Caroline Njunge:Open Plan Kitchens Look Nice But I Will Never Want One In My House

Caroline Njunge does not hide her feelings about open-plan kitchens. She recently watched a TikTok video where Ciku Muriuki told homeowners to close their kitchens, and she found herself in full agreement.

Muriuki noted that in traditional African homes, the kitchen was never inside the main house. It stood a few metres away as its own structure. Njunge suspects the separation helped keep smoke out of living areas though she cannot confirm the exact reason. Whatever the case, she shares the old thinking completely.

The arguments for open plan layouts are well known. They let the person cooking chat with guests and keep the family together. Parents can interact more easily with children. Removing walls makes the house feel larger and brighter. Some people even say they can watch television or a movie while they prepare meals.

Njunge has been inside homes with open-plan kitchens. She agrees they can look attractive, and she has enjoyed the social side during visits. The benefits make sense on paper. Even so, she would still choose a kitchen with walls and a door that shuts twenty years from now.

Her main objection is straightforward. Once she finishes cooking, her kitchen looks like a storm has swept through it. Dirty dishes and sufurias cover the counters. Vegetable peels lie scattered. Flour and spices dust every surface. It is not a sight she wants guests to see because the embarrassment would be instant.

She knows the usual reply. Just clean while you cook. Njunge admits she is not built for that. She belongs to the group that struggles to juggle multiple tasks. She gets better results when she completes one job fully before starting the next. Trying to do everything at once usually creates more problems. Being honest with herself has saved her plenty of headaches.

Last month, she visited a friend and watched in quiet admiration. The friend prepared four different dishes, washed utensils, wiped surfaces and swept the floor all during the same session. When it was time to serve, the kitchen looked untouched. Her friend appeared fresh, as if she had not spent hours at the stove. Njunge says people with that ability are rare.

By the time she finishes her own cooking, she feels drained. She needs a proper wash and at least thirty minutes to recover from the effort.

Smells add another layer of discomfort. Strong odours from foods such as omena cabbage, sukuma wiki or matumbo can spread through the entire house. Njunge finds some of these aromas unpleasant and believes they should stay confined to the kitchen rather than drifting into living and entertaining spaces.

She also points to a cultural shift. A separate kitchen once offered women a quiet corner where they could speak openly without worrying about being overheard. Open plan designs have taken away much of that safe private space.

Njunge understands that many families enjoy open kitchens and that her view will not suit everyone. She has no problem with people who disagree. For her own home, she wants cooking activities kept firmly behind closed doors.

A version of this article appeared on Nation Africa.