Why Owners Are Ditching Eating Rooms for Open-Idea Kitchens

In her latest memoir, Be Prepared When the Luck Occurs, Ina Garten remembers one in every of her favourite dinner events: a easy, but scrumptious three-course meal at her pal’s condominium in Paris (oh, to be Ina). The most effective half? They didn’t even use a proper eating room. As a substitute, they arrange a desk within the hallway and cleared it afterward to lounge in the lounge. Whereas the Parisian meals and backdrop definitely performed a job within the night’s success, Ina additionally credited the ingenuity of the arrange.

Because it seems, all of us need to be a bit of bit like Ina. In accordance with Houzz’s 2025 U.S. Kitchen Developments Examine, owners in all places are saying goodbye to formal eating areas in favor of bigger, extra multifunctional kitchens. The research stated that greater than a 3rd of householders improve their kitchen dimension throughout renovations—typically on the expense of eating rooms (29% of the time, in comparison with simply 12% for dwelling rooms).

McKenzie Ryan, an actual property agent at Douglas Elliman, who continuously designs and levels houses, has seen this shift firsthand. “A bigger, fashionable kitchen, the place individuals can collect is commonly extra interesting to patrons than a standard, separate eating room,” she stated.

At Food52, we personally like to see everybody gathering round in a kitchen, and, simply to be actual, a bigger one can enhance your property worth. Enter the island: Houzz information additionally stated that greater than half of renovating owners both add or improve an island throughout kitchen remodels. These islands function informal eating spots in addition to multifunctional areas, aligning with the rise of distant work. “I’m seeing a rising demand for built-in workstations, hidden desks, and convertible eating areas,” Ryan added.

In case you nonetheless want a spot to seat friends for holidays, although, now we have concepts, like our Store’s Simple Assemble Desk, which may slide beneath a settee when the social gathering is over. (There’s even an identical bench.)

In reality, many householders now worth flexibility over formality when designing their areas. “Traditionally, architects designed kitchens to be closed-off, non-public areas for formal entertaining,” Ryan defined. “However now, shoppers prioritize open-concept layouts that overlook the lounge—and the bigger, the higher.”