# 12 Reasons Against an Open Kitchen Floor Plan - Link: https://www.oldhouseguy.com/open-kitchen-floor-plan/ - Published: 2014-03-11T14:08:19-04:00 - Author: Ken Roginski [⌊Open Floor Plans Living Room⌉⌊Open Floor Plans Living Room⌉[ Open kitchen plan. The open kitchen floor plan also known as the Great Room is the current rage in home renovation. But before you rush to the bank for a home improvement loan, is this really what you want? The design is highly promoted as if the homeowner does not have enough expenses to deal with! We all realize times are difficult and building and construction has slowed down.** The best way to put builders back to work is to create a new style and market it so every homeowner will feel like they can’t live without it.** The homeowner will be part of the “up-and-coming” in home fashion. This flaunts success to the neighbors who will soon do the same** (not realizing the open kitchen floor plan is how apartments are designed)**. This is great for the economy. It provides work for builders and architects and increases sales for home improvement stores and manufacturers. Unfortunately this expense results in **additional debt for the homeowner** and maybe postponement of that vacation they were planning. [⌊Open Floor Plans Design⌉⌊Open Floor Plans Design⌉[ White walls are the safest color for such a large area. It is said that the open kitchen floor plan is probably the single largest and most widely embraced home design change over the past 50 years. True there are some nice benefits of having an open floor plan but let’s stop and realize the reasons for keeping the kitchen a kitchen. ## **Articles Listing the Pros and Cons for the Open Kitchen Floor Plan** As you will read they make some very good points people may not think about when caught up in the excitement of a remodeling mentality and under pressure from a realtor. ## **(Reasons 1-8)** ![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/icon1.jpg) [**Click here for Reasons 1-8** ](http://justmewith.com/2012/01/11/an-argument-against-the-open-floor-plan/) Read this article on the reality of the pro’s and con’s of the open kitchen.   [Read another article reminding us of the good reasons for keeping rooms separate. ](http://www.slate.com/articles/life/culturebox/2013/08/against_open_concept_kitchens_don_t_listen_to_hgtv_and_keep_your_walls_and.html) The author makes realistic statements against open floor plans – something homeowners do not hear from those with a financial interest. ## **Decorating Your House with the Open Kitchen Floor Plan (Reason 9)** This is reason #9. Reason 1-8 were listed in the link above. One point not mentioned is the matter of decorating. There is a world of color out there! There are so many styles of decorating.**  Didn’t you ever feel you can never have enough rooms in your house to experience all the styles you want.** A kitchen, family room, and living room all have different uses and different personalities. You can decorate these rooms to reflect that. [⌊wallpaper choices⌉⌊wallpaper choices⌉[ Bradbury & Bradbury Ceiling Wallpaper. Can’t decide which color? Get them all and add on more rooms! Do you have a hard time choosing paint colors because you like so many colors? Well with the traditional floor plan you can get what you like. Choose a different color for each rooms and decorate them differently. The rooms have a personality and you have a personality (maybe multiple). Decorate them to show that. **With the open kitchen floor plan you have one color, one style, one personality.** Do you really want your home to represent you in this way? Must we bring what we read about in the news and trends in society today into our homes? Must all races and nationalities be combined into one monocultured group? ## **Historic Integrity (Reason 10)** If your house is older or historic, it was not designed with an open floor plan.** The open kitchen floor plan will conflict with the style of a vintage house.** Remember when someone approaches your house, the exterior sets up their mind for the experience. Upon entering a house and seeing an open floor plan – pretty as it may be, it will conflict with their inner senses expectations. ## **The Open Kitchen Floor Plan Design is Only a Fad! (Reason 11)** Altering your old house for this fad is altering history and why you purchased a vintage house in the first place. You can easily build a new Colonial or Victorian house with an open floor plan instead of taking a vintage house and changing it into something it was not meant to be. At the same time hiring an architect or contractor to do the job may result in the loss of the architectural integrity of your home.  Most professionals trained today are accustomed to [McMansion design ](https://www.oldhouseguy.com/aesthetics-the-problem/#mcmansion). Be prepared for your traditional home to reflect that. As [John Ruskin ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ruskin) said: > “. . . Old buildings are not ours. They belong, partly to those who built them, > and partly to the generations of mankind who are to follow us. The dead still > have their right in them: That which they labored for . . . we have no right to > obliterate.” “What we ourselves have built, we are at liberty to throw down. But > what other men gave their strength, and wealth, and life to accomplish, their > right over it does not pass away with their death . . .” Look back in time at your kitchen. Look at the money you spent on short lived remodeling fads. Cabinet changes are cheap – moving walls are not. My prediction is** in ten years these open floor plans will be converted back to what they were originally**. Lots of money spent on a needless fad. Lots of other monetary sacrifices in life to afford this fad. I hope I was able to save you some money. Spend that savings on restoring your house or send it to me. Bottom line is if you want the look and feel of an apartment then just live in an apartment. ## **You Create an Unhealthy Environment (Reason 12)** Cooking actually creates a hazardous environment especially to many new and remodeled homes. The large space of an open kitchen allows increased air circulation into other rooms. Such **a large area prevents a kitchen exhaust fan from removing those impurities.** A stronger kitchen fan will help but then creates other problems. [Read more about today’s Toxic Open Kitchens. ](https://www.oldhouseguy.com/is-your-kitchen-toxic/) ![](/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/icon1.jpg) **The Case For Rooms – Death to the Open Floor Plan** – an very good article by Kate Wagner [Click here to read the article. ](https://www.oldhouseguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/case-for-the-open-floor-plan.pdf) ## **Update: The Open Floor Plan is Over (2026).** Finally an end to this awful design. But what happens to all the homes that have been ruined already?[ Read about the end of this trend and what real estate experts have to say here. ](https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/90s-home-layout-no-one-003000907.html)   **We would love to hear your thoughts on this, for or against.** To keep posted on articles like this [subscribe to our monthly newsletter. ](https://www.oldhouseguy.com/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/)