Tried the 'open floor plan' layout for my new apartment renovation and now I regret it

Knocked down a wall between my kitchen and living room last month, and now I can hear my fridge humming from my couch and every cooking smell hits the sofa directly. Anyone else tear down a wall and wish they could put it back?

3 comments

3 Comments

martin.paige1mo ago

Lisa5 nailed it on the leveling thing but the real fix for the humming is dampening the vibration through the floor. Put a rubber mat or even a folded towel under the fridge feet. That stops the sound from traveling through the floorboards and buzzing the whole room. For the cooking smells, yeah a good range hood is key but also keep your bathroom fan running during and after cooking. Open a window in the bedroom or opposite side of the place to create cross flow. The smell will get pulled out instead of settling into your couch cushions. I had a client who swore by running a box fan in the kitchen window pointed outward while she cooked bacon. Worked better than her fancy hood did.

lisa51mo ago

Pretty sure that humming noise is probably something else, not just the fridge. My buddy had the same issue and it turned out his fridge was just on a slightly unlevel floor after the reno. Took him 5 minutes to adjust the feet and it stopped. The cooking smells thing is real though, my old apartment had an open layout and I ended up having to get a real good range hood just so my couch didnt smell like bacon all the time. Maybe try a dehumidifier or an air purifier near the kitchen area, it helps pull the food smell out before it settles into the fabric.

carr.brooke1mo ago

Did you read that study about how open floor plans basically just turn your whole living space into one giant kitchen exhaust system? I saw something about it on a design blog, they tested the air quality in open concept apartments vs closed off kitchens and the smell particles travel way further than people think. Your buddy's leveling fix makes total sense though, I've heard those compressor hums can change pitch with the slightest angle difference. I had a similar bacon smell problem and honestly just cracking a window while cooking made a huge difference, way cheaper than buying gear.

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