Open-plan kitchens have grown in popularity and now dominate new home designs, it has been claimed.Susan Reimer of the Baltimore Sun noted that the recent recession has encouraged a cocooning of the family whereby people are more inclined to spend time at home rather than venture out and spend money.We are cooking with friends in our kitchens rather than paying a premium for a night out at a restaurant, she said.Indeed, Ms Reimer argued that the kitchen has officially morphed into an entertainment area where friends and family spend the majority of their home time.Commenting on her own family experience, the writer said her kitchen is now a space where homework is done, bills are paid and emails are read.Meanwhile, the Post Office Mortgages Homebuyers Report recently found that a fifth (20 per cent) of homeowners are willing to pay on average an extra 11,931 to move into a house which requires no improvements such as having a new kitchen sink or set of taps installed.