I have seen the tension between open separated spaces with my family. My parents come from a place and time when having lots of little rooms, with doors that yo

I have seen the tension between open separated spaces with my family. My parents come from a place and time when having lots of little rooms, with doors that you can open close is a great advantage. My wife and I like open floor plans. The kitchen opens into the living room and into the dining room. When my parents visit, my mom often remarks how she would really like to close the (non-existent) door to the kitchen, so she can cook in peace and not make loud noises and smell up the whole house. And we keep trying to tell her that we like to watch and help her cook, see steaming pot of soup or the frying pan going and whatnot. It's a silly conversation we have, we even joke about it, but I found it relevant with the article at hand. > the kitchen, no longer a place of shame and no longer reliant upon the ventilation provided by the kitchen door Yes. I think that is to some extent how my mom views that space. It's a dirty, place that you want isolate, do your work in there, and then come out and serve everyone the food in the dining room.