Busy families require open-plan kitchens that can double up as living rooms, an expert has said.Kitchen designer Johnny Grey told the Daily Mail that in homes where there is a shortage of space and where the home is intensively used by a family, people are abandoning dining rooms in favour of open-plan living.The requirement is for a big, social area where there is a culinary space. People in cities generally lead hectic lives, and theres less chance for families to spend time together. So in this context its crucial to have open-plan living, where everyone is in the same space, said Mr Grey.However, the article also suggested that there was still a strong demand for separate kitchens and dining rooms in certain homes, particularly in rural locations. John Young, head of the country house department at Chesterton Humberts, told the newspaper that people who are keen on entertaining prefer to keep their dining area separate from food preparation and kitchen sink areas. In acknowledging the growing popularity of open-plan kitchens, the Daily Journal recently wrote that kitchen decoration has become increasingly relaxed over the past decade as homeowners have focused on making the room a comfortable space for family interaction.