I have the best of both worlds and I love it. Our kitchen is open to an eat in breakfast area and then a sitting area (it's called a sunroom because it has two sides with windows, but it's just part of the house). The Great room is opposite the "sunroom" and those two rooms share a double sided fireplace. So, if guest want to sit and visit while I'm in the kitchen, it's a perfect setup. If they want to retreat to the great room and watch tv, they can do that too. If I could only have one, I'd have a hard time choosing, but I think I'd like a little separation... but with a big kitchen :-)