Open your mind and your kitchen

Adonis Adoni Adonis Adoni
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Many people nowadays have embraced the open-plan kitchen for its practicality. But the advantages of these great rooms go beyond their functional nature. They are a great way to take advantage of less square feet, allow the people of the house to socialise without physical barriers and they are energy efficient by increasing the amount of natural light that penetrates the house.

Hence, you have decided as well to knock down the walls and create a multi-functional kitchen, connecting it with the living room and the dining room. Surely, the question looming in your mind is how to make the best use of the large space in front of you. How will you design the new open-plan kitchen? How will the new zones created blend harmoniously? What lighting should be used? Well, we will endeavour today to answer these questions.

Let us then navigate you through the creation of a practical open-plan kitchen.

Design the space

The first thought for your new kitchen should go to space. When an open-plan kitchen has incorporated a dining room and a living room, you will find it very helpful if each zone is given a specific purpose. Doing so, you will avoid a cluttered space that feels disorderly. How will you give each zone its own life? 

One way to go is with furniture and accessories. For example, you can create an illusory dividing line by using rugs in the living room area, while adding a table with chairs in the dining room will define its specific task. In the image above, the division between zones is amply depicted. The kitchen stands on the side, placing a rug to separate the dining room with the storage and adding a table with chairs to define the dining room. Simple, effective and organised

Decide on a colour scheme

As well as furniture and accessories, colour schemes can become your ally in defining purpose on an open-plan space. The right set of colour can easily replace the need for physical partition by erecting visual walls. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?

Perhaps the best way to keep uniformity and linearity between the different zones is by using basic colours in hues of white or neutrals. But you can also go for a splashback in the kitchen and the colour used can be selected in the dining room or another zone. 

In the picture, a splashback of luminous yellow has been used as a backdrop of white hues in the kitchen and was picked up by the lamp pendants in the dining room. And with colour, you always have the choice of change with a simple lick of paint.

Choose the right flooring

Unlike colours, the floor you will choose for the open-plan kitchen will stay there for years to come… hopefully! Thus, it is important to make an informed decision, balancing the benefits and drawbacks of each flooring against your needs and style

The most preferred choice for open-plan kitchen is hardwood and quite reasonably, since it’s famous for durability and easy maintenance. Ceramic tiles give you limitless combinations in colour, patters, size and shape yet they might crack under pressure. One of the most inexpensive materials for kitchen flooring is vinyl that comes in a sophisticated array of designs, yet is malleable to wear. Before you choose the floor, it will be very helpful to undertake a comprehensive research.

Select appropriate lighting

In creating districts within your open-plan kitchen, appropriate lighting will come in handy. Let’s visit the picture for a visual illustration. The kitchen countertops are illuminated by pendants in the shape of headlights, while the dining table is lighten up with the use of pendants in geometric lines. 

By giving different tasks to lighting, the zones are easily ascertainable. In case that the open plan incorporates a living room, you can add floor lamps for a warm light. If it's possible, use dimmer lights as they will allow you to shift the mood of the room according to your appetites. 

Since having an ambiance of light is important in the kitchen, the use of windows will be highly beneficial. And of course, with windows there are the added benefits that accompany energy efficiency.

Install adequate storage

With a new enlarged space, it will be vital to make plans for adequate storage. It is obvious that be removing physical partitions your storage space will be significantly limited, so you should indulge clever solutions. The most obvious place to start will be the kitchen cabinets.

A kitchen island is always a perfect storage solution for pans and pods and the walls that still stand can be turned into storage spaces by adding shelves. You could easily have a wall, as in the picture, that has been transformed into an enormous shelving complex. It brings the room together, doesn’t it?

Be ruthless—only keep things that are necessary

Finally, it is fair to assume that you wish to avoid clutter in your new open-plan kitchen, right? So, you will need to become ruthless and remove all objects you deem unnecessary. That might include extra sets of chairs, old decorative artefacts that take up space or appliances that serve no purpose. 

Also, the practicality of an open-plan kitchen will be hindered under disorder. Thus, it will be very helpful if you conquer clutter with good organisational habits. Storage is the ideal candidate for de-cluttering, as well as furniture with storage capabilities. As we can see from the picture, the open-plan kitchen benefits from simplicity, with the timber crafted table assuming the role of the dining room while the kitchen worktops are occupied by bare necessities.

Opening your kitchen goes beyond the added benefits of bigger space. It transforms into the centre of family living and the epitome of the modern house. We sincerely hope our ideas have helped you open your mind in designing the perfect open-plan kitchen.

Looking for kitchen inspiration? You might like to check out: Your Essential Guide To Kitchen Flooring.

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