In my house (1970 vintage) the dining room, while small (has room for the standard hutch plus drop leaf dining table, and not much else) is still a vestigial formal room. Has the front window, has direct access from the front door/hall. Food preparation could be kept isolated from guests, as was once the fashion.
Current fashion is everyone hangs around in the kitchen while the final food prep is done, and only then migrates to the dining room to eat. Which is nice and informal, and totally OK for the post-servant era. So does it matter if the dining table is in an open concept setting with the kitchen, or separated by walls and a door? It functions the same either way.
Much more bizarre is the "vestigial living room" - barely enough room for a sofa - still exists but its minuscule size admits that the real living room is now the rear-facing family room. To be clear, my house still has the full (front facing) living room, with the fireplace and all. But I've seen the tiny vestigial living rooms in more modern houses.
Current fashion is everyone hangs around in the kitchen while the final food prep is done, and only then migrates to the dining room to eat. Which is nice and informal, and totally OK for the post-servant era. So does it matter if the dining table is in an open concept setting with the kitchen, or separated by walls and a door? It functions the same either way.
Much more bizarre is the "vestigial living room" - barely enough room for a sofa - still exists but its minuscule size admits that the real living room is now the rear-facing family room. To be clear, my house still has the full (front facing) living room, with the fireplace and all. But I've seen the tiny vestigial living rooms in more modern houses.