Death of The Dining Room. Good Riddance!

The New Telegraph says open concept kitchens have replaced dining rooms.

First, I think open concept kitchens are much friendlier labour sharing spaces. I believe a kitchen eating area should look like a professional kitchen...no fucking cupboards! Cupboards are for people who hate food and eat ugly food in packages, therfore want to hide it under a facade...Actually, I don't like almost any kind of facade in contemporary architecture. Beautiful cookware should be easy to grab and on display.

Grant McCracken says "In particular, open kitchen is the material manifestation of feminism. Women complained that the dining room made them servants in their own home, obliged to leave their guests and ferry things to and from the kitchen, charging through heavy doors, turning their backs on the festivities and otherwise obliged to absent themselves from the occasion.

Dining rooms are for people who have slaves or "staff". They are the thing of caste and hierarchy systems including gender inequality. I suppose rich people should be sent off to a dining room so the staff can have fun in the kitchen. If I was rich, I would have a cook (and a personal assistant, and a shopper ha!) for sure...but I'd like to think I'd cook with them and help around the place...and still have an open concept kitchen.

Second there are two trends crossing over in this change of decor and functionality in kitchens and houses. A main eating and cooking room allows people to visit and assist with cooking.I think all kitchens should be designed for traffic...and for function first...with a sitting area incorporated...not separated.

Many families in particular raise their children with schitzo manners though. They allow kids to run free during supper in a kitchen (that is if the family is even eating together...who can afford to do that when at least two adults have to work to pay mortgage and buy food?) and then force children to suddenly practice manners when at a restaurant or formal dining room. And...people have a tendency to segregate their flatware and dishes. I've never understood this idea...I think it's some kind of warped ego that divides the days into "special" and "ordinary". Every day is special and deserves ones favourite silverware and china...and the kids will love it and learn to eat gently chewing their food and raising glasses carefully. That way you hardly have to fuss over schitzo manners.

You could be dead tomorrow: spend time with loved ones in the kitchen and use your good dishware.

In a perfect world we would all be cooking and eating outside next to our tipis with the whole tribe! An open kitchen designed like a restaurant workshop is the next best thing.