Creating an open floor plan can be an effective way to give a spacious feel to a home with a relatively small footprint. To some extent, in fact, an open plan actually creates space, because less of the floor area is occupied by partition walls. It enables the cook to visit with family members and guests while working in the kitchen, giving the space a relaxed, casual feel that many of today’s home buyers find appealing. In reality, though, the term “open plan” is somewhat misleading. Any well-designed open plan actually consists of several distinct spaces, which can be defined in a variety of ways, depending on the degree of openness desired. With the small-house floor plan in Figure 1 as a
