Cohousing-L Mailing List: Kitchen opening into great room

[Audrey Watson (audrey]

Our kitchen has a big pass thru window and 2 doors.  The pass thru window is no longer functional because we built a counter on the kitchen side of it, and we tend to serve on a freestanding table in the dining area that allows people to walk on both sides, making for quicker serving. But the window and doors are open much of the time for sociability.  I don't know exactly what the history is, but the window has a very ugly metal roll down closure, with a magnet that holds it open and the doors (which are fire rated) have fire closures on them as well.  when the power goes out or the fire alarm goes off, all these close automatically.  I'm not sure if this was a required safety feature, but I think it was. Our stove is also a 6 burner, 2 oven commercial stove and our insurance company required us to put a fire suppression system in the stove hood. (sprays that foam stuff in case of a grease fire). 
The good news is that when doors and the window are closed (which you can also do by choice), it does shut out the noise, which allows dishes to be done, and meetings to be had in the great room at the same time.  The dishwasher is very noisy (commercial), but fast (standard restaurant type. turns out these are also quite water and energy efficient).  We also sometimes need to close the kitchen off for quiet meetings because we have a commercial refrigerator which is also quite noisy. (the compressor is in the kitchen, on top of the refrigerator.)  Our kitchen is large and works well for the cooks. It isn't particularly "homey", but it is very functional and is a center of activity in the common house during meal time, and other events. 

We have an old shed that was converted to a woodshop. It has major power tools.  The insurance requirement was that everyone be trained on the tools if they were allowed in that room. And that it has visible first aid safety equipment, fire extinguishers etc. It is always locked.  It is difficult to maintain, it collects dirt, old project parts and loses small tools. We ended up with a "shop users group" that is responsible for it, and only that group has keys. (but anybody can join. they just have to be part of the work parties associated with that group)  People who do a lot of shop type work and are sensitive to maintaining their own tools have set up private workshops elsewhere.  We also have a small windowless room/large closet dedicated to "maintenance" where spare parts are stored for the maintenance committee and only those people are allowed in (by convention).  We store extra paint etc in there, so the fire department has made us put a flammables sign on the door. It is locked all the time, but the door opens with the same key as opens the office. 

--audrey watson
winslow cohousing,
bainbridge island, WA


Hi all,
Stony Brook Cohousing, forming in Boston, is having it's Common House
programming this weekend. I'm seeking information from experienced folks
living in cohousing about your kitchen set up (and workshop too).

Does your kitchen completely open to the great room/dining room? What works
or doesn't work about this?



Are you able to completely close off the kitchen from the great room/dining
room? What works and doesn't work about this?

I'll admit that I have a preference for an open relationship (it feels more
homely to me), but I am sure that there are drawbacks. Any feed back from
the crowd would be useful. This seems like a pretty important decision!

Also, does your group have a workshop? Do you wish that you had one? I want
one badly, because where else will we put the table saw and drill press? But
maybe communities that have them don't use them? How do you deal with
insurance issues? (By the way, I'm not a serious wood worker; I make things
as needed for repairs and home improvements.)

Thanks,
Kristen