Separate kitchen - is it annoying?

[AntiHop]

We currently live in a flat and are planning to move to a house. Our living area is open plan, so I can do the washing up or prepare food whilst still being in the same room as my 3 year old. I find this so handy, as I can just get on with stuff whilst she plays. I love that fact that DP and I can have a conversation whilst one of is in the kitchen, and other in the lounge.

We can only afford a small house. The typical layout for the small houses we've seen are a lounge with a small separate kitchen down a corridor. Those of you who live in a place like that - is it frustrating? Would you leave your 3 year old alone playing whilst going into the kitchen to prepare food? Will I get used to it? I am dreading it!

We lived in open plan when DC very small. Moved when they where 1 - we have a separate kitchen, dining room and sitting room wouldn’t have it any other way. When looking at extending we will add a breakfast kitchen and utility but keep other rooms separate.

So me no to open plan and now DDs 15/16 we use the rooms all the time and open plan would be a nightmare.

I think we have the best of both worlds. An L shaped kitchen diner/family room with a tall solid breakfast bar and a baby gate on the gap (this is actually for the dog, but it slows the rest of the family down too )

The kitchen is a sanctuary, but I'm still aware of the people in the other room.

It was easily achievable with a steel, some mdf and a bit of plaster.

It was relatively cheap and works very well.

I prefer separate rooms too. But both houses I had have the kitchen off the dining room. So no carrying of food down corridor to the table.

I had open plan when renting a flat. Really hated the noise of the washing machine while watching TV.

In a small house you're not going to be far away. Our 3 bed houses' kitchens have always opened onto living room or the dining room end of a lounge diner. You can hear them and you're within a step of being able to see them in the living room.

I hate combination living room and kitchen-wtf is that? But small kitchens are also very sad so I can understand why people knock through in an attempt to make it less depressing but it just ends up being annoying af

I love an open plan kitchen diner family area.
I hate dining rooms...

I have lived in open plan: kitchen, living dining. It’s annoying! Had to put the dishwasher on before going to bed. Once the fan was on during cooking you could hardly hear anything.

My new home will have an open plan kitchen dining Family area and a separate lounge/sitting room. I wouldn’t have the two together again as it’s nice to have that separate space to relax without all the food smells etc.

Open plan kitchen diner family room is great when entertaining! We have friends who recently did there’s complete with a breakfast bar and it’s great to cook and chat ... watch tv etc.

We’re now in a flat with a sliding door to the kitchen which makes it the best of both worlds at the moment!

We're about to switch over to open plan, as we want to be able to spend time together, without one of us being banished to the kitchen to prepare meals / clean up. Entertaining is also far easier. I think all the anti points are valid, but there are a few things that help:-

• silent appliances (my new washing machine is so quiet I often have to check it's on)
• powerful AND quiet extractor fans are more expensive, but worth it.
• waste disposals also mean you never get smelly bins.
• and for the mess, have a separate living room you can decamp to, AND design a kitchen that's easy to keep clean!

I have always had houses with separate kitchens as i am not keen on open plan living. I managed to raise my children safely as did my parents and their parents before them. I can't imagine how it will be an issue.

Surely it is much safer to be able to shut children out of the kitchen whilst the oven is on than have them playing around an open plan kitchen? Mine used to potter up and down the corridor, in and out the sitting room up to the kitchen. All fine. If you are worried put a stairgate on the kitchen so they can see you but can only get in if you let them.

Thanks very much for all your views. It's encouraging to read that lots of people like the separate kitchen.

Those suggesting knocking through or putting a hatch. Not possible for the typical layout in the Victorian terraces we're looking at. The houses in our price range have the following layout: Front door opens on to a corridor. Door on to the lounge, which has a window to the back door at the back. At the end of the corridor is the door to the kitchen in a rear return, often with the bathroom beyond that. So kitchen not actually connected to the lounge.

It's interesting to read the main reasons why PPs don't like open plan, as I've not experienced any of them. I've never been bothered by smells or noises from the kitchen in the living area.

It's going to be quite a change moving to a house after years in a flat. I like the fact I can hear my 3 year old wherever I am in the flat. So I am kind of dreading moving to a house. But I am really looking forward to not sharing a front door and staircase with others, and not having to climb 4 flights of stairs to my front door. And really looking forward to having a garden.