Open plan living

I had all the obscured glass in the bathrooms in the house replaced with clear, but I have a venetian blind in each bathroom. It means I can lie in the bath, adjust the blinds and look out over the garden, but no-one can see in,

Our house is not overlooked, the garden is quite large and is surrounded by a frame of other people's trees and tall shrubs, it is so calming to bathe my body in the bath while my eyes are bathed by the view from the window.

Even if it had a nice view and no one else around for miles, I still think I'd feel rather exposed if I had plain glass in any room I had to bathe or toilet in.

Loislovesstewie

And the other point about the bath being in the bedroom is that it seems to always be placed in front of the window! I mean are there so many exhibitionists around?

We viewed a lovely brand new house sited in an exclusive close years ago and the bathroom had a very large window with plain glass in it, next to the loo.

Someone I know bought one of these houses and I always longed to ask her if the builders had changed the window glass, but I don't know her well enough!

We bought a house with the bath in the main bedroom back in the early 80s and dealing with it was our first major refurbishment (lost a bedroom to create a bathroom). A friend christened it “the tiger trap” and it was impractical in every way.

When we moved here six years ago we took down the wall between the kitchen and dining room to create a light living space which I love. It works well when there is just the two of us, but also with a house full - can’t wait for that! We have a separate sitting room with a garden room off it, so escape is easy.

Tastes vary, don’t they? We have to have houses which suit the way we live, and I can’t imagine wholly open plan with children - homework, music practice, squabbles, pets - unless you have an abnormally tidy family.

And the other point about the bath being in the bedroom is that it seems to always be placed in front of the window! I mean are there so many exhibitionists around?

I think it is because there is a beautiful view and they are not overlooked. Our neighbours extended their house and it is the main bedroom's ensuite bathroom, that has the magnificent huge windows and the central bath, but no one can see in because the railway runs past the end of their long narrow garden and the last 20 yards of the garden is a wilderness of trees and bushes.. We can just see the window but from such a sideways position we cannot see in and the same applies to the other neighbour.

mokryna

Open plan enough?

I thought, a cute little kitchen, then I saw the toilet. Way too open for me, and I like open plan!

Open plan enough?

And the other point about the bath being in the bedroom is that it seems to always be placed in front of the window! I mean are there so many exhibitionists around?

Whenever I've looked at property which is open plan, my first thoughts have always been, 'I don't live in the kitchen, and I don't cook in the lounge.' Definitely separate rooms for me.

I would hate to live in a perfect home. It is the imperfections that make it my home.

I’m lucky enough to have a little studio for throwing paint around. No talent at all but really enjoy this space. That wouldn’t work with open plan living.

That made me laugh, LauraNorder ?

Having experienced Australian open-plan I think I do prefer separate rooms although we are lucky enough to have room in the kitchen for a small table and chairs and have a separate dining room which doesn't get used much at the moment.

I thought of having it all knocked through, keeping a separate sitting room but there doesn't seem much point now.

I look at the huge open spaces in such programmes as Your Home Made Perfect and the first thought is 'heating'?

The worst is a bath in the bedroom.l mean all that steam,ďampness and lack of privacy
Absolutely, Elvis58!

When we had our new kitchen nearly two years ago we considered removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room as a few others have done but decided against it. If we had done so we would be without a large wall cupboard, a double base unit and a tall unit housing our oven with two pan drawers and a useful cupboard over the oven. We looked on line at a house that was for sale up the road, same layout as ours. They had removed the wall but had to use the dining room space for kitchen units, they had built a conservatory to serve as the dining room. That would have added so much to the cost and having had a conservatory in our previous house we didn’t want another one. We are happy with our decision.

Talking to my new next door neighbours, I commented that they seemed very busy. Our previous next door neighbour, a builder, had removed the interior walls downstairs and made the living/dining rooms and kitchen into open plan. Guess what my new neighbours are doing?

I am not a fan of open plan, yes they are light and airy but not practical, I like my quiet spaces. Open plan was very popular around the 70’s I think, but came and went again, I suppose it will do the same again. I have a quiet little study and a lovely garden room that opens into the lounge and out onto the garden for entertaining but I like to shut them off again as separate rooms. It is like the trend to have white houses with grey windows and timber cladding, they all look the same! I like individuality and character.

We stayed in some fabulous hotels in South Africa, many of which had open plan bathrooms. I made DH go out for a walk while I had a very swift bath/shower. One had a misted glass cubicle with a loo inside. The picture of my DH reading on the loo has never left me! Does anyone actually have an open plan bedroom/bathroom???? I love DH to bits but love the privacy of my own bathroom- he has the en suite.

I think no to open plan myself.The worst is a bath in the bedroom.l mean all that steam,ďampness and lack of privacy, what is the point on that?

It's the noise and smells that I couldn't cope with. Opened up two rooms giving the must gave "flow" of rooms leading into kitchen/diner. Lasted about a year and the wall went back up. Much prefer a separate sitting room with a kitchen and open dining area. Easier to keep warm in the winter, a bit more private for conversations with friends.

I too drift off planning my cottage by the sea. It has a large kitchen/dining/living area with sea view, naturally! Then a separate cosy winter living room, also with a garden/ sea view so I can hear and see the waves crashing into the sea wall just below. I’d have a little Jack Russel in his basket by the stove.
I haven’t done the upstairs yet

Kirsty is such a bossy besom. I don't know where she gets her high opinion of herself.

My house with it’s separate rooms would upset Kirsty. However it’s very practical for us the way we live. I do wonder if when we sell it no one will buy it because it’s not open plan.

CafeAuLait and MerylStreep Instead of counting sheep I work my way alphabetically through a list of my favourite male actors and think about a film or tv programme that they've been in. I rarely get beyond F or G and have never reached beyond S. It works each time. It's the concentrating on one subject and stopping your mind from wandering that sends one to sleep.

We have an open plan kitchen, living and dining room. There is a wall across about 1/3 of the room and the kitchen is behind that. So it's like a long galley kitchen. The only thing that's visible is the island and my OH built a small dividing unit at the end of the wall which has plants, books and pottery on it.

Our sitting area is in the middle (because of our woodburner and a long recess where we have books, audio and visual equipment, pictures and pots) and the dining table is at the far end. When we have guests some will come and talk to me whilst I'm cooking and others will sit and talk.

When we were thinking about the design for this house I worked out the floor area of our Suffolk cottage. The floor area of this house is about the same but it doesn't have the space taken up by corridors and lobbies so gives the appearance of being much larger. Our bedroom is very large and has a white cube (walk in clothes storage) in the middle which separates our office/snug/library from the sleeping area. I spend a lot of my in this space where we each have a desk and a computer and my OH has a workshop outside.

I watch Our Home Made Perfect (currently being repeated on BBC2) and invariably walls are knocked down and the living space opened up and the house always looks a lot better IMO.

Have been open plan for the last 6 years (although we do have a separate spare bedroom/office space). Absolutely love it! Would hate separate rooms and would definitely knock down walls if we move.

lizzypopbottle, that's exctly my thought - what on earth are the heating costs for open-plan living in the UK? (This in addition to my concerns regarding the complete lack of privacy everywhere but the bedrooms/bathroom.) No thanks - not for me!

DH and I have the builders in now converting kitchen and dining room plus additional extension into one big family space. There will also be a utility and wet room. We still have the front sitting room and four bedrooms one of which is converted into an office. Although I’m hating the mess and constant workmen it’s something I’ve always wanted. I only cook for family so don’t get stressed about it plus I can hear conversation not being squirrelled away on my own in the kitchen. I wanted to move but DH wasn’t having any of it so this was my compromise!