ᐅ Open Plan Kitchen: Regretted Choice or the Ultimate Solution?

Myrna_Loy schrieb:

Yes, I had that. In the last two apartments and the last two houses my parents owned. The layout of the second-to-last apartment was the worst because the open kitchen started right behind the short hallway, so the kitchen was the first thing you saw. At that time, our first child was still a baby, and everything was cluttered with baby stuff. You could always hear the dishwasher or the refrigerator running. The dining table was directly adjacent, and right behind that was the sofa area. It was noisy and always looked messy.
After that, the kitchen-living area was arranged in an L-shape, which was a bit better, but the kitchen was really small with a strange counter that was only ever used as storage space.

Sounds like these were not properties you built or planned yourself. Then you have to live with possibly poor designs.

I simply don’t like visual clutter, and I also don’t like having to tidy everything away immediately. With two boys, a dog, and a sometimes chaotic husband, I’ve personally not been happy with open-plan kitchens. They stress me out. I also don’t like it when the whole apartment smells like fried fish or burnt pizza cheese.

We have friends with a typical open, modern townhouse kitchen. They don’t mind the mess, and every time I visit, it drives me crazy. 😀

Klappradl schrieb:

I’m very glad that I can work in the kitchen however I want without disturbing others. And I’m happy that I can enjoy my food afterwards without having to look at my mess (which unfortunately does happen :oops 🙂 in the kitchen.

"I’m very glad" -> did everything right!

I love hanging out with people I care about and having smooth transitions between cooking, eating, socializing, music, the view, and the space (volume). I don’t get that feeling with a closed kitchen. I’m happy to accept the downsides for that – for example, that it doesn’t always look perfectly tidy. A basic order is quickly restored – even without a dishwasher.

BauFamily schrieb:

I was wondering on Pinterest and similar platforms why two sinks are now often installed.

Looking back, I might have added a small extra sink next to the espresso machine on the peninsula; that would support the preparation ritual. We only have one large sink with a half-height divider. That’s convenient because you can fit a full baking tray inside. At the same time, you can wash a salad in one section and still rinse or discard something in the other. Two sinks or a double sink do make sense.

Myrna_Loy schrieb:

Personally, I haven’t been happy with open kitchens. They stress me out.

Well then, a closed kitchen is clearly the better choice here!

@BauFamily : As others have said, your priorities matter. We can only provide aspects to consider. There is no universal “better” or “worse” – as is often the case.

Myrna_Loy schrieb:

They don’t care about chaos, and I lose it every time. 😀

I’m not indifferent to chaos either—quite the opposite. It bothers me just as much behind a closed door as it does in an open-plan kitchen. 🙄

How did the old saying about the kitchen go:

Mom, close the door, I can't watch you work.

We have a large open-plan living area that is divided into two levels by a split-level design. The living room is essentially half a floor higher and connected to the kitchen/dining area via a gallery.

If I were to build again, I would separate the living room more, possibly with a glass wall or something similar.

I like the open feeling, but the noise from the kitchen is annoying when you want peace in the living room, whether for reading, watching TV, or other activities.