Open-plan kitchen areas are becoming more popular because it enables greater room for entertaining guests, one expert has claimed. Michael Holmes, from Channel Fives I Own Britains Best Home, said that contemporary living puts more emphasis on keeping things casual and spacious kitchen and dining room combinations can remove some formality. People like to entertain in a bigger, more impressive space rather than entertaining in a small dining room, away from the kitchen, away from everything else, he stated. According to Holmes, there has also been a rise in the number of individuals that like to talk or chat while performing cooking tasks and this can be achieved through opening the layout of a kitchen. The Washington Post recently reported comments made by author and architect Sarah Susanka that large-scale kitchen extensions are not always needed to add space to food-preparation zones. She noted that removing walls or doors that lead through to other rooms can help to create an open-plan area for a fraction of the cost.