What is better - two receptions or one big open plan space?

[justaphase]

We have been house-hunting for ever and finally it looks like we might actually buy a house! So we were discussing what we might do with it yesterday....

The first floor has a separate kitchen and dining room. It also has a "drawing room" which is very big - from the front to the back of the house.

I was thinking - we shouls knock down the wall between the dining room and the drawing room and have one big open plan space. I love open plan spaces - I think they allow for sociable family time.

Dh however loves that drawing room as it is(it has dark wood paneling on the walls and an original fireplace). He says he can imagine himself withdrawing there after dinner. He does not mind connecting the kitchen and dining room but wants to keep that drawing room separate.

I just don't understand why we need two reception rooms!

Views please?

Our downstairs space is open plan and we have double doors into the ktichen.

TBH I would think twice about living like this again - when it's messy, the whole space looks messy iyswim.

The upside is I can keep an eye on DS without actually needing to be in the same room.

The only saving grace is we use a bedroom as a study so at least DH's clutter is hidden behind a door.

Deffo open up kitchen to dining room, though, and make the dining area a family area with toys / sofa etc.

2 rooms definately - we live in a town house and have one living area. I would love to have a child free room too!!

We had open plan - living/dining in old house and it was rubbish for mess adn toys.

Here we have a separate playroom which is great. Even it doesn't get tidied you can shut the door on it and not see

I must admit I live open plan at the moment and I love it. New house has one through reception room and a kitchen diner so will be similar as back of reception is going to be DS's playroom bit. I guess it's because I like to tidy at the end of the day so it doesn't bother me, and DS is only 13m so doesn't cause that much havoc yet.

No No No, definitely don't make your drawing room a living/dining area, for all of the reasons against on here and also for resale purposes. By all means knock kitchen diner ito one, people like that.

My house has a sitting room, 'My Craft Room', dining room and a kitchen.

Next doors just has a massive long living room as they have knocked through, there isn't anywhere to escape IYKWIM.

Our house was knocked through when we bought it and we bricked it up again

Hello all,

I’m new in Gillingham Kent and have a 13 yo son who is reluctant to move to any of the grammar schools in Kent.

Brompton Academy has been recommended as a good comprehensive which has a grammar stream - just like my son’s school in London.

I have applied but due to C-19 we had no opportunity to go and see the school in action.

Does anyone have helpful advice or tips here?

One of the alternativeS is to let DS stay at his current London school and commute. 1.5 to 2 hours each day! 🤨

A house in a 1970s development I know very well has just knocked the already generous kitchen (room for a 6 seat table), separate dining and living rooms together. This has given them a room of about 59 square meters.

This has been extensively discussed by the neighbours . The neighbours include an architect specialising in domestic extensions/ renovations and an interior designer (basically people who know the local property market) and several people with no special knowledge other than living family life.

The conclusion is that this isn't a good plan. As they all wanted a separate room to relax in away from their (future) teenagers. So I think it might affect your future saleability.

Many of the house have, however, been updated by knocking through the kitchen and dining room although some have actually done a rear extension to extend the kitchen and maintain the separate dining room. During lockdown this has proven invaluable as these dining rooms have been converted into either home school rooms or a second study (they house already have 1 study). They get used very, very rarely as formal dining rooms.

Just noticed this is a zombie thread.

Sorry.