(Trash article. But the topic of open plans is interesting...)

I've always loved open plan homes, and have lived in several. My current home would be MUCH more open, but my wife loves her pocket door in between the kitchen and living room, so I can't demo that wall until after she passes away. :-)

Open plans are how my Southern California upbringing was lived: Mom and Dad both worked, and I came home after school to an empty house. So in the evening, making dinner, doing homework, etc., we all lived together in the big open space that was the kitchen, dining, and family room. This was true in two houses in California, and three in Washington state. The kitchen was the heart of the home, and all activity centered around it.

When I moved overseas, homes and apartments were MUCH smaller and more efficiently designed. So an excess of walls took up valuable space, separate rooms required separate heaters (more costly), and you needed room to expand the dinner table when family came over. (Which happened all the time, in Eastern Europe which is VERY family-focused.)

So anyway, the article is complete bullshit. And I love open plans and the type of living you can do in them.