Hashtag Trending is a series where we highlight trends in the building industry: where they came from, why people are loving them, and how Berks Homes is on board.

We’ve got a theory about why people are ditching traditional dining rooms and opting for a kitchen island instead. And it’s not because they want to spend less time with their families. It’s because they want to feel closer and more connected.

You’ve heard people say it over and over: “Oh I love how open the floor plan is” or “We really wanted a more open floor plan” or “I don’t care, just make sure it has an open floor plan.”

But … what does that even mean?

It means the rooms in the house, usually ones on the main floor, don't feel separated. There is a flow from one to the next, without full walls in between them. Your life naturally spills from the mudroom to the kitchen, from the living room to the kitchen, from your office to the kitchen, from your pantry to the kitchen. Honestly? All roads just kind-of lead back to the kitchen.

So when people talk about open floor plans, they are usually talking about a kitchen that opens up to all the other rooms. It’s because that’s where people simply want to be.

It feels more intimate to hang out in the kitchen, standing and talking to the maker of all the food. People aren’t sitting down at dining room tables as much anymore. We’re making meals and eating them faster than we used to, so why not do it in the very room the food is made?

When people talk about an open floor plan, what we’ve found is that they really just mean they would love a kitchen big enough to have an island where people can hang out.

An island lets your little ones watch you cook, and maybe they learn a thing or seven. It gives you, the Master Chef, a space to engage with your family or guests while you do your thing at the stove. It removes the formality of dining at a big table and feels cozy and familiar. 

Not every home we build has a kitchen island, but it’s an option in most of them. In the ones it isn’t, we made sure to open up the floor plan, so your dining room table has the same intimate vibes that the kitchen does. 

Do you agree with our theory? Are we right about kitchen islands or are you still eying up that 12-piece dining room set?

The post Hashtag Trending...Buh-Bye Dining Room, Hello Kitchen Island appeared first on Berks Homes.