Closed or Open Kitchen – Which Do You Prefer?

For centuries, the kitchen served only one purpose – preparing food. In many places around the world, family members often didn't have access to the kitchen at all, and so it was hidden away in a remote corner of the living space and meant more for the serving staff. But how is it now?

Open Kitchen

The open kitchen is something that made waves 10 or more years ago. It was a major selling point when buying a new home, and if the apartment description didn't include the phrase "open living room with kitchen," the deal could simply fall through. Even today, an open kitchen is very important to many people.

Open kitchens are better for entertaining guests, because the cook doesn't have to retreat to a separate room to prepare dishes and can be in the company throughout the entire process. At the same time, this arrangement can be used to prepare meals together with friends without them having to leave their comfortable environment.

An open kitchen also typically has more light, since it's part of the living room and therefore usually larger than if it were separate. A large amount of natural light creates a good mood and keeps you alert. So even someone who wouldn't normally enjoy cooking can appreciate it in the kitchen.

The downside of such a kitchen solution, however, is the noise and odors that arise during food preparation. Although today there is a wide selection of appliances that can do their work quietly in the required capacity, such solutions are still a bit expensive for the average family. So one has to use solutions that can absorb food odors, but in doing so still make an annoyingly loud noise. This can disturb either family members who are trying to relax on the couch or guests who want to converse with each other.

Many people also dislike the lack of privacy with an open kitchen. Friends who drop by unexpectedly may not really mind an untidy kitchen, but sometimes the family still feels embarrassed about it and would prefer to keep their home cooking arrangements behind a closed door.

Closed Kitchen

A separate kitchen can be very pleasant, its atmosphere is warm and cozy, and everything that happens in the kitchen always stays between those doors and walls. In such a kitchen, you don't have to maintain an awkward tidiness but can keep things the way the family likes. Such kitchens are currently making a big breakthrough.

In a separate kitchen, you feel more private and so it's better to focus on preparing food. At the same time, it's considered a positive aspect that if something gets a bit messy, it's visible to fewer pairs of eyes than in an open kitchen.

When the kitchen is separate, all the odors and sounds that arise during food preparation also stay there, which might otherwise disturb others in the room.

However, if the family is a frequent host and guests come often, such a cook hiding away in a separate room is rather bad, because it can create the feeling that they are not part of the company and are forced to be apart for a large portion of valuable time.

Which kitchen solution would you prefer?