To Think That Open Plan Living Is Just a Fashion of The Moment

[Lazypeopledrivemecrazy]

Me and my DH have recently moved house, and the plan for the place we chose was to integrate the kitchen, dining room, and living room. However, now that we've settled in, and begun getting prices for the work, I'm getting a bit worried that all this open plan living, is just a bit of a fad that will go out of fashion in a few more years, and then we'll all want all the walls that we knocked down put up again. Thoughts please people.

People have been saying its a fad for over 20 years! Make the house how you want it...do what works for you.

I mean, it’s been the fashion for decades already. But also, who cares whether it’s the fashion. Is it the way you like to live, or not? Don’t do it unless you like it.

I hate it. Why would you want all your dirty dishes in your living room, and cooking smells . Bleurgh!

We bought our current house in 1998. The lower floor was almost completely open plan, which worked for us when the dc were little. 12 years ago, we reinstated the wall between the living and dining room. It's been one of the best decisions we've made. It's lovely having a separate living room, and a large kitchen diner. Plus, it's nice being able to go into a separate room to watch TV, or just chill away from the rest of the family sometimes.

I hate it too! Much prefer a separate kitchen.

When we got valuations the estate agents were obsessed that we would get more return if we made it open plan and put bifolds in though, so if your selling it’s probably worth it.

I kind of agree. I think people will want some sort of casual kitchen dining space for quite a while.
But I think a separate lounge is usually a good idea.
If you have kids, open plan is useful with little ones, or at least enough space for kids to be at a table in the kitchen with you.
But with older kids, more separate rooms are probably better.
Also a consideration for me, I don't have a spare room. So at least if anyone's on the sofa bed in the lounge that room can be closed off for them.
So it's probably wise to think about how you actually want to live in the house and not just assume open plan is what you'll always want.

It's already out of fashion from what I can tell.
New build houses are certainly going the opposite way and we are currently in the early stages of planning for walls to be rebuilt in our house.

I agree with you. I don't think the ones with a large kitchen involving a sofa/family den at one end are so bad when you have a separate living room, but living/dining/kitchen all together only seems to work in an adult-only, tidy household.

I'm not a fan of complete open plan as it's difficult for zoning noise, kitchen smells and heat.

We've put some trifolds between our conservatory and sitting room which are great to open up when we have visitors and great so kids can put the loud tv on and I can cook or have friends over in peace in the kitchen

Flexible spaces work best imo.

MN usually splits into two camps on this

camp 1 - hate open plan, everyone needs their separate space for their different noisy activities

camp 2 - love open plan, far more sociable and spacious but ONLY IF there is a separate utility for the noisy laundry, and ideally a separate sitting room. (Though we have this layout and the separate sitting room is never used).

Camp 1 often have, or have had, teenagers.

We had an extension to have a kitchen diner. Both architect and builder tried to persuade us to knock down our external wall to make it more open plan. But we know what we like. I prefer not hearing the hum of the dishwasher and the smells of the cooking in the living area after eating. It's big enough to have quite a few people in the kitchen to be social whilst cooking, then leave that all behind to sit more comfortably in the lounge. Glad we stuck to our guns.

I personally would factor in the cost of heating a huge area. I have my stairs in my lounge . It makes heating just the lounge tricky

Houses in my area have been affected by 'open plan living'. In other words, lovely Victorian terraces have lost their living rooms ('parlours') as part of knock-through mania. Which is great when the DC are little, I guess.

Then as the DC grow, couples end up desperately chucking up crappy studwork to replace lost walls and rooms when their teenagers need space & young adult DC have nowhere they can afford to live in.

So yes, OP, you're right to think it though.

In my opinion it only works with a separate living space. We have a fab kitchen, diner, sitting area as well as a lounge, I wouldn’t want to have just a single living space.

After knocking down a few walls to create open plan living in my house, I would say it works very well if you have children. Would definitely do the same if we ever move house.

I have this, and as soon as I can afford it, I would split the rooms out. Cooking smells are horrible and every bit of burnt toast sets off the smoke alarm, so I would definitely want the kitchen to be able to be closed off somehow. I also don't like how when I have guests for dinner we all have to stare at the messy kitchen and washing up, which isn't particularly relaxing.
The other is heating the space - it never feels warm and cosy, which I don't like and doesn't encourage relaxation.

Hahahahahah we have a kitchen family and dining room. And a separate living room. And a separate dining room ( which I use as an office)

we NEVER sit in our living room! Kitchen always always. ( my husband is washing up as we speak - we’d never leave a mess regardless!)

I’ve had a completely open plan house and then variants but the heart of the home is the kitchen IMO. We have bar seats round the island a table that seats 10 and a 3 seater sofa and an armchair in here. Who cares about cooking smells!

It's good to have a separate downstairs space to put teenagers in when they start to congregate if you don't want them upstairs (which I don't).

I didn't like it. Prefer separate living room.

I would always have a large kitchen diner over a separate kitchen and dining room, but I would not integrate the living room into that, I’d definitely keep that separate.

You have two kinds of open plan though. 1) new builds whereby to make the place look more spacious, the kitchen and living room are all as one. 2) kitchen diners (usually modern extensions) with bifolds opening onto the garden with a sofa and tv area but also a separate front room. I think the second option makes a lot of sense, if you enjoy your garden why close it off and peer at it through a window. Far nicer to open the back of the house up and have a large social family space.

We're renting an open plan apartment, we have used shelving units to try give a bit of a wall between the lounge and kitchen, it does help a bit but after 2.3 years living here I so desperately want a separate kitchen! No where else suitable in the area though and baring the kitchen issue and wanting a larger garden it's pretty much perfect for us.

My friends went open plan, and are now putting walls back in as the cost to heat the space was getting too much. They do have a large space though to be fair.

I much prefer smaller rooms, able to be shut off. I only heat the room I need to, no smells or sounds from the kitchen and it just feels more cosy.

Estate Agent recently told me that it is no longer desirable in larger period homes. (6 bed not mansion!)

It’s nice to have kitchen and dining room in one but I would always want a separate cosy living room