If you live a traditional lifestyle, you probably want a formal home, one with physically defined, separate rooms for the living, dining and kitchen areas. Informality suggests an open plan in which areas for dining, family, TV and cooking may be located close to each other or even together in a great room. If friends flood through your front door each weekend, the size of your living room, dining room and kitchen should be accomodating. Cooking large dinners requries ample counter space and the dining room must be large enough for the guests, so you may want a sideboard or a buffet table. If your entertaining consists of Sunday football gatherings, you may want to trade in counter space for a large pantry with shelves for chips and dip and a wide refridgerator in which to stock refreshments.