Anonymous wrote:I've had apartments like this and it's so messy and stressful! Definitely keep the walls.

If it's messy and stressful, then that is on you.

I don't care if my kitchen is a mess, but it happens to rarely be a mess other than dishes and glasses sitting in the sink and dishrack, and who cares about that?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah a “private” kitchen makes me think of my grandmother who slaved away in one all day for holiday meals while the rest of us hung out or came and went and then after dinner the women would go in and help her with the dishes and the men would adjourn to the living room.

Ugh.

There is a big difference between a "private" kitchen (which sounds nice to me because I'm an introvert) and a kitchen that isn't visible from your front door. But the current trend in new builds is to have two kitchens: a big showpiece kitchen for entertaining, and a private one for actual cooking. Because people have realized that a kitchen doesn't look like a magazine when you actually use it, and maybe our ancestors weren't so stupid after all.

This is so stupid and wasteful.

It really depends on the size of the main floor.

Our friends' 60s' split level has a very small main level, where the kitchen occupies the left corner inside the front entrance and walled around to separate from the dining room and living room. They removed the walls and redid the kitchen, and made it one big open space. It made the whole space seem much bigger once those walls came down.

Anonymous wrote:Yeah a “private” kitchen makes me think of my grandmother who slaved away in one all day for holiday meals while the rest of us hung out or came and went and then after dinner the women would go in and help her with the dishes and the men would adjourn to the living room.

Ugh.

There is a big difference between a "private" kitchen (which sounds nice to me because I'm an introvert) and a kitchen that isn't visible from your front door. But the current trend in new builds is to have two kitchens: a big showpiece kitchen for entertaining, and a private one for actual cooking. Because people have realized that a kitchen doesn't look like a magazine when you actually use it, and maybe our ancestors weren't so stupid after all.

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like my house. You walk into the front door and there is a big 30' x 30' square. At the back of the square is a full wall with a long hallway down the middle and bedrooms and bathrooms on both sides. To the back right is the kitchen. You could set up the rest any way you wanted and we have a small breakfast area in front of the kitchen, which is what you walk in to, then a dining area across from the kitchen and a living room area in the front left. It's different. We like it because we live in an area with amazing views and you get a view from every "room".

Thing about it is that if someone is watching tv and you don't want to hear it, you have to leave the family area. And if someone is banging around in the kitchen, watching tv isn't so great. If you have a party, you can't hide the dirty dishes in the kitchen. We have enough room for an office/craft room/whatever room so there is plenty of places to escape.

This is a big problem for us.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is a generational thing. Older people like separate spaces, the younger generations like everything open.

I’m 32 and love my walls. No open floor plan, no Joanna Gaines finishes.

+1

Removing a kitchen wall might look good on TV but it doesn't live well. If you remove walls you are very limited with your furniture placement. Plus walls are ideal for privacy, sound control, etc. Don't fall for this fad.

Thank you! These responses confirmed my feelings. I like my walls.

I've had apartments like this and it's so messy and stressful! Definitely keep the walls.

Yeah a “private” kitchen makes me think of my grandmother who slaved away in one all day for holiday meals while the rest of us hung out or came and went and then after dinner the women would go in and help her with the dishes and the men would adjourn to the living room.

Ugh.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It’s just not how people entertain anymore. Kitchens were private back in the day in homes of wealthier Americans who entertained because servants did all the work. OR...past era wives were stuck in the kitchen and made it all look magical. No thanks. It’s not magic. My spouse and I do all the work now and we don’t want to miss our own damn party.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is a generational thing. Older people like separate spaces, the younger generations like everything open.

I’m 32 and love my walls. No open floor plan, no Joanna Gaines finishes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is a generational thing. Older people like separate spaces, the younger generations like everything open.

Maybe. My grandmother (93) loves her open floor plan condo where the living, kitchen and dining are all one big room.

Anonymous wrote: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.

This is a generational thing. Older people like separate spaces, the younger generations like everything open.

Sounds like my house. You walk into the front door and there is a big 30' x 30' square. At the back of the square is a full wall with a long hallway down the middle and bedrooms and bathrooms on both sides. To the back right is the kitchen. You could set up the rest any way you wanted and we have a small breakfast area in front of the kitchen, which is what you walk in to, then a dining area across from the kitchen and a living room area in the front left. It's different. We like it because we live in an area with amazing views and you get a view from every "room".

Thing about it is that if someone is watching tv and you don't want to hear it, you have to leave the family area. And if someone is banging around in the kitchen, watching tv isn't so great. If you have a party, you can't hide the dirty dishes in the kitchen. We have enough room for an office/craft room/whatever room so there is plenty of places to escape.