Will open-plan fall out of fashion?

[dollyolly]

Just moved into a 1930s 3-bed (ok, 2.5 bed) – it's one of very few in the area that hasn't been structurally changed in any way. No extensions, no walls knocked through. Small-ish kitchen with two downstairs reception rooms.

Everyone assumes we'll knock walls through to create an open-plan space, but it suits my husband and I as it is, as it's just us here.

I know open-plan has pros – for example, I guess it's very useful to be able to keep small kids in view, and a lot of people hate small kitchens. Plus, spaces can be more multi-functional.

But I wonder if there'll be a move back to privacy, separateness, each room having a very defined purpose. Open-plan is relatively recent, and there were good reasons for designing these homes as they originally were.

Interested to hear thoughts on this. Why do you love open-plan (or not)? Has anyone regretted knocking walls through? Do you agree it could fall out of fashion and folks will start putting walls back in?

I like a kitchen with enough space for a dining table and an island. When we house hunted recently though, we dismissed everything that did not have at least one other room. I like a separate lounge, and it is great to have a family room where the toys and chaos live.

Indeed.

You didn’t answer the question 😜

I like a bit of both! We have an open plan kitchen dinner and sort of lounge. The wall is partly knocked through so it’s like a dog leg. But we also have another lounge / playroom, a separate study and utility. I don’t Like houses that are just one huge open plan area downstairs. I don’t really like many new build layouts.

We renovated our downstairs as we wanted more space and I hated the pokey 'cinderella' kitchen. We have a large kitchen lounge but could have made it even more open plan and are glad we didn't. We have a separate dining room and a snug, and the separate space is vital when kids aren't getting on or we need a quiet space. And it's easier to heat the lounge kitchen and hunker down when it's freezing.

This.

Our first bought house was a huge living room then a sort of kitchen/dinner shut off by glass patio doors and a normal door - then kitchen stepped into back of garage where washing drying and garden entry were. Worked well when kids were small.

We moved with older kids - have kitchen dinner with all washing drying in - and hall - then two small rooms one at front one at back. Front often used as office for work or gaming in evening and back room is TV and books with sofas. First thing estate agent said showing us the house was we could knock though which wasn't what we wanted. It's good for privacy, heating and noise reduction.

Next door recently knocked all though getting house ready for retirement and installed a huge wood burner - separate kitchen/dinner still - so not sure it's out of style yet.

Already has according to local estate agent who came to value (victorian , Yorkshire)
Too cold to heat and bifolds too warm in summer.

My idea was and still is a kitchen diner with space for a sofa AND a separate living area. Luckily we will have that in our new home.

Open plan sells houses because as people walk into it they like the light and space.

The reality is that living in it can be a pain in the arse.

I know people who it costs a fortune to heat because of the sheer amount of glass and the fact that you can't shut rooms off at lower temperature. Then you have the fact that everyone is always in one room.

So I think it is a "fashion" thing rather than a functional thing.

I would live in a place for a bit first before you decide what to do with it. But if you are living there you are far better off choosing a layout that suits your needs rather than one that fits fashion.

If you are doing it up to sell then it is a different issue.

I like to have a kitchen diner and wouldn't buy a house without at least room for a table in the kitchen.

I must admit I can’t think of many houses I’ve seen where the whole downstairs is open plan ie kitchen/living/dining space altogether with no separate living space at all. And we’ve looked at a lot of houses.

I'm in a run of 30's 3 (2.5) beds, with 2 reception rooms.

We've all had 6ft extensions on the back, but my neighbours either side have turned the whole run at the back of the house into a kitchen diner with separate lounge on the front. The kitchens are lovely big spaces.

Ours had the two reception rooms knocked into one (dining table at the end) and we've put in a big separate kitchen with island to sit at (my office).

Obviously, I think ours is better 😜
I love that we use all of our house, everyday,
while the separate front rooms are hardly used at the neighbours, like Victorian parlours saved for best & while they live in the back.

Entirely open plan would do my head in I think.

Open plan sells houses because as people walk into it they like the light and space.
@GasPanic probably makes empty rooms look better too!

We renovated our downstairs as we wanted more space and I hated the pokey 'cinderella' kitchen.
@MuggleMe I've not heard the term 'cinderella kitchen'. Sounds romantic! Somehow I cannot see it cropping up in estate agent spiel, ha.

@Fifiesta The answer is no. Simply interested and procrastinating over painting the hallway

I think entirely open plan will fall out of fashion, but as someone said up thread a lot of it is about making smaller spaces feel and look larger.

A large house that is open plan, with a room for a snug and a Grand Designs feel will always be desirable.

A smaller house where no one has anywhere to escape to becomes problematic with teenagers.

I think it is changing, I read something about how people are putting walls back up because of heating costs.

I don't like open plan living because of the noise and smells of cooking, I much prefer separate rooms.

Personally I love a big open plan kitchen diner, I spent too many years drudging in the kitchen for dinner parties while everyone sat in comfort having a nice time in the other room. Entertaining is much more casual now so we have added an extension to give us soft seating and a dining table plus island to perch around.

We do have a separate living room and a snug as well, plus a large landing with seating so plenty of different spaces for everyone.

In a property built in 1970s, still has separate dining room and kitchen. I prefer it this way. I couldn't bear not having a separate room. I don't get open plan living. Have no desire to go down that route. Sometimes you just need to discuss stuff privately in a communal room where you are separate from others in the family.

@CornedBeef451 also makes valid points. Heating costs and smells.

I haaaate open plan. My friend has 4 children and an open plan house. You cannot hold a conversation because of the noise, you can't even escape to another room, there's the garden but not very practical in January. Yes you can keep an eye on the kids but at what cost?

When we were thinking of doing some with to our house, a surveyor said something that has always stuck with me: people like open plan when the children are really young, but once they are teenagers, you’ll all want doors!

We're in the process of reconfiguring our ground floor (Victorian terrace). We've rearranged the kitchen to fit in a dining area but haven't knocked through. We're also reinstating the wall between the two reception rooms.

I can't wait!

I've been thinking about this a lot as we're at the concept stage of remodelling the downstairs of our new house. Agree with lots that has already been said above. What is important to me is connection and flow between the rooms. And I suspect this will be an unpopular/dated opinion, but......bring back the serving hatch!! I'm trying to convince the architect to let me have one 😂

This is definitely true for us!

I think it already has to an extent

I loathe open plan.

There is no way to keep it tidy. One thing out of place and it looks like a home where the buffalo roam.

It's also harder to heat, and draughts blow straight through. Plus in many cases, you end up with a long and fairly narrow open space with furniture arranged around the walls like a funeral home.

The most I'd do to a house is make an opening in a wall where I could put French doors, or preferably pocket doors. This would make a flexible spac, though it would mean sacrificing wall space for furniture.

I sincerely hope it falls out of fashion before much more damage is done to the period homes in this country. One of my random pastimes is looking ar Rightmove, and it is really depressing when you see a fabulous period house on the outside, and when you look at the interior it has been done over in modern stylee and all vestiges of period features have been completely obliterated.

So sad.