to ask why open plan kitchen/living rooms are appealing

[alliecat567]

I'm looking to buy a 2+ bed flat at the moment and approx two thirds of them have open plan kitchen living spaces. I just don't see what the attraction is. Why would you want your cooking smells intruding your living room, and why would you want to look at your fridge / sink etc whilst relaxing on the sofa? Can anyone tell me what the benefits are?

I have open plan kitchen, living room and dining area and I just love the space and that we are all together. I would hate to go back to lots of smaller spaces. We have a separate playroom, office, utility room and dining room though so can shut ourselves away if need be

Higge - "I expect they'll turn into parent avoiding teenagers soon enough."

We converted a basement for our 'parent avoiding teenagers' because we don't have the possibility of an open plan kitchen. They bought themselves sound cancelling headphones so they can ignore us calling down the stairs to check they are still alive.

We installed Xbox, the largest TV in the world, LAN cables in the walls for superfast gaming, toaster, microwave, fridge, kettle, coffee maker and exercise equipment.

They can live down there for a whole weekend withut emerging although the smell might eventually force them to.

I am currently attemptng to install a fruit bowl for vitamins to assuage my parental guilt. I think they are practicing to be astronauts. They would not be phased by living on the space station as long as they could get internet.

I am waiting for them to start texting us rather than actually speaking.

We have a separate playroom, office, utility room and dining room though so can shut ourselves away if need be Totally misses point.
I agree with the poster singing the praises of a small kitchen - providing you have good storage. Everything within arms reach so getting things out/putting things away doesn't result in loads of traipsing around, much easier to keep tidy as easier to put things away than leave them lying around, doesn't take much cleaning ... I could go on. I also think that if you have a smallish flat you don't really want all the space wasted in your kitchen (or bathroom come to that - same principles apply in fact). These things are all very much on my mind at the moment OP as we have just being weighing up the pros and cons of various apartments and have just settled on one with separate (small) kitchen, short breakfast bar so I can perch with my tea and listen to R4. Hope you find something you love.

ABetadad

The open plan business works in London terraces with a sep reception at the front. Maximises every inch of potential space.

It's preferable to have that sort of combined/family area when one also had private spaces, sep reception, dining, etc.

ABetaDad. We do use text. I refuse to shout. Not face to face though.

The appealing versions of open plan living many on this thread are describing, are not small flats but large houses. Having open plan living plus a utility room is not usual for a flat. Having open plan playroom, snug, kitchen, plus another dining room and extra l img room are features if large houses not flats.

I think new build flats have just one room for living, kitchen and dining (usually a tiny 2 seat table and just one small 2-seat sofa carefully placed) to squeeze more flats into the building, do developers make more money. Such flats don't need much corridor or hallway space because often there is just a bedroom, a bathroom and one multi-purpose living room. The kitchen is often just one wall of kitchen units at the back of a medium sized room, with a tiny patch of flooring to indicate it's a different use area to the rest of the room. In terms of space it is likely to be very near the sofa area and any washing machine or dishwasher noise won't be far away from where TV is watched.

These are sold as the open plan dream, and people like new build and if using help to buy can often only get new build, but whilst people definitely do like open plan kitchen and diner, most would prefer a separate living area. To get it, you need to look at slightly older flats - they often have more square footage and separate kitchen. This might have space for eating in, but more often, the table will be in the living room as that is where there is space.

My main issue with open plan everything is that we had a fire many years ago, due to an appliance not being safe and it was a total nightmare. As long as I can shut a kitchen door and give more time to get away from fire then I’m happy. A kitchen diner and separate lounge would be fine but I wouldn’t want my bedrooms only being one door away from the kitchen.

I have an open plan and it's great we love it

Ideally I'd have an open plan kitchen diner with room for a sofa and telly in with bifold doors going out to the garden BUT would also have a tv/snug room for watching tv in the evenings.

The open plan is nice for not be separated from the rest of the family whilst cooking meals especially during the day.

I would LOVE an open plan kitchen/living area!

Mainly so that I can keep an eye on DC while getting their dinner and check that they are not doing anything dangerous!

It's so annoying being in the kitchen trying to cook and prepare a meal, then hearing screaming/crying and wondering what the fuck has happened now!

I like walls. Mainly because of noise. I'm watching a crap film in the front room. DP is watching for knows what on you tube in the dining room. The dishwasher and washer are doing their thing in the kitchen. Open plan (with no other rooms) would drive me scatty.

So many interesting responses.
I’ve hankered, for a long time, for an open plan living area... in my mind I’m Nigella, slapping pomegranate seeds onto meringue nests whilst idly laughing and sipping martinis with all of my guests at Christmas.
Reality is, after holidaying in a large open plan living arrangement, there’s no escape from everybody else, no little nook to hide and read a book in, and, yes... the giant l-shaped sofas stank of food smells. And you have to keep on top of tidying /washing/drying/ironing as there’s no other room to hide it all in... unless you’ve got a massive house with other rooms to shut the stuff in.

Because it’s cheaper for the developer.

You won’t find it as frequently in an older property!

People keep talking about houses. This thread is about flats and modern flats in particular.

In modern flats you don't get a large open plan kitchen/diner/snug and then a separate sitting room and separate utility room. The whole point of the thread is the fact that everything is in just one room.

Usually, there are Windows or patio doors at the opposite end to the kitchen and no windows in the kitchen end.

The thread is about living in a flat like this vs living in a flat which has a separate kitchen to the living area and what the appeal is of just one big room for living, eating and cooking.

I actually think most people would prefer a separate room. Whilst they like kitchen and dining to be together, they like somewhere separate to sit and relax. However, younger people looking at first buys often look at new builds, partly due to help to buy and all of those seem to have just 1 room to save developers space, so younger people are at the point where all they see is the one room and the idea of a separate kitchen doesn't seem something you can have in a flat.l..or at least not in a new build flat where there are shiny appliances and bathrooms.

Personally I think it would be better to buy an older flat which has more square footage and a separate kitchen, but then it might have a more dated bathroom etc.

I wonder if people buying the new flats really do prefer the kitchen in with everything else.

It's not really relevant that older people with bigger houses have managed a lovely kitchen breakfast room with a sofa in the corner, but then have a separate grown up sitting room and possibly a utility room - so have both open plan kitchen and separate areas too. That's not going to be possible in a new build flat aimed at first time buyers.