Is the Open Floor Plan Over? Why Closed Kitchens Are the Biggest Home Trend of 2026
Mon Feb 02 2026
Hi everyone, and welcome back to Home Design Chat with Nancy, where we talk about what’s really happening in home design—
Today’s subject is "Are we over the open floor plan?" and "Why is the closed kitchen suddenly the biggest home trend of 2026?"
Short answer? The open plan isn’t dead—but it’s definitely being re-designed. And the fully exposed kitchen we’ve lived with for the last 20 years? That era is ending.
Let’s start with a little history on floor plans
Traditional Floor PlansModern Open Floor PlansOpen Floor Plan
ProsConsClosed Kitchen
ProsConsHow to decide what's best for you
If you’re planning on a renovation, I would definitely be happy to work with you.
I currently have availability in February. You can email me anytime at Nancy@NancyHugo.com—I’d love to hear from you.
And finally, visit DesignersCircleHQ.com, a website I started 18 years ago. It covers everything related to design and features updated podcasts, design trends, design news, and more. The site is updated every other week.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next time on Home Design Chat with Nancy.
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Hi everyone, and welcome back to Home Design Chat with Nancy, where we talk about what’s really happening in home design— Today’s subject is "Are we over the open floor plan?" and "Why is the closed kitchen suddenly the biggest home trend of 2026?" Short answer? The open plan isn’t dead—but it’s definitely being re-designed. And the fully exposed kitchen we’ve lived with for the last 20 years? That era is ending. Let’s start with a little history on floor plans Traditional Floor PlansModern Open Floor PlansOpen Floor Plan ProsConsClosed Kitchen ProsConsHow to decide what's best for you If you’re planning on a renovation, I would definitely be happy to work with you. I currently have availability in February. You can email me anytime at Nancy@NancyHugo.com—I’d love to hear from you. And finally, visit DesignersCircleHQ.com, a website I started 18 years ago. It covers everything related to design and features updated podcasts, design trends, design news, and more. The site is updated every other week. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next time on Home Design Chat with Nancy.