How to Make Kitchen Blend with Living Space: A Guide for Open Kitchen Concept

The kitchen embodies the heart of a house that nurtures the mind, body and soul. Consequently, designing the kitchen always demands thorough planning and understanding of the requirements of a family in a particular home. Since the 1990s, an open kitchen concept has been in vogue and is adopted worldwide with regional twists. It refers to the idea of breaking down the barriers between the kitchen and the space around it to turn the kitchen space at homes into a heavenly place and a good point of attraction.

It creates an amalgamation of a kitchen with the living room area and is collectively known as the ‘Great Room’. Along with appealing aesthetics, this design also provides an increased functionality than the traditional closed kitchen concept. Below are some of the prominent advantages of having an open kitchen:

● It makes the space bigger with fluidity in movement;
● Provides better air ventilation with more bright light scope;
● Includes the family in food preparation, providing them more time to spend together;
● Allows the parents to keep an eye on their young children;
● It creates a more intimate space for the guests and offers more time to entertain them.

How to include a kitchen with living spaces?

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The planning and designing of an open kitchen come with their challenges. Therefore, they also vary depending on the needs of each family. Below are specific points which you can consider before opting for an open kitchen design:

Clear demarcations among different zones: The open kitchen idea includes three significant zones—kitchen, dining and living room. Even though these spaces flow into each other, they should be demarcated. Start with deciding which zone the kitchen should occupy. Details like the position of the kitchen island/sink or the TV location from the kitchen should be planned so that the noise from the kitchen does not interfere with its sound. Furthermore, distinction within the kitchen between food preparation area, serving area or storage is also required. It can be achieved by using different lighting configurations or by placing an island.

Showcase your style with smart, functional cabinets and storage systems: The open kitchen design extends the style of the living room into the kitchen, allowing you to showcase your distinct taste. But it also comes with the challenge of managing the mess, noise and cluttering of kitchen spaces. A well-thought-out, preplanned cabinet like soft close cabinets to control noise and storage system with clean finishes is aesthetically pleasing and has high functionality. Thus, the focus must remain on developing the kitchen accordingly, considering the fulfilment of the exclusive needs. The incorporation of the kitchen island also helps in demarcating spaces and increasing functionality.

Strategic placement of furniture: One of the core ideas behind the open kitchen is to create a fluid movement. The furniture should be placed to showcase the beautiful décor, which demarcates various zones. For example, sofas and chairs can be placed nearby, thus giving an impression that a small area is situated within an ample living space.

Alignment and coordination in the colour schemes and wood finishes: The colour palette and wood finishes should unify and provide a calm flow between the kitchen and the living room. The different zones and spaces can feature their colours in the form of decorated wallpapers, vibrant palettes, and painted panels; however, they should align with the room’s more prominent colour scheme.

Accentuate the effect of lighting to highlight different zones: The creative use of lighting can highlight the different zones of the Great Room that you can easily showcase. A combination of different lighting styles can be used in your kitchen besides the entertainment space, whereas the area for cosy sittings or late-night movies can feature dim lights.

A well-planned kitchen design, layout and module: The most important step is planning and designing the open kitchen according to a family’s requirements and specific requirements. There are various modules and designs available beforehand, from an L-shaped modular kitchen to galley kitchen layout; one-wall modular kitchen and open kitchen with island, which can be chosen according to one’s specifications. Half walls or glass walls can also be used to demarcate the spaces, if necessary.

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The open kitchen concept is a very functional design in this fast-paced life to bring the family together. This design also offers flexibility and scope to experiment with various designs and layouts to cater to an individual’s or a family’s needs.