ᐅ Step between the living room and the kitchen-dining area

I would only do it if it matches the terrain of the property. It can be quite a tripping hazard for children, guests, and as you get older.

In addition to the already mentioned tripping hazard (why would anyone intentionally include one?), there is also the financial aspect, as the construction costs increase. A basement underneath as well?

There is no advantage to such a step. If separation is necessary, it should be done using some kind of "wall" or similar element (low wall, counter, very different floor coverings, etc.).

I once visited a house that had a step purely for aesthetic reasons. For me, that was a dealbreaker. Tastes differ; some people like it, others don’t. But I certainly wouldn’t want to deal with vacuuming around it all the time. The trip hazard has already been mentioned.

Our living room is separated from the dining area by two steps. I find this really annoying; using the robot vacuum on the ground floor isn’t practical. (First world problems ) Even when vacuuming manually, you always have to carry the vacuum cleaner up and down the steps.

Yes, such a step is extremely annoying and basically has only disadvantages. Normally, no one would voluntarily choose that. The reasons have all already been listed.

Better to separate the living room with a door and design it differently visually; this also has a practical benefit.

Creating a living space that isn’t suitable for aging without a real need seems somewhat unwise, doesn’t it?

Just think about the resale value, for example. Such a design inherently limits the potential buyer pool unnecessarily.

- Families with wheelchair users
- Older adults
- People who dislike stairs
- Those unwilling to pay extra costs for such adaptations
- And so on.

I could go on humorously like this.

And this is just one example of why it would be unwise, even if you initially find it nice. There are certainly countless other reasons beyond resale value.

Now imagine if you or your spouse, children, parents, etc., end up in a wheelchair.