Against the Open Concept Floorplan

Now that I have a house, I watch a lot of home improvement shows; and open concept floorplans are all the rage. I understand the appeal. The lack of walls make a space look larger and airier. If you have children, you can see what they are up to. It's very modern. But there is a problem. They keep putting the kitchen smack in the middle of things.

Not my kitchen, but you get the idea

I realize that the kitchen is the new showplace. If people are going to spend money, they spend it on upgrading the kitchen. I like to cook, so a comfortable kitchen is high on my list of priorities. However, I'd still like the kitchen to be at least partly closed off.

Reason One: Onions, and other aromas

I have lived in my lovely, open concept house for 8 months now. The kitchen is very much in the center of the action. And even with the down draft on full blast, scented candles and Febreze, I still wake up to the aroma of last night's onions. Not lovely.

Reason Two: Secrecy

There are things the guests don't need to see you doing. Like scooping out the centers of not-quite-set cupcakes, putting out the grease fire, or scraping the burned part off the toast. What happens in the kitchen is the business of the cook.

Reason Three: Guilt

I cannot relax when I can see the dirty dishes staring at me from the counter. If I'm on my own, doing dishes takes 2 minutes, but a dinner party makes for a lot of dishes. And I am constituionally unable to "leave the dishes 'till later" if I can see them from the living room. A door I could close would make a world of difference.

I know I've already lost this battle, but if there are any architects out there, or a genius who can invent an invisible aroma shield for kitchens, it's something to think about.