I have a small house, and 2 dogs that want to be everywhere I am. That creates an issue in the kitchen, because I'm constantly tripping over them. So I originally purchased a shorter gate, but it wasn't long enough to keep my dogs from nosing it out of the way or jumping over it to get to me. So plan 2 came up. The area is awkward, because there is a wall to secure a gate to, like a baby gate, but the width of the opening is wider than most available baby gates. So I bought this gate. It has 3 panels, easy to move, and I was able to drop it in between the wall and the TV stand on one side and the freezer and a sideboard on the other side. The door swings both ways, and has a push down latch to close it. The dark brown wood matches the rest of my decor, and it is super easy to clean. I love it.