[SMARTY]

I used to work for a contractor and he built the ‘open’ style homes. All of them had counter space in the ‘kitchen’ where everyone ate. These homes were extremely expensive

I was always puzzled by that. I asked a customer once: ‘When it’s Christmas or Thanksgiving, where do your guests sit and eat?’

I didn’t get a satisfactory answer.

[Wiser now]

I live in a condo with an open floor plan. The kitchen, dining area and living room are all open with a cathedral ceiling that soars to 20’ at the peak.
I don’t host Thanksgiving anymore, but Christmas will see the two daughters and grandchildren who still live in this area, and another daughter’s stepdaughters and grandchildren gathered in this open area. Add in everybody’s significant others and we have 20 people in the space. We add a long table to our dining room table and scrounge up chairs from every room. Yes the kitchen is a dirty mess, and I set up a buffet wherever there is space. Some foods are served straight out of the slow cookers. So what? Nobody cares! Their kitchens are dirty too, and the idea is to be together!

I’m 74 years old and I don’t believe I have ever lived in a house that had a working door between the dining room and the kitchen. An archway, yes. A door? Never.