I have been watching a lot of House Hunters lately (hello, buyer’s market!). No matter the city, the hunters get most excited about homes with huge, wide-open entertainers’ kitchens. It’s no wonder that Qualified Remodeler listed the following as a few of their top kitchen trends: “open spaces, islands and multiple cooks” (4.08). Me? I’d run screaming. Give me a one-size-fits-me galley anytime. (It’s also more energy efficient.)
In fact, I have such a reputation as an antisocial cook that a friend started our cooking club with the sole intention of making me more comfortable preparing food in a group (read: amid chaos). Instead, I’ve slowly started claiming more oven-braised dishes (yes, even in summer) that I can sneakily make in the privacy of my own home, then bring over, potluck style.
What is this all about? My group-fearing soul mates and I value control and escape. We’re perfectionists who derive pleasure from an exacting environment. Cooking is often our only real hobby, so we want the kitchen to be our sanctuary. That means: a quiet place to be Zen with the feel of the dough, the sizzle of the pans and the smell of everything. Why ruin that with distracting conversation?
So, while open kitchens and entertaining-minded remodels might be desirable to the majority of dwellers, please remember that some of us like our privacy.
