I would LOVE a kitchen going into a Dining room...we have NO dining space in this house..in the kitchen is a tiny table that 3 of us can barely fit at! HATE it...

We have the open concept and I like the fact that I don't feel left out of what is going on in the family room while preparing a meal in the kitchen. I agree that it cuts down on wall space for decorating and we don't have young children, so the noise factor isn't a problem.

I like to be able to "close" the kitchen when I'm not open for business!!! :) So you can tell my vote is for a kitchen ... and not an open concept.

I'm a firm believer ... that everyone has their own lifestyle and their homes should be just that. And further, I don't believe in renos (or lack of) for the sake of re-sale value. Get your enjoyment out of your home, and when the time comes to sell, there'll be someone just like you who will praise you for that closed in kitchen!

I would so love to make my kitchen a separate room though it's an impossibility with my home's floor plan. I have a somewhat overgrown alley kitchen (no table, only a sit up to the counter spot with a separate formal dining room which I would never want to lose). I love my home ... though the kitchen is a bit of a bug-bear!!

I like the separate kitchen, but with a window into the next room...I don't like the open concept, if I don't get my dishes done then no one has to know! ;)

I definitely prefer the open floor plan. As for the noise and such, I don't have a problem with that, we never entertain. LOL

I like the open concept to a certain extent. We are in the process of remodeling. Now we have a kitchen, dining room living room and family room on the 1st floor. I need a larger kitchen so we are combining the kitchen and family room and making the living room, diningroom a seperate family room. Men and sports in one and the people that want to converse in the other. I had to fight, my DH wanted all one room so he didn't have to get out of his chair !!!!

Definitely prefer the open plan. I've had both and I like the way we use the open area more. If I had a young family again I would have 2 dishwashers to help keep it clean all the time.

I'm an apartment dweller. I feel so cheated when they charge top dollar for rent and stick the kitchen island in the living room. No, sorry, I want a separate kitchen. It can open onto a dining room, but not continue into it.

I'm glad you created this thread, because it shows me that some people really do like an open concept kitchen for good reasons. But it's not for me.

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 :-)

I prefer a closed off kitchen. I like to have some down time, and cooking is part of that. My house is open, and I would change it if I could.