Having a wall is important for a transition from the outside to the inside. A wall provides a place to hang coat hooks, place a little bench for sitting and shoes, and "landing strip" for keys, etc.

I don't want to see the kitchen when I walk in the front door, nor do I want the kitchen open to the living room. I know lots of people love the open-concept, one big room type of house, but it's not for us. We like our separate rooms.

I really dislike when you can see the kitchen from the front door.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it’s weird to walk into a house and directly see the kitchen. I think of kitchens as private rather than public spaces in a home.

I don't think that's a very common belief these days. Kitchens are the showpieces for most homes.

Kitchens can be private spaces that are beautiful just for the residents. I’ve never understood kitchens being the center of parties, which is when they’re likely the most messy and disorganized and should in fact be the most private. And when they’re clean between meals, they not lively spaces.

I have a 1960’s split level and we still have a foyer with coat closets separating the kitchen from the foyer. The foyer leads into the living room. Kitchen on left. Our kitchen is large enough to be an eat in kitchen and has plenty of countertop and cabinet space. I have seen houses just like ours where the front door opens to the kitchen which is basically the whole main floor. I don’t personally like this look. If the house is not cleaned up at all times, it looks messy. If entertaining and people are in living room or dining room, I don’t like to be stared at while preparing food or cleaning up.

We looked at a house that had a big open layout where you walked into the living room and the kitchen island was right in front of you (all one big room). It was a hard no.

I think it's ok if there is some form of delineation. In our last house, the previous owners had opened the entry way to the living room on the left, but had put two coat closets on either side of the opening that narrowed it a bit and created a visual delineation (and two really useful closets), and the kitchen was straight ahead via a regular sized door. So you could see the kitchen, but it was clearly in a separate room. That didn't bother me at all, and was not an issue in selling the house (it sold by word of mouth).

Totally depends how neat you are and whether you are doing the reno to stay (do what you like) or sell (make it open).

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it’s weird to walk into a house and directly see the kitchen. I think of kitchens as private rather than public spaces in a home.

I don't think that's a very common belief these days. Kitchens are the showpieces for most homes.

Yes, it’s weird to walk into a house and directly see the kitchen. I think of kitchens as private rather than public spaces in a home.

I would hate this because we are so messy and have way too much stuff in our kitchen all over the counters etc. But I could see this being fine for someone more orderly!

My home has the layout where you walk right into the kitchen and to the right is living room and dining room, all open. I know it’s not everyone’s preference, but I wanted a bigger kitchen and only way to expand was towards the front door. We like open floors plans as well

Keep some walls to hang coats, paintings, and very importantly to block and absorb noise.

Contractors are not normally good designers.

My friend has a new build home that is an open floor plan and you have a straight eye shot to the kitchen when you are standing in the front door. It's fine if the kitchen is clean, but, can look really messy.

I don't think it's ideal.

I have seen homes where you walk in the front door and the kitchen is off the right or left and that can be ok. Usually a peninsula or something is between the entryway and the kitchen itself.

Hi! I have been trying to figure out what to do in my 1960s split level home for 5 years. When you walk into the front door there is a wall to the left that creates an entryway. There is also a long wall that separates the living room from the kitchen. A contractor has tried to convince me to knock down the wall that separates the kitchen from the living room. He also suggested that I knock down the wall to the left when you first enter, that separates the entry way from the living room. Essentially, you would walk in to one big open space. I am not a die hard open floor plan person. In some ways it freaks me out to feel like everything is so exposed.

But my to the point question is - Is it weird to walk in the front door and the first thing you see is the kitchen? Maybe I'm old school. But I feel like kitchens should be towards the back of the house.