Open concept???
I can understand the need if you entertain a lot. But I need walls with doors. My family is LOUD. :)
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MovieChat Forums > Fixer Upper (2013) Discussion > Open concept???
Thank you. I agree with the other reply about preferring to have the kitchen open to the family room/den, but a home should retain SOME formal areas that are separate from family areas. Some of these open concept homes remind me of furnished gymnasiums, not cozy or comfortable in the least. People want it now because it's trendy but a completely open main floor is really not a practical or comfortable way to live.
shareAdd to that every room must always be spotless, lol.
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People want it now because it's trendy
If it's trendy, then it's been trendy for a very long time. I bought my very first house in 1994 and it was an open concept. The house was about 10 years old at the time. Every house I've owned since then has been the same way. I love it and wouldn't want a closed off kitchen. I like cooking and feeling like I'm still part of the family, not some sequestered maid cooking for everyone while they're enjoying family time in the living room. So for me, it has nothing to do with "trends."
Also, I grew up in an open concept house. My parents bought a house in 1975 and it was the same way. Maybe some people like it because it's what they've always known.
Maybe poker's just not your game, Ike. I know, let's have a spelling contest. share
I mostly agree with you which is why I said:
I agree with the other reply about preferring to have the kitchen open to the family room/den,
I too prefer not to be shut off from the family as I cook.
On the other hand there are 6 people residing in my household, some of whom need quiet spaces to work. My front formal 'parlor' is excellent for receiving non-family/friends guests who don't need to see my dirty kitchen sink [with 6 people in the house I'd have to clean constantly to keep it presentable for guests] and it also serves as a quiet place for my grandkids to do their homework without the distractions of the tv in the family room or the x-box in their bedroom.
As I said:
a home should retain SOME formal areas that are separate from family areas. Some of these open concept homes remind me of furnished gymnasiums, not cozy or comfortable in the least. People want it now because it's trendy but a completely open main floor is really not a practical or comfortable way to live.
Amend the above bold to read "....for large families who need separate areas" share
It can be taken too far sometimes. I've seen some fairly bizarre looking houses, with only load-bearing columns and soffits where there was no other choice when some over-zealous remodeller got rid of everything. On the other hand, a non-open concept can be very confining, with wasted spaces in long, skinny, dark hallways, and uninspired rows of square rooms.
I doubt the trend will ever completely die, settling with a combination of open and closed spaces. My house entry is open to the upstairs, with a closed den/living room on one side, and a semi-closed dining room open by ordinary open doorway to the kitchen, and extra-wide entry from the foyer. From there, the kitchen, attached eating area and family room are all open, with further open space up the stairway. But the basement stairs are enclosed, and each of the four upstairs bedrooms are closed around a central core hallway. Best of both worlds, we love it. Kids can be shut in the basement rec room or individual bedrooms. But there is no long, endless hallway, and almost no wasted space.
I agree. My family is loud too. Our kitchen is open to the family room and it is annoying when we are watching tv and someone needs to do something in the kitchen that is noisy. The only thing I like about it is being able to watch tv while cooking. I'd rather have a cozy closed in kitchen with a tv in it. We have a bonus room upstairs that is not walled in and no door. That noise carries down and vice/versa.
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I hate open concept and want this terrible trend to be over. It's so ugly: one large room with couches, dining room table and kitchen? Yuck.
shareYeah, you'd think the idea behind buying a house is that you would be able to live graciously with separate rooms, not continue to live like you did in your studio apartment!
shareI don't want the kitchen, eating area, and living room to be one giant open space, but I do love an open concept house. It doesn't have to be completely open, but widened doorways, cutouts, half walls, etc can separate rooms without leaving things closed off. I cannot stand older houses where every room is completely separate, with narrow doorways.
Get off the cross, we need the wood
I agree, semi-open concept is fine. That's what my house growing up looked like and I loved it! It's the perfect amount of open. I just hate the giant room that has everything and it's all visible. Ew.
shareI just hate the giant room that has everything and it's all visible. Ew.
Yes, those can be really weird, like you have a couch in your kitchen, lol!
Get off the cross, we need the wood share
Yeah totally! I am definitely over seeing it in EVERY renovation!
I like a combined kitchen/dining... and I like when that opens up onto the backyard... because then when you're having people over you can open the doors and give everyone a little more room... kids can be running in and out... BBQ can be on... salads and desserts can be going in and out... relatives can sit inside or outside if they want... and everyone can just kinda be together but not ontop of each other
But... I definitely like a separate TV room... nice and cosy and not constantly interrupted by the sound of people banging around in the kitchen or whatever... can close the doors and curl up on the couch
Plus just in general I think people need space from each other... how horrible to think that unless you're in your bedroom then you're always all in the same space
can close the doors and curl up on the couch
If there's one thing I hate, it's a closed up room. So claustrophobic and stuffy - I need open doors and windows. We have a large cut out with posts that divides the eat-in kitchen from the living room; I love being able to talk to my husband while he watches tv and I am at the kitchen table on the laptop. If we need quiet to concentrate on something, we just let each other know. We also have a finished den downstairs if someone wants to watch something different on tv, but that rarely happens.
Get off the cross, we need the wood share
Yeah, not a fan either. It's also easier and cheaper to cool smaller rooms.
And having to clean up the kitchen while you are still working on dinner for guests doesn't work for me.
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
I also like a separate, well-ventilated kitchen. I don't want a cooking space open to any other room - especially not a living area where there's fabric, rugs, or carpet. Just my preference.
I like this show, and JoJo does a great job, of course. Some of their "open concepts" have been absolutely cavernous, like the entire interior space echoes without walls. I guess this is what the owners like, tho.
I watch all the home improvement shows on this network, and DYI network..House Hunters, Property Buyers..etal...and every single home buyer says the same thing...open concept...stainless steel appliances...hard wood floors, granite counter-tops...over and over..even the House Hunter International...love it when they are in some small town in Italy, and say they want open concept, with a huge kitchen...kind of embarrassing for Americans to do that.
shareI don't get it, why is that embarrassing?
shareI also like a separate, well-ventilated kitchen. I don't want a cooking space open to any other room - especially not a living area where there's fabric, rugs, or carpet. Just my preference.
You bring up a good point and one I've wondered about too. I often think that many of these homeowners really don't do much actual cooking in their kitchens. Light cooking and reheating, maybe, but I'd be surprised if most of them actually get down and dirty in there with pots and pans and ingredients everywhere.
Another thing that makes me wonder about the amount of actual use the kitchens get is the white cabinet trend. Sure, it's pretty when they're brand new, but after just a short time of use I could imagine them looking just awful. But then we never see anything past the reveal do we? ;) share
I often think that many of these homeowners really don't do much actual cooking in their kitchens. Light cooking and reheating, maybe, but I'd be surprised if most of them actually get down and dirty in there with pots and pans and ingredients everywhere.
You're right, this gets confusing. The rationale people usually give for wanting an "open kitchen" is to talk with their guests while they are entertaining, or that they want to keep an eye on their kids. You'd think they spend hours and hours trapped in the kitchen every day.
share
I don't like it where everything is one giant room but I definitely prefer it to be open. Large openings and such. Just for the three main areas, kitchen, dining and living room. If you entertain and don't live in a big house, it really is a must. My house is somewhat open but also somewhat small and it still gets crowded real fast. I would have it be even more open if I could afford to.
Most houses still have spaces people can go to to be by themselves if they want. (bedrooms, family room, basements)
I don't think it's a trend, been around too long. And I don't see it going away either. It does make sense for people who entertain, or people with young kids. Plus your house does feel so much bigger when it's not all closed in.
That's exactly how I feel.
The house I grew up in had a front door that opened right into the living room, and a wide doorway that went into the dining room. The doorway to the kitchen was a typical narrow entryway. My father knocked down the wall between the kitchen and dining room and separated the two rooms with a counter, leaving a wide space to get from one to the other. It made a world of difference! The house seemed twice as big and was much easier to live in as well as entertain.
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