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Original poster

What do people prefer - open-plan kitchen diner thing with doors into a living room or separate rooms?

76 replies

Tinker · 08/09/2007 20:13

Spotted open-plan a few times on the list of things people hate about their houses. Our kitchen is too small and needs to be extended. I'd hoped to combine it with extending teh dining room and making them in to a big kitchen-diner.

Good idead or bad idea?

OP posts:
portonovo · 10/09/2007 11:01

Separate rooms every time. I would never buy an open-plan house. I do dislike the fact that our kitchen is small, but I still wouldn't ever make it a kitchen-diner. I echo most of the things StarryStarryNight said.

I don't think dining rooms are funereal or old-fashioned or too formal, I love having one.

evenhope · 10/09/2007 11:05

We've always had new build houses with kitchen-diner. My next house must have a separate dining room.

suzycreamcheese · 10/09/2007 11:12

separate rooms
kitchen big enough to dine in

the cooking smells, privacy and chill out reasons i guess

newlifenewname · 10/09/2007 11:14

Big kitchen with table for cooking at and eating cakes at, or sitting round and drinking hot chocolates and stuff and then dining room for proper eating. Oh I wish!

bagpuss · 10/09/2007 11:15

We have a new build with a kitchen diner. When we have friends round for dinner (not that often but still) we always end up in the kitchen nattering whilst I cook. It also means that I can set up an activity for the kids to do while I get on with something else in the daytime. Very versatile as a space and I'm glad we've got it.

slalomsuki · 10/09/2007 11:16

Seperate rooms for us.

I love being able to close the door on the mess

GrumpyOldHorsewoman · 10/09/2007 11:18

My house is a smelly little rabbit warren - food smells gathering and lingering in recesses and corners, and I would give my eye teeth for an open plan design with a free-flow of air.

I hate my house - it's a poky, badly designed, dark and smelly shithole. God damn those architects of 1870!

Good job I don't have to pay for the bastard.

BTW, my dining room is currently full of the boxes and crap I can't find homes for, and we have lived here for a year now.

DANCESwithTheMorningOff · 10/09/2007 11:21

Kitchen/dining room with squashy sofas at one end for when friends come round for coffee and you are cooking for their children etc, lounge so dh and I can retire away from the mess in the evening, oh and separate playroom for children would be ideal...

hanaflower · 10/09/2007 11:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ghosty · 10/09/2007 11:22

Open Plan ALL the way ...
I'd never go back to separate rooms ... ever ...
I keep it tidier as open plan too ... (can't shut door on mess )

SoupDragon · 10/09/2007 11:23

I've got a large kitchen-diner but then 2 separate reception rooms (playroom and living room)

I couldn't live completely open plan with one huge room, there'd be no escape from the children. A large kitchen diner instead of kitchen and dining room is perfect though.

FluffyMummy123 · 10/09/2007 11:24

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FluffyMummy123 · 10/09/2007 11:25

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CountessDracula · 10/09/2007 11:26

Open plan defo

When i moved into our current house I hated it as I loathe lots of small rooms

We knocked the whole of the downstairs into one so we have big kitchen diner across the back and living room at the front. When dd is older we may reinstate the wall between the living room and kitchen/diner which would leave room for a sofa in that room. Can't see us actually doing it though!!

I did keep a larder which has the washing machine in it as these can be noisy in open plan

CountessDracula · 10/09/2007 11:27

Also we did it in a way that it would be very easy to put the walls back

FluffyMummy123 · 10/09/2007 11:27

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FluffyMummy123 · 10/09/2007 11:27

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Nemo2007 · 10/09/2007 11:28

agree about seperate rooms and it being noisy with kids, thats why we are having doors between dining room and living room. Our downstairs is a L shape.

CountessDracula · 10/09/2007 11:33

but cod
we have an office for working in
there is a tv in our room (not that it ever gets used)
dd has a massive room that she can play in
Not sure what playstation is but I am NOT having it in my house!!!

FluffyMummy123 · 10/09/2007 11:35

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CountessDracula · 10/09/2007 11:36

Yes, if I had a larger family I wouldn't be living in this house, I would buy a bigger one!

FluffyMummy123 · 10/09/2007 11:36

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CountessDracula · 10/09/2007 11:39

really?

Well maybe I should have triplets, move out and you can move here

I don't have a mahoosive house as there are only 3 of us and a dog and tbh I don't actually LIKE rattling around in a big house it makes me nervous

I like it quite cosy

Our house is in fact perfect though I would in future like to dig out the basement to have wine cellar and big playroom/slob out room for dd and her mates (and us). The only think I would really like is a bigger garden

FluffyMummy123 · 10/09/2007 11:40

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CountessDracula · 10/09/2007 11:42

argh

You have a good grammar school don't you? Or is that only for girls? (I htink my step niece is going there)