In the good old day house design was very different. We used to divide everything up into little boxes. One box for the living room. One for the dining room. One for the formal sitting room – often a “front room” that was kept for special visitors.

Metricon’s Regional West Sales and Marketing Manager – Simon Lofts suggests things couldn’t be more different now.

“Open plan living as a concept begun in the 1970s with loft conversions and modern architecture which is now the norm. People now want free flowing spaces without the interruption of unnecessary internal walls and doors. Spaces that merge seamlessly, encouraging friends and family to interact and share precious time together,” Simon offers.

The trend, which is unlikely to change anytime soon, reflects our modern lifestyle.

“People nowadays are extremely time poor, and we value time spent together more than ever before. Where Dad used to prop himself at the kitchen table and read the newspaper alone, while Mum curled up in a comfy chair with a “women’s’ magazine”, families now tend to share time together watching TV, or playing Wii with the kids. At Metricon our home designs reflect this type of lifestyle.

A formal dinner party was a major event in our parent’s generation, with hours of preparation and huge upheaval for everyone, nowadays we are much more likely to have people around for informal “grazing and eating” maybe many times a week. This is reflected in modern housing with the phasing out of a formal dining room and the advent of well-fitted “outdoor rooms” that make a barbecue dinner on a sunny summer’s evening so easy,” enthused Simon.

How, then, do we all get some private time to ourselves? Well, we sub-divide our open plan space with retractable doors that can be produced when privacy or quiet is needed, and left open when it is not. Closing off a home theatre with sliding doors is a classic example.

“At Metricon our clientele often now request having both a rumpus room and a theatre room, so people can indulge themselves with different leisure activities without treading on each other’s toes. The addition of a formal sitting room or a study means there’s somewhere for quiet time as well.

For those looking for design inspiration – or even individuals interested only in looking at the options available – should log onto www.studiom.com.au and have a turn on envisage. This new customization tool by Metricon offers potential home buyers the opportunity to design their own interiors and exteriors that suit each individual lifestyle before making the big home purchase,” concluded Simon.

For more information phone 1300 METRICON (638 742), log onto www.metricon.com.au, or drop into the Warrnambool display centre at McIntyre Court (Vic roads ref: 515 N2), opened Monday – Wednesday 1pm – 5pm and weekends 12pm – 5pm.