.)
This is your home. You live in it every day, and it’s for you and the people you share it with to love. If it’s safe, comfortable, and brings you joy, have it the way you want it.
Unless you’re selling soon. That’s a different blog post.
I’d love to hear from you. Can you relate to the open-concept overwhelm? And what “trend” are you keeping, no matter what anyone says? Tell us on Facebook or Instagram.
The video I mentioned is here.