Open kitchen: regret or the ultimate experience?

Yes, I did. In the last two apartments and the last two houses of my parents. The worst was the layout of the second to last apartment, where the open kitchen started right behind the short hallway, so that you always looked into the kitchen first. At that time, our first child was still a baby and everything was filled with baby stuff. You could always hear the dishwasher or the refrigerator. The dining table was directly adjacent to it, with the couch area right behind. It was noisy and always looked chaotic. The kitchen-living situation afterwards was an L-shape, which was somewhat better, but the kitchen was really cramped with a strange counter that was always only used as a storage surface.

Sounds like these were not properties built/planned before you. Then you have to live with possibly poor planning.

I just don't like "visual clutter" and I also don't like to put everything away immediately. With two boys, a dog, and a sometimes chaotic husband, I personally haven’t been happy with open kitchens. They stress me out. And I also don’t like it when the whole apartment smells like fried fish or burnt pizza cheese.
We have friends with one of those classic, open, modern townhouse kitchens. They don't care about chaos and I lose it every time. :D

I am very glad that I can work in the kitchen as I want without disturbing others. And I am glad that I can enjoy my food afterwards without having to look at my mess (unfortunately it happens :oops:) in the kitchen.

"I am very glad" -> everything done right!

I love "hanging out" with dear people and having fluid transitions between food preparation, consumption, conversation, music, view, and space (volume). I don’t get this feeling of life with a closed kitchen. I gladly accept the disadvantages for that – for example, that it doesn’t always look super tidy. A basic order is quickly created – even without a dishwasher.

I have already wondered on Pinterest and elsewhere why two sinks are being installed nowadays.

In hindsight, I might have had another small sink next to the espresso machine on the peninsula, that would support the preparation ceremony. We only have one large sink with a half-high divider. That is practical because you can fit a whole baking sheet in it. At the same time, you can wash a salad in one sink part and still pour something away or rinse something in the other. Two sinks or a double sink definitely have their purpose.

I personally have not been happy with open kitchens. They stress me out.

Well, then here the closed kitchen is so clearly the better choice!

: As others have already written: your priority counts. We can only contribute aspects. There is no universally valid "better" or "worse" – as so often.

They don't care about chaos and I lose it every time. :D

I don't care about chaos either — rather the opposite. But it bothers me just as much behind a closed door as in an open kitchen :rolleyes:

How did the old saying about the kitchen go:

Mom, close the door, I can't watch you work.

We have a large open-plan room, which, however, extends over 2 levels due to the split-level design. The living area is essentially half a floor higher and connected to the cooking/dining area via a gallery. If I were to build again, I would separate the living room more. Possibly with a glass wall or similar. I like the open feeling, but the noises from the kitchen bother me when you want peace in the living room. Whether for reading, watching TV, etc.