HGTV's Jenny Marrs Has A Controversial Opinion About Open Floorplans

Open-concept homes have been trendy for years now. Developers, house flippers, and amateur remodelers alike tore down walls to create blended areas that bridged the gap between kitchens, dining rooms, and living rooms. It was the polar opposite of traditional and old-fashioned homes, making it seem fresh and modern. Only outmoded houses like Victorians and bungalows had defined walls — to do the opposite seemed contemporary and current. While there are plenty of benefits to having an open floor plan — such as creating the illusion of more space and togetherness — there might be a new trend of moving away from that. And, it seems that Jenny Marrs is in favor of the turning tides. The "Fixer to Fabulous" star thinks that creating houses with more defined areas is the new way to go.

"This is very controversial, but I am over open floor plans. I'm going back to what we used to have 100 years ago, which were more cozy spaces that were defined better," she told Realtor.com. "I've actually debated with a homeowner once. [I] said, 'No, [won't] tear this wall down, I really like this wall!'" Marrs' penchant for historic-leaning layouts makes sense, since on "Fixer to Fabulous" she and her husband Dave update historic homes in Arkansas. She has an appreciation for the old flow and has seen the benefit of having walls in a hundred different flips. While Marrs' opinion might be controversial, it also might be part of a new trend.

It turns out that Jenny Marrs might have tapped into the zeitgeist when it comes to upcoming home trends. Open-concept floor plans might be going out of style. In a survey performed by Rocket Homes, 51.2% of people said they like open floor plans while 48.8% prefer to have defined walls. Though people might still prefer open-concept homes, they only do so by a hair. 

We might be experiencing this trend due to the pandemic. "After so much time at home during the pandemic and the resulting shifts to the way we now work and live, I think we're going to see the pendulum swing back towards more traditional floor plans," designer Lindsay Speace told Better Homes & Gardens. "To me, the most exciting thing about defined gathering spaces is the opportunity to create rooms throughout a home that each have their own unique atmosphere and can be experienced in a different way." 

This is the exact reason why Marrs prefers the layout as well. The book co-authored by her and her husband, "House + Home = Love: Creating Warm, Intentional Spaces for a Beautiful Life, " touts the importance of a home being a reflection of the homeowner. She shows how to create these unique spaces on her blog, sharing ideas on how to incorporate a music corner in a living room or a music-listening station in the den. It's much easier to do so with walls that separate and define each space.