Thanks for all the opinions, everyone. We definitely agree that open living- especially when it comes to the laundry and office areas- isn’t for everyone.

As Jennifer C points out, we do have the advantage of quieter and prettier front-loaders (we would’ve never displayed our old appliances) and with only two people in the house we don’t find it too challenging to keep it looking tidy over there. Maybe we’ll sing a different tune when children enter the picture.

The open home office also works well for us because we don’t have the square footage available to devote an entire room to it… and we don’t mind having a reason to keep the area neat (something we’d probably be less apt to do if we just had a door we could close). Plus, as many of you pointed out, our laptop is key in allowing us to have a “home office” anywhere in our house, which is certainly a nice convenience when we’re bloggin’ the day away.

Thanks again for sounding off, folks. It’s fun to hear what works and doesn’t work for each of you- and to realize, once again, that there’s no right answer to a question like this.

-John & Sherry

But when that door opened, that washer/dryer was the biggest pain ever! Loud! We had turn the volume up and schedule when we ate dinner around the loud thumping.

Since those days and now a homeowner in present day, I prefer having my laundry appliances as far away as possible. The smells, the noise, etc…

We fold laundry in the family room, where I kindly distribute said garments to each family member.

Our laundry is in our hallway, in a space that is recessed about three feet into the wall. Our basement is a packed-dirt floor, dug out in the 1870s, so it’s not going down there…I want my clothes to stay clean when they come out of the washer, not get dirtier than they were before they went in. Putting the laundry any other place would require much re-plumbing, mess, and expense we’re not prepared to get into.

We did manage to install some fancy closet organizer shelves and hooks for cleaning tools (broom, swiffer, etc.) and we had curtains custom made for the space, which sort of drape around the stacked washer and dryer.

We fold and sort the clothes on our spare bedroom bed, the door of which is directly across from the washer and dryer. We keep dirty laundry in a (covered!) laundry basket squeezed into our bedroom beside a bedside table and the wall.

Our kittens’ litter box is next to the washer/dryer, so the curtain conveniently hides it. They just sort of walk “through” it to get to their box. We can hook it up on a wrought iron hook when we need to clean the litter.

Small house = creativity.

But I do prefer laundry rooms to be “hidden.” I guess it’s because laundry seems to be a more private thing (for example, if you have guests over, you may excuse yourself to quickly answer an important work related email… but I doubt you would start folding socks during a dinner party).

But the home office thing. That’s tricky. I love the fact that I have a room, with a door, that I can close and lock out the cats and husband if need be. To get work done. Distractions are the death of my productivity. At the same time, being so removed from life going on in the rest of the house can be no fun! There are those times you’d like to plop yourself down at a desk smack dab in the middle of what your spouse is up to.

So, for office space? I’d say both! And get a laptop so you can float between seclusion and attention to your hearts desire.

As far as an office, I would love a little one off the main floor entrance, with french doors that would be convenient, and private, which would prevent me from getting distracted when working, and come across more professional for my clients and customers. However, we wanted to keep a guest bedroom so in lieu of a private office, we use the upstairs loft as an office, my studio and “family” room with big screen and all Cory’s video games. But when we build next year – I’m sticking to my wish list :)

I would love to have one big open room where we could cook, eat, play, craft, watch television, use the computer, and read in a quiet nook. This would be ideal, not only because I have two young children (and how nice would it be to be able to simultaneously prepare a meal and supervise their activity), but because I think having an open space fosters togetherness.

To that end, I have tried to be as thoughtful and as creative as possible in making the rooms in our 3-level townhouse multi-purpose. In the kitchen, for example, we have a table for four. We eat on this table, work out our budget, play games, paint, have devotions, and “school time.” All the stuff we need for these activities is conveniently stored in the kitchen cabinets. The kitchen is probably my favorite multi-purpose room of the house.

We have a living/dining room combo, sort of like y’all’s. The “dining” room is a play area for the kids and the living room has typical living room stuff.

I do think that being able to retreat is important. To me, that’s what bedrooms are for. (In response to one of your previous questions, I vote no TV in the bedroom!)

I am so FASCINATED by how floor plans and furniture placement and the way we “purpose” our living space can affect the way we live. Is there a science behind all this?

I LOVE your blog and check it daily! Congrats on all the publicity, and happy decorating!!!

-Ashley from Maryland

P.S. Yikes! I’m just now realizing that I didn’t answer your question really! So, I vote yes for open laundry and office!!!