Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
open kitchen: yes or no?
Old 01-18-2019, 07:06 PM   #1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 1,595
open kitchen: yes or no?

The kitchen in my house is going to need a total redo at some point: new cabinets, countertops, sink, and appliances. The question is whether I should consider going further and converting from an L-shaped galley kitchen to an open kitchen (probably big bucks involved - removing walls, etc.) There are lots of interesting articles on this topic on the web, and opinions are mixed.

The current kitchen isn't totally closed: it opens to a dining area via a window and to a living area via a doorway. However, like most '70s homes a completely open kitchen wasn't on the original agenda. The house is in a solidly middle-class area and really doesn't need any upper-class touches.

Does anyone love their open kitchen and consider it a must-have for any new home they might purchase?

P.S. The cute 900 sq. ft. Sears home I owned in the Chicago area back in the '90s had a straight galley kitchen. Trying to convert that kitchen to an open plan would have been difficult/impossible. Hopefully no one would ever even try.
socca is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 01-18-2019, 07:11 PM   #2
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 244
I love my open kitchen just makes everything look bigger and easier to climate control evenly with rest of house. Also it seams to be the trend nowadays so it might help when selling. I have a 1000 sq ft vacation future retirement condo I will be converting to a open concept kitchen
hopefullyoneday is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 07:17 PM   #3
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
MRG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 11,078
We have an open gallery kitchen. It does make the area appear larger. Make sure your appliances are quiet, especially the dishwasher. Many times these things scream and it isn't pleasant.
MRG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 07:19 PM   #4
Administrator
Gumby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 22,971
We have a large, high end kitchen. But it is entirely separate from the dining room, and we like it that way. We don't want to see the all messy pots and pans and such while we eat.
__________________
Living an analog life in the Digital Age.
Gumby is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 07:31 PM   #5
Recycles dryer sheets
arch57's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 109
We moved 4 years ago from a Colonial with our kitchen that opened to an eating area that was a great arrangement. The family room was off on it’s own away from the kitchen area. Our new Ranch house has the family room adjacent to the kitchen with no separation. We thought that was great when we were viewing the house. Now after living with it I can’t stand the two areas being so close. Any attempt to watch TV when anyone is doing anything in the kitchen is frustrating. Running water, prepping food, cleaning dishes are suddenly very loud when trying to listen to a show on TV. Oh well you never know until you live it.
arch57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 07:39 PM   #6
gone traveling
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Berkeley, Denver, CO, USA
Posts: 1,406
We like open. Would not have any other design.

Of course, your dishwasher needs to quiet. That is why the Germans created Bosch.

We even nuked the south wall after 6 years and did a major renovation.
davebarnes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 07:43 PM   #7
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
GalaxyBoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: The Beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains
Posts: 2,781
A matter of personal taste, obviously, and go with what pleases you.

We've been looking for that "perfect" house for several years, and one thing we do not want is a kitchen open to the main living area, although that seems to be the trend nowadays especially in new construction. Our agent is of the opinion that is partly because omitting interior walls saves on construction cost.

Besides, it makes me feel like I'm in an efficiency apartment.

I wouldn't mind a kitchen with a breakfast area, and open to a small den or sitting area. But when one of us is trying to watch the news when the other is clanking around loading the dishwasher, etc., it's just a giant Pet Peeve of the Day.
GalaxyBoy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 07:55 PM   #8
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
timo2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Bernalillo, NM
Posts: 2,717
We moved into a house with an open concept kitchen 2 years ago. An open concept kitchen means it is now part of your living space. If the kitchen is not always clean, that is a problem. Between the smell of dirty dishes and the grease that well used kitchens normally produce, the odors get throughout the whole house. Also everyone can see the kitchen with the dirty dishes. If you keep a clean kitchen or never cook, then an open concept kitchen is great. People love to congregate in the kitchen. But no one wants to congregate in a dirty kitchen.
__________________

"We live the lives we lead because of the thoughts we think" ...Michael O’Neill
"We can cannot compel others to do our will" ....Norman Goldman
"There never is shortage of the gullible to accept the illogical"...Anonymous
timo2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 08:01 PM   #9
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Tampa
Posts: 11,229
Quote:
Originally Posted by davebarnes View Post
We like open. Would not have any other design.

Of course, your dishwasher needs to quiet. That is why the Germans created Bosch.

We even nuked the south wall after 6 years and did a major renovation.
Absolutely beautiful.
__________________
TGIM
Dtail is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 08:05 PM   #10
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Cut-Throat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 1,172
Open Kitchen - Yes ............... It's where everyone 'Hangs' at Dinner Parties... A closed off Kitchen is as outdated as an Outhouse, IMNSHO.
Cut-Throat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 08:06 PM   #11
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
timo2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Bernalillo, NM
Posts: 2,717
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cut-Throat View Post
Open Kitchen - Yes ............... It's where everyone 'Hangs' at Dinner Parties... A closed off Kitchen is as outdated as an Outhouse, IMNSHO.

Except after dinner when all the dirty pots and pans are there. Maybe a screen to open when the kitchen is not in use and to close when the kitchen is in use
__________________

"We live the lives we lead because of the thoughts we think" ...Michael O’Neill
"We can cannot compel others to do our will" ....Norman Goldman
"There never is shortage of the gullible to accept the illogical"...Anonymous
timo2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 08:07 PM   #12
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Katsmeow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,307
I loved my open kitchen at my last house and it was one of the things I really, really, really wanted when we moved. But -- we bought a house built in the mid-1980s so the kitchen isn't open. The kitchen has a fairly large opening to the formal dining room and also has a breakfast area (we are using it as a sitting area as we don't need 2 dining areas). A prior owner had apparently cut a window type opening into the family room (which is my office) so I can see from the kitchen into that room. And there is a large opening from the breakfast area to the family room.

So -- this kitchen is not open at all to the living area. At first I thought about how to open it up. Prior owners to us were planning to open it to the family room (at a cost of about $50k). Opening it to the living area though would be astronomically higher and would require redoing a lot of stuff.

I've decided that as much as I like having an open kitchen it just isn't worth that much money to do it. In some houses you can open up at fairly low cost but this house isn't one of them. I don't really "need" the open kitchen. We don't often have a lot of guests and don't entertain. I like the open kitchen more for the aesthetics of it than anything else. I have found that my kitchen works fine for DH and I the way it is and I would rather spend the remodeling money on other more important functional things.

So - I thought the open kitchen was a must have, but it turns out that not having it is fine. We had so many other things we loved about this house and its location that it was a trade off we decided to make.
Katsmeow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 08:13 PM   #13
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 244
Quote:
Originally Posted by davebarnes View Post
We like open. Would not have any other design.

Of course, your dishwasher needs to quiet. That is why the Germans created Bosch.

We even nuked the south wall after 6 years and did a major renovation.
Beautiful! I cant afford a bosch dw so I just turn mine on when I go to bed.
hopefullyoneday is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 08:14 PM   #14
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Cut-Throat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 1,172
Quote:
Originally Posted by timo2 View Post
Except after dinner when all the dirty pots and pans are there. Maybe a screen to open when the kitchen is not in use and to close when the kitchen is in use



Not a Problem.... Dinner takes place in the same Great Room about 20 feet away... Lights are off, Candles are lit... Cognacs on the Deck.... No need to further hide the Kitchen with correct lighting.
Cut-Throat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 08:19 PM   #15
Moderator
Aerides's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 13,879
When I first started dating DH, I saw his kitchen and thought "oh no..." because it ruined the house. Tiny, with a dropped ceiling hiding the lighting, and cabinets all around it top and bottom. The bones were wrong.

After we were married and I moved in, we agreed to a complete remodel instead of selling both and moving. With the help of a skilled designer, opening the kitchen on one side wasn't THAT big of a change.

We took out about a 4 foot wall that served no purpose, and then took out the top of one side of cabinets converting what was basically a poky pass-thru into a counter level divider. By going custom on the lower cabinets, and giving them less depth, we were also able to move the counter out about 8" giving an extra few square feet to the space.

I would never have had that idea myself. But in my case the kitchen was wrong for the house. It's not a yes/no thing so much as what feels right for you and for the space, and how long you plan to live there.
Aerides is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 08:28 PM   #16
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Midpack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,203
Open concept is way more popular now, so it’s a good idea for resale. But if you plan to stay in the house and you’re OK with the current layout, I wouldn’t change it. You’ll never get the $ back when you sell, it would just make it easier to sell when the time comes. Obviously people get along fine with closed kitchens still, and there’s a minority that still prefers lots of separate rooms. We have a pass through to the family room, a precursor to open concept, it’s OK.
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57

Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
Midpack is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 08:37 PM   #17
Administrator
Gumby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 22,971
This is part of our kitchen. That island is just shy of 9 feet long and 4 feet wide.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg kitchen 1.jpg (509.0 KB, 86 views)
__________________
Living an analog life in the Digital Age.
Gumby is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 08:41 PM   #18
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,857
+1 for an open kitchen.

I’d also recommend an LG dishwasher. Very quiet, at least as good as the Bosch that we replaced, if not better.
__________________
Eat, Drink and Be Merry.
tulak is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 08:49 PM   #19
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 3,679
Our house is from the 50's and our kitchen has a nice breakfast room on one end and connects to the dining room on the other end. It's separate from the living room.

Kitchens are noisy and messy. In our home we have a tv in the living room (serves as the family room). We also have a tv in the breakfast room which I use while cooking and also if I'm eating breakfast or lunch by myself and want to catch up on the news or whatever. DH has the kitchen tv on when he's cleaning up after dinner. Sometimes he listens to the radio or a bluetooth speaker.

Besides the tv or radio a kitchen has noisy appliances, chopping sounds, pots and pans clattering and cupboard doors closing. Our old ones are noisy, I know newer kitchens have solved this!

Anyway, I don't think I'd ever want an open kitchen even though it's just DH and I now. For a family with kids I think an open kitchen would allow better views for the parents but I still think it would be noisy for those in the non kitchen areas.
__________________
Married, both 69. DH retired June, 2010. I have a pleasant little part time job.
Sue J is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2019, 08:49 PM   #20
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Midpack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,203
Quote:
Originally Posted by tulak View Post
+1 for an open kitchen.

I’d also recommend an LG dishwasher. Very quiet, at least as good as the Bosch that we replaced, if not better.
Bosch led the way, but most dishwashers are relatively quiet these days. Our basic GE is MUCH quieter than the old dishwasher we replaced.
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57

Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
Midpack is online now   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Yes we are, no we're not, yes we are spncity Life after FIRE 20 07-07-2017 09:15 PM
Yes, Yes, That's What Happened, I Was Sleepwalking poboy Other topics 10 02-06-2007 08:05 PM
Kitchen countertop preferences kitty_37 Other topics 18 06-06-2006 08:24 PM
Remodeling kitchen, round 2 arrete Other topics 10 01-23-2006 07:55 AM
What kitchen gadgets do you have? Jane Other topics 40 12-04-2004 04:45 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:32 AM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.