sew cornie

Our home has an open-concept floor plan with an eat-in kitchen open to the family room. One big space. We bought into the idea that it's a great set-up for entertaining, enjoying family time, etc. Fast forward 10 years. If I had the choice to do it again, I'd choose a house with a kitchen as its own separate enclosed room. I've found that the open-concept rooms only lead to louder noise. Too much competition for air space. When a group is gathered, multiple conversations simultaneously go on from one end of the room to another. At other times, the television competes with the volume of the dishwasher/microwave/exhaust fan, . . . . I've learned that I miss the days of quietly washing the dishes after dinner, enjoying some thinking time or some soft singing. I miss the coziness an enclosed kitchen can provide. If I had my druthers, we'd wall our kitchen in but I think that might not bode well for resale someday as it seems open-concept is what people want.

What do you prefer and why?

niizh

Open Concept. Love it. Have had both and still prefer everything to be open. To me, all the noise and confusion just adds to life.

leatheflea

I lived in an open concept and found it to be annoying also. I like being able to get away from the noise, and go make my own noise.

Dolphyngyrl

I like open. We had enclosed when I was little, can't say I cared for it. I think open allows you to more interact with family while prepping dinner and such.

SuziC

"Open Concept" is the new normal these days. I like the separate rooms. It gives privacy and does add to the quiet

athomenow

I have the open concept and you have to keep your kitchen clean! I would love to have what they used to call a gathering room with a kitchen, large space to eat and a family room with a huge fireplace. The one thing I'll never have again is the 2 story great room. What a waste of space and hard to heat!

Jim's Gem

we have a very compartmentalized house. My kitchen is definitely it's own room. I wish mine were a little more open as I end up fixing dinner in the kitchen while family and friends are in the Living room talking and I miss out on all the conversation. It's no fun to be isolated. However, we have a small group Bible Study at our home at least one day a week and when the kids were younger, we could close off the kitchen and not have to hear them so much. I have noticed that when our model of home sells, the new people have been opening up the kitchen. I can see that thru the living room window at dusk, before curtains are closed. One of these days I am going to knock on my neighbors house and ask if the will show me what the did to open up the kitchen.

QuiltnLady1

I have a kitchen, dining room and living room as one large open room. The kitchen is defined by wrap around counters. I like it, except I am the world's messiest cook so when we have company the messy kitchen is there for everyone to see. I would not wall mine in since I have a gorgeous view through the windows in the dining room (and lots of light).

Murphy

I like a separate kitchen. Go for it :-).

quilter68

Do not like open concept. like large individual rooms. open = no walls to hang art/photos/quilts, etc. etc. means no place for all of the stuff that I have bought in the last 50 years.
Oh and the wall in the family room that went all the way up to the roof, nix that, and put a fourth bedroom there. 12,000 for a loft that is always too hot and too cold but 5,00 for a fourth bedroom.