Open plan kitchen

[Milkandhoney45]

We are thinking of moving and currently have an open plan kitchen/ dining room with a seperate living room. Five bedrooms including a spare room. I know things can be changed around in a new house but I am thinking the open plan kitchen/dining room doesn't really work with working from home (which is becoming the new norm) and children. I really don't want to make the spare room a study as I want guests (when we are allowed them again) to have a proper bed to stay in. Surely it is better to have seperate rooms downstairs and the open plan thing will go out of fashion/ become a thing of the past. What are people's thoughts?

I like separate rooms over all, but the one room I like being open plan is the kitchen, we have a dining and seating area in there and I much prefer that to just a kitchen. That said we have other rooms we can work in, for me I would lose the spare bedroom over open plan kitchen because I would get daily use and gratification from the kitchen diner vs a guest room. Can you not hybrid your guest room with an office instead?

@minipie

Hate open plan, who wants to eat in the kitchen especially if you have guests?

Huh? Surely the kitchen is the obvious place to eat, it’s where all the food is??

Well yes fine for everyday but if you have guests it’s not ideal with cooking smells, mess etc

cooking smells

of the food you are eating anyway?

No but if you are eating dessert you don’t want your guests to still be smelling the main course! Plus all the pots and pans everywhere. I know I’m old fashioned and in the minority though!

@bendmeoverbackwards I can count on one hand how many times I've had guests for dinner in the last 10 years and none of them I would care if they saw pots and pans so I'm biased in my own way 😂 to me walking around the house with food to eat elsewhere (and on carpet) is odd, and a pain in the arse in the houses we did have to do it in.

Basically if people want a spacious feeling you have to have larger/ multipurpose rooms, or a giant house. Separate kitchen, dining room/study and lounge are fine but they are often not that big and people have got used to having somewhere to eat in kitchens, at least for snacks/breakfast.
Working from home is far easier in a dedicated room, you might have to clear it out for guests occasionally but packing up every night for the dining table to be used is a differnet matter.

It's cheaper to spend money on a good quality folding bed than an entire extra room in the house, unless you have very frequent visitors.

[quote shallbe]@bendmeoverbackwards I can count on one hand how many times I've had guests for dinner in the last 10 years and none of them I would care if they saw pots and pans so I'm biased in my own way 😂 to me walking around the house with food to eat elsewhere (and on carpet) is odd, and a pain in the arse in the houses we did have to do it in.[/quote]
I guess that is why in the 70s serving hatches and hostess trolleys were used. Maybe they will make a comeback too.

@weepingwillow22 my mum's hostess trolley is her pride and joy!

I had a quick google of hostess trolleys and have to admit am quite tempted by the modern heated ones!
www.costco.co.uk/Furniture-Home/Kitchen-Dining/Kitchen-Appliances/Hostess-Heated-Trolley-with-Golden-Oak-Effect-Finish-HL6232GO/p/253052