Which kitchen would you prefer?

[tik 🪀✨]

Option 1, of course. There's nothing "wrong" with number 2 - it's closer to my own kitchen (that I'm used to but don't like particularly because there's not enough storage area or bench space). And there's nothing wrong with liking option 1, either. It's appealing to me aesthetically and I think the judgments about its worse functionality are silly. If you've got that much space, you've got room to change things.

And look, I would feel more comfortable and at ease in a spacious, sleek kitchen. Not because it's fancy or looks expensive - the feel of the area is more open and natural to me. The latter kitchen makes me feel trapped and bogged in. At least put a window somewhere..

Actually, checking out the images again, 1 isn't really ideal either. I'd rather...

[tik 🪀✨]

I'm the sort of person who looks askance at people who treat the kitchen as a social space (my family included) and would rather eat in the dining room. I cringe at seeing exceptionally fancy and open kitchens- if I were to design a house the kitchen would be stuffed into some back corner or side wing. I might actually go for the second, then, but the catch is the dining room looks like this:

While I can, on some level, appreciate the fine details and craftsmanship and feel of a space like this, I mostly find it way too busy for the eyes. It's distracting and ..gaudy. Certainly you'd feel like a dapper gentleman sitting there sipping fine wine and nibbling on whatever, but after a few months I'd probably be content to have a beer and kebab on the balcony of a hotel room.