ᐅ Explanation of the Hypes

kaho674 schrieb:
If I had to guess what the current living situation is like, I would say that more people live with a separate kitchen.

In rental apartments from the 1950s or 1960s, you don’t just tear down the walls.

In new builds (in our area), there are 12 open-plan and 1 closed kitchen.

Of course, that is also a matter of personal taste.

Open-plan kitchens are not a new concept; they have always been around. Historically, they were the central place where the fire burned.

Did Americans invent the breakfast bar? Not sure.

Who came up with the idea of a small kitchen primarily for cooking? Probably not the aristocracy, since kitchens used to be large back in the day. But maybe it was the aristocracy who didn’t want to watch the food preparation because it often involved a lot of work?

At least, one can say that today it no longer fits to open the formal living room only for esteemed guests while relegating everyday life to the basement or party room.

In my view, this is not a hype at all, but rather a return to the roots.

Best regards

ypg schrieb:
Open-plan kitchens are not a new concept; they have always existed. It used to be the central place where the fire was burning.
Did Americans invent the kitchen counter? No idea.
Who invented the small working kitchen? Probably not the nobility, since kitchens back then were large.
But maybe it was the nobility who didn’t want to watch the meal preparation because it often became hard work?

At least you can say that nowadays it doesn’t make sense to open the formal living room only to honored guests while reserving the basement or cellar for everyday people.
I don’t see any hype here, rather a "back to the roots" approach.


Best regards in brief

The living and dining areas are also for guests, the kitchen for us is simply a practical workspace.

We have already discussed the issue with odors.

Our kitchen is open-plan as well, and we are very happy with that.
Although we have only been living here for two weeks, we cook every day.

Odors are not an issue. We have a proper recirculating range hood and a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery (two exhaust vents in the kitchen).
In my parents’ house, where the kitchen was separated and there was no ventilation of any kind, the smell was much worse even when the kitchen door was opened briefly.
So, for me, that argument doesn’t hold.

So, I used to strongly believe that the kitchen had to be closed off. Because then you can shut the door and no one sees inside while cooking. Because the cooking smells (when you’re hungry, it’s a nice aroma; when you’re full, it can be food odor *g*) stay in the kitchen. My first apartment had a separate kitchen with a very small dining area (for a maximum of 2 people; basically I always ate alone there as a single person, guests were seated in the living room, which also had the dining table).

To be honest: it’s a nice illusion that the smells stay in the kitchen. That might work if you’re just cooking vegetables, but if you have a roast in the oven for 3 or more hours, or are frying 4 steaks in a pan, you can have the best-closing door in the world – the whole house/apartment will smell like food.

What really helps is a good controlled mechanical ventilation system and an efficient extractor, whether it’s a range hood or the newer ones that extract directly at the cooktop (I can’t remember the exact name!). In any case, ventilate thoroughly after cooking.

For me, a door to the kitchen has never prevented cooking smells from spreading.

But I had guests who sat alone in the living room while I was finishing up in the kitchen.

My next apartment had an open plan kitchen/dining area and a separate living room. The smell problem was the same, so after cooking there was always a big airing out (despite the extractor hood). Guests always sat in the kitchen; the living room was never used. There my ex and I would sit alone in front of the TV or read on Sunday afternoons. With guests we were always in the social kitchen. For me, that was much better – it was fun, guests already got a drink, I could talk with them while finishing up, and I didn’t feel guilty that my guests were sitting alone in the living room (or standing in my way in the kitchen, which also annoys me).

In our current apartment, I have an open kitchen/dining/living area for the first time, and I LOVE it!!! Never again any other way (note: I was initially a strict supporter of a closed kitchen door!). It’s so much more social, guests can sit right at the table or lounge on the sofa with an aperitif. By the way, I don’t understand the problem of a messy kitchen after cooking at all. I always clean up while cooking — it’s just self-discipline, which I learned from my mother (who didn’t have a dishwasher back then; all dishes, pots, etc., no longer needed, were washed straight away and put away, it works!). When I finish cooking, my kitchen is clean, no piles of dirty utensils lying around (and I manage this right now with only one (!) 45cm (18 inch) wide dishwasher). I honestly don’t understand how a kitchen can get so messy, but I often see it happen. But it really is a learning process, and I can only recommend it to everyone, whether the kitchen is open or closed: you won’t have a mountain of cleaning to do after eating, and that is VERY pleasant.

So our house will have an open living/kitchen/dining area, and since we aren’t fans of carpet anyway, the flooring isn’t an issue (we’re getting wood). I find white carpet in the kitchen weird. I’m sure that will be fun…

Floor-to-ceiling windows: we like them because they simply make everything brighter by letting the light fall right onto the floor. So we have planned as many floor-to-ceiling windows as possible, mostly with sliding doors, so the living area can be expanded outdoors in summer. I think it’s definitely okay to put something in front of the fixed part of the sliding doors. Maybe not a floor-to-ceiling living room wall, but a low cabinet or a stove (always with some distance from the window) – that doesn’t bother me. In an office, I can well imagine a desk in front of a floor-to-ceiling window. But of course, that’s also a matter of taste. Privacy concerns, especially at night when the lights are on inside, can be well managed with an appropriate lighting design (for example, illuminating the window from outside). A sophisticated lighting plan is very helpful here.

Balconies on a single-family home I don’t really get, especially not attached to the parents’ bedroom (who on earth goes out on the balcony before or after sleeping??? For a cigarette afterwards???). If you have a garden and a terrace, you use those. I only know of unused balconies on single-family homes... well, I’m not lying, there is one family that uses their balcony. They have a house on a slope and the kitchen is on the ground floor (this is the level with the street entrance). They have a dining area on the balcony, directly accessible from the kitchen, and it’s used. The rest of the balcony (south-facing in front of all the rooms, with a wonderful mountain view) is completely useless.

But again: if someone loves having a balcony, then they should just build one…

kaho674 schrieb:
I didn’t know that. Is the average really more in favor of open kitchens? If I had to guess the current living situation, I would say that more people live with a separate kitchen.

I expressed myself imprecisely. In my experience (without having conducted actual statistics), more people prefer to live with an open rather than a closed kitchen. However, what they currently have is a different matter. Many tenants make compromises. In older apartment buildings, a closed kitchen is often standard and unavoidable if you live there, even if you would prefer otherwise.

The reason it is desired is that cooking and baking hold a special importance for many beyond mere food preparation. It is a) seen as a cultural skill that should be visible rather than hidden, b) often done collaboratively (sometimes even “celebrated” with close guests), and c) the time is gone when servants or later housewives were removed from the view of the main living area while doing their work, whenever prosperity allowed. The “parlor” or main living area having everything in one was historically due to financial constraints for most people.

But this remains indisputable: to avoid falling victim to a trend or, conversely, clinging to tradition, one must be clear beforehand about the requirements a room should fulfill (this applies not only to kitchens). For this, you need to reflect on yourself and also be willing to consider uncomfortable external opinions—sometimes the outside judgment differs significantly from one’s own, and in that case, a second round of self-assessment is urgently recommended.

Once this is clear, it naturally follows whether an open or closed kitchen makes sense, etc. The distinctly German mistake of using the classic “it’s always been that way” or “it’s never been that way” as “good” arguments should definitely be avoided.