Thinking About an Open-Concept Remodel in Sacramento? Here’s What to Know

May 26

Let’s get vulnerable. In order to grow, you need to tear down the walls you’ve built around yourself. That’s the only way you can be truly connected, open, and free.

But we’re not licensed to talk about your emotional baggage. So let’s talk about your floor plan instead, because we are licensed to tear down the walls in your house.

At HEX General Contractors, we help homeowners throughout the Sacramento and Bay Area rethink their spaces every day. So we’re breaking down everything you should know before you commit to an open-concept renovation—complete with design ideas, FAQs, and honest guidance on the downsides and cost.

Open concept kitchen and dining room renovation in Folsom, California by HEX General Contractors with while custom cabinets, gold finishes, and a wooden rectangle table.

What Is an Open-Concept Floor Plan?

It’s pretty self explanatory, but in case you’re unfamiliar, an open-concept floor plan prioritizes openness and connectivity between living spaces in your home. The most common expression of this design is a kitchen and living room that aren’t separated by any walls—they share one large, open space. This style of floor plan has been attributed at times to the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian homes of the 1930’s-1950’s, particularly picking up steam in the post-WWII era of American suburbia. Nearly a century later, it’s proved to be more than just a trend.

The Best Open-Concept Design Ideas

If you're thinking of making the transition to an open floor plan, here are some of the best ways to make the most of your renovation:

Kitchen and Living Room Combo: Remove the wall between the kitchen and living area for a big, social space that makes your home feel larger than its footprint.
Great Room Layout: Add the dining area to your kitchen and living room space for a huge, communal space at the center of your home.
Split-Level Flow: If your home has multiple stories, open things up by removing partial walls or adding glass panels and open railings.

It can be hard to visualize what your home might look like after an open-concept renovation. That’s why we use 3D design tools to help you see the vision before we lift a single hammer.

How Much Does It Cost to Remove a Wall?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for this. There are all kinds of factors you have to consider that will affect the cost of a wall removal. For instance, a load-bearing wall will cost substantially more to remove because you have to install structural support in place of it. A wall with plumbing or electrical inside of it will require a plumber or electrician to come in for rerouting. The height of the wall, length, and even material will all cause fluctuations in cost at the end of the day.

To determine an accurate estimate and whether or not the wall is load-bearing, schedule a feasibility consultation with our expert team. We charge a flat fee for in-depth inspections of your property, but will waive the fee if you choose to continue the renovation with us. Don’t make any big decisions without first scheduling a consultation with our team; structural changes like wall removal can be a dangerous undertaking.

What Are the Negatives of an Open Floor Plan?

Let’s be honest; open-concept homes aren’t for everyone. The last thing we want is for you to change the layout of your home to only regret it down the road. Here are a few negatives that might cause you to rethink:

Noise Travels: No walls means sound carries. But there are smart design tricks (like soft finishes or ceiling treatments) that can help.
Less Privacy: If your household needs separate spaces to work or relax, we can design room dividers or half-walls that offer some limited privacy.
Heating and Cooling: One big room can be harder to regulate. We often recommend zoning your HVAC system to fix that.
Clutter Is Visible: With open sightlines, any mess will be harder to hide. We can help by building in smart storage that can keep your space tidy.

If any of these give you pause, we can still help you open things up without losing function. Hybrid layouts that offer both openness and structure are becoming more popular—and they work really well.

Are Open-Concept Homes Going Out of Style?

While design trends are constantly changing, open-concept layouts have managed to stick around for good reason. They're practical, they feel good to live in, and buyers still love them. That said, designers are recognizing a movement towards more natural, functional layouts that seek to find a middle ground between two extremes. Cramped rooms and narrow hallways are restricting—both in lifestyle and design—while overly open floor plans can feel just as restricting by placing everything in the same space, always. So while open floor plans aren’t necessarily going anywhere, how we structure and design them is evolving. We can help you think outside of the box for that.

Is It Time to Open-Concept Your Sacramento Home?

If any of the following sounds like you, it might be time to explore some options:

Your kitchen feels too closed off
Your rooms feel small or disconnected
You love hosting and entertaining
You want more natural light and better flow
You’re ready to give your space a fresh, updated feel

At HEX, we’ve helped homeowners from East Sacramento to Elk Grove open up their homes in ways that fit their lifestyles perfectly. We know remodeling is a big step, so we’ll help you walk it one day at a time.