I agree, I like both too. If the kitchen is large enough then keep it enclosed. However, if you are battling with space, then certainly open it up.

I've lived with both and have to say I prefer open plan. This might be because I've lived with two enclosed galley kitchens where it's been a struggle for two people to be cooking/washing up etc. at the same time and is unsociable when you have guests over. I also like that with open plan the fridge is never too far from the sofa...

Open plan is definitely more visually appealing but it can be a problem when cooking. You might not be able to get the smell out of the cloth furniture or carpet.

With 2 teenage sons a fully open ground floor wouldn't work for us. So while I like the look of open plan sometimes it can more practical to have separate living areas. We do have an open kitchen dining living area which is great for entertaining and having the whole family in but they still each have their own areas (albeit compact!) to retreat to. 2 of our other rooms have double doors which can be opened out to create nearly a fully open ground floor though- maybe the best of both worlds!!

A separate kitchen is a must for our family because I often cook when everyone is sleeping, so I need closed doors in order to be able to use blenders and mixers and even chop products with a knife.

Another must-have is a separate kids room as it allows both do not disturb a kid when it's sleeping and avoid Lego blocks and RainbowLoom bands all over the house.

Everything else (dinning, watching movies, hobbies, resting and chatting) may be incorporated into one open layout to allow easier communications between family members.

Loved open plan until I have had to endure 5000 episodes of Spongebob whilst trying to enjoy a quiet coffee in the kitchen.....

One of the arguments for open plan is that it's more visually appealing and makes the space look larger. I agree that it can look visually appealing in carefully-wrought design photos where everything is perfect. But if it's not perfect? If there are dirty cups on a counter (come on, we all produce those) a mess of toys on the floor, the remains of someone's artistic/craft effort on a table instead of a tastefully arranged vase and two books, it's a different story. And does it really make the space look larger? Ask any trained gardener which looks bigger - an open space or a sequence of rooms (try visiting the famous Hidcote - http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote/ ) and the answer will always be that a space looks larger when the eye cannot see everything at once. Smaller rooms with mirrors can look double their size.

I live in a traditional Victorian terraced house which had the hall/living room/dining room knocked through by a previous owner. This aspect is open plan and is bright, large and very usable for a young family. However, the kitchen is the standard small but perfectly formed galley. This combination offers the best of both worlds - I can keep my on the children and chat with visitors in the living room or at the dining table while cooking but can close the door to block food smells and visible mess. Perfect :-)

Had bad experience with open plan when family was young. The noise from the kitchen interferred with TV watching and yes the cooking fumes went throughout the house.

Jan Johnson, I agree. Cooking fumes are always going to be a problem in open-plan living. Extractor fans get fancier but even some experts agree they're not that efficient. And even if they are, they're usually placed over the hob. What about the oven? Most ovens - Agas are an exception - blow the smells straight back into the kitchen. Very nice if you're baking bread or cakes; not so good for roast meat or anything containing onions.

Like most things in interior design (flush-faced doors, blocked off Victorian fireplaces, fake-stone chimney breasts, feature walls) open-plan is a fashion. When it falls out of favour, we'll all be putting back the stud walls the previous owners demolished.

Open plan is the way forward !!

Open plan creates a much better living space

Open plan ensures that you use ALL your space... do you have a room that doesn't get used because it feels shut off from the rest of the house?... solution...open plan living. (excluding bathrooms of course!).

Open plan works best if the space is flexible and environment controlled to suit user

I generally prefer open plan from a flexibility and accessibility point of view, but it is nice sometimes to zone or separate some areas depending on the home and how you like to use it

Open plan mordern way of living

open plan trust me !