Kitchens and dining rooms should be kept separate and not be open plan, according to an interior designer.Speaking to the Times, John Stefanidis said keeping the two rooms separate gives homeowners the choice between formal and informal dining.A dining room gives dining a sense of occasion, he said.Marvellous food appears like magic without guests being able to see the hot and bothered cook.The property feature urges homeowners to think about the drawbacks of having an open plan kitchen and dining room before knocking any walls down.Lucy Alexander writes that the open plan design means a lack of privacy and an audience for the chef.The new trend, she said, is to install moving screens or partitions to create a flexible barrier between the areas.A study published by Alliance and Leicester last month revealed that nearly three quarters (73 per cent) of Brits get their inspiration for home improvement from television programmes.Some 40 per cent of respondents said they wanted a kitchen re-fit.