Deciding whether to partially open kitchen

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you open to the dining area rather than the kitchen?

NP here, and this is what we’re about to do. We’re taking down the wall between the kitchen and DR and replacing with a peninsula. This will get us more light and more counter space (our two biggest goals) while still maintaining separation from our living areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:always open a kitchen, open floor plans are desirable for living and resale, people on here are idiots

I think the trend is moving away from open floor plans. I hate the way noise carries in ours, and my next house will not be open floor so help me.

[Anonymous]

Love it! Just moved to a house with open kitchen. It is nice. Kids do homework at table and chat. And , I notice my teens are more inclined to step up and help whoever is prepping meal - whether me, partner or a sibling. The engagement feels precious. Also, entertaining Feels more fluid - though only six months and we don’t entertain much yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:always open a kitchen, open floor plans are desirable for living and resale, people on here are idiots

Actually I read they are less popular. Once you have actually lived in one you realize the pitfalls-noisy, privacy, concentration.

[Anonymous]

I prefer closed. Don't want to see the mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:always open a kitchen, open floor plans are desirable for living and resale, people on here are idiots

Actually I read they are less popular. Once you have actually lived in one you realize the pitfalls-noisy, privacy, concentration.

Not np, but .... our Bethesda home with an open concept sold off market for 1,300,000 .... on the other hand, our neighbor's house across the street ( a much better house, larger and more baths, but with a kitchen renovation shut off from the living areas) sat on the market at an eventual reduction price of 1,249,000 for months until they got a renter. Our agent, who had both listings, said the feedback was that the kitchen was too closed off from the rest of the main floor. And since it was a brand new renovation (not more than two years old) none of the buyers wanted to tear it out and start over. Open concept still has a huge following.

[Anonymous]

In a $1m plus Bethesda home the kitchen should be open to a family room/informal dining. The formal living and dining areas are usually preserved. In some smaller homes this can be accomplished with a rear addition.

What doesn’t make sense is taking a small home with a traditional layout, tearing down a wall or two so the dining room is in the kitchen or you can see the kitchen from anywhere, and demanding a premium for “open concept.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't relate to the need for open kitchens in any degree. When I am working with knives and hot food I do not want any distraction. I hate open concept houses too.

You are alone in this view. Are you by any chance aged 75 and above? Because virtually no one likes a closed kitchen except for some older people who cling to that idea mightily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:always open a kitchen, open floor plans are desirable for living and resale, people on here are idiots

I think the trend is moving away from open floor plans. I hate the way noise carries in ours, and my next house will not be open floor so help me.

Nope - not a chance.

[Anonymous]

We were in the exact same position as you describe and we decided not to open it up. After playing with the layout for hours and hours, I decided that opening it up would make an odd layout that would just be weird. It would have also made our kitchen layout less functional.
First priority is the functionality of the kitchen
Second is adequate storage
If you can accomplish that and still have it look ok then open it up. If not, just leave it.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, PPs. We decided against the stools in the LR side for sure. We may still do the partial open and see if we can get stools on the kitchen side (looking into LR) or just leave the wall whole. Either way we are first knocking down the original wall so based on your feedback, may do that first and then assess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In a $1m plus Bethesda home the kitchen should be open to a family room/informal dining. The formal living and dining areas are usually preserved. In some smaller homes this can be accomplished with a rear addition.

What doesn’t make sense is taking a small home with a traditional layout, tearing down a wall or two so the dining room is in the kitchen or you can see the kitchen from anywhere, and demanding a premium for “open concept.”

Ding ding ding!
Open concept is only for large houses. The kitchen is basically roomy. Enormous even. We added to ours in the back. We still have a formal dining and living room with graceful archways. That's as open concept as you get. The true open is just garbage.

[Anonymous]

I understand not wanting your kitchen to open to the living room because of noise, but why not the dining room?

We have a tiny (12x8) kitchen with 0, and I mean ZERO storage space. There are large windows on 2 walls (so no wall cabinets), an exterior door on one wall, and all of the under cabinet space is taken by appliances.

Our 3 person family has no need for a dinning room that holds a 12 person table. What we do need is a pantry. I would rather reclaim some of the dinning room space to expand the kitchen. I'm not going to cover the windows and aside from filling the dining room with hutches, what other reasonable options are there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand not wanting your kitchen to open to the living room because of noise, but why not the dining room?

We have a tiny (12x8) kitchen with 0, and I mean ZERO storage space. There are large windows on 2 walls (so no wall cabinets), an exterior door on one wall, and all of the under cabinet space is taken by appliances.

Our 3 person family has no need for a dinning room that holds a 12 person table. What we do need is a pantry. I would rather reclaim some of the dinning room space to expand the kitchen. I'm not going to cover the windows and aside from filling the dining room with hutches, what other reasonable options are there?

Fine, but what you're talking about is not opening to the diNing room, it's taking away the dining room and making a large, eat in kitchen.

[Anonymous]

This is OP. It is not logistically possible to open into dR in my house. Also DR and LR are part of the same open space so there isn’t a huge difference but we can’t open on the one small wall that directly faces DR.