Who comes up with designs like these?!

[MinnieTruck]

Before people jump me, I know that open plan living room/kitchens are quite popular at the moment. I like the look of some of them but I personally prefer to have a separate kitchen.

Today, I came across this property and I just don’t understand it. Why would someone want to sit on their sofa and face the kitchen? From the other pictures, it doesn’t even seem like there’s much room to try and move things around. Are these properties easier/cheaper to build? Is there anyone here that would actually like this set up? I genuinely have so many questions.

As if this wasn’t ridiculous enough, the price is £1700 PCM and it’s a one bedroom flat….

Without the link to the site to see the rest of the property, its hard to comment! Is it a bedsit type 1 bed? In which case, at least they have a separate kitchen to the bedroom. A true bedsit would be all in one like a hotel room.

@DSD9472 nope not a bedsit or anything like that. It’s advertised as a one bedroom flat. Here’s the floor plan if that helps somewhat.

I just don’t understand the concept of sitting on the sofa to look into the kitchen!

It looks very like the flat my son rented in Bethnal Green about 18 months ago, except it was ‘only’ 1500 a month then. There was a shower room and a bedroom too, and a very small backyard.

Because some people would rather live on their own, however cramped, than share. Landlords know this so will cram in the necessities. This is not 'open plan living'.

At least that place looks reasonably done out. Look at Vice's London Rental Opportunity of the Week for some real horrors (and very funny analysis of them).

Where would the TV go - propped on the microwave?!
That does seem like quite an impractical layout, and very small for a 1 bed.
There are bigger studios in my development which have a much better layout.

Because they are trying to squeeze it in - the bathroom should be next to the bedroom for one thing but either way it's made a small space even smaller.
I like open plan, but as you say I want optical separation if nothing else.

Sorry OP, I can't stop laughing at that design!!! You are absolutely right to question this 😂

Also, where does the washing machine go? Is there no washing machine at all? Do you take your clothes to the laundrette or are there washing machines somewhere else in the building? I just do not get it.

@DonnaHaywood oh my gosh. I’ve just had a brief look and I’ve already seen some horrors on there. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of that blog before. I just saw one where the shower was in the kitchen. This is madness

I agree with you. I’ve actually seen some studio flats that are done quite nicely and are very spacious.

I also don’t understand how the Landlord is charging £1700 for this place. Crazy

I had to post it on here because I just couldn’t believe it! The price made it even worse tbh

🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️

Maybe they are hopping for a desperate poor soul of a buyer hoping to have a hot kan or woman in their kitchen one day- thats allll I can think of as a use for this 🥴

What’s the location?

I rent out a 1 bed flat but at least the kitchen is behind the seating area so you don’t have to look at it. Mine is twice that rent though.

Where on earth would the TV go?

@debbydowner oh God, don’t give a potential tenant any ideas!

@AndiOliversGlasses South London - Clapham area, not too far from Clapham North tube station. You rent out a 1 bedroom flat for 3k PCM?

That’s how they have chosen to use the space. They could have had a small table there. Or a couple of small arm chairs facing each other. TV in the bedroom.

It’s a small living space.
Many young professionals live happily like that in London.

I’m 24 and I guarantee that none of my professional friends would be happy with that. That wasn’t my point though, I’m sure someone could live in this flat and be happy with this.

My point is, how do people come up with these types of designs? Is it cheaper? Does it take less time to build? There has to be a reason surely

Ah no I got my maths wrong. Mine is actually a little bit cheaper! It’s in Zone 2 East London, a new build. It has a separate hallway too.

@AndiOliversGlasses I was going to say is your property based in the heart of Kensington or something!😂

That’s precisely what I mean though. Even though I’m not a fan of open plan areas, I can see how having the kitchen behind you will make sense. Because once you sit down on the sofa, you still have that section where it’s a living room only. Sitting in your living room just to look into the kitchen is batshit. And like you said, where the heck would the TV go?!

If you move the sofa to face the wall against the kitchen, then I think this is what Roy's flat from IT crowd looks like!

That’s not open plan though is it, that’s a flat without a living room, they’ve just put a sofa in the kitchen in the hopes you don’t realise an entire room is missing!

You’re right! However, this isn’t the first flat that I’ve come across where the description says, ‘This recently refurbished 1 bedroom ground floor flat boasts a modern interior throughout with a beautiful reception room, stylish kitchen and smart bathroom.’

Beautiful reception room my arse

There's something similar near me. Someone has tried to make a 1 bed flat from part of the ground floor of a house. It has a bedroom with double bed and no room for much else, a small shower room and then this gem of a kitchen/ lounge/ diner. They have lowered the price and changed the bed to a single to make the room look bigger, but it still isn't shifting - I wonder why?!

Becuase greedy landlords/developers.

When we were looking for a 2 bed flat a few years ago loads of "2 beds" were actually 1 bed flats but the living room had been turned in to a bedroom and then a sofa plonked in the kitchen to make a "kitchen/diner".

@Pfpppl Ha! At least you wouldn't have to move from the sofa to get a beer out of the fridge!

That is just ridiculous😳

I had to go and have a look at the property and you can see that they’re really trying to tempt someone into renting it out. Reduced price AND bills are included. The only catch is the £300 deposit! I can’t believe places like this exist

The cheek to then advertise it and charge the market rate as a two bedroom flat knowing full well it’s basically a one bedroom. You’re right about greedy developers/Landlords. That’s the only plausible explanation because I highly doubt they’d live in these sorts of properties themselves