Open Plan Kitchens
Open it up: Why you need to turn your Kitchen into an Open Plan Space?
Kitchens tend to hold a lot of secrets in a house. From late-night snack hunts and age-old recipes to nasty unwashed dishes and discarded fruit rinds on the floor, a kitchen guards many mysteries of a household. And that is why many homeowners tend to keep their kitchens walled off and sequestered away in the corner of the house. Having a closed kitchen may seem like the right choice as it keeps the ugly behind-the-scenes of all culinary endeavors cloaked away from the eyes of guests, but it bereaves the cook from all the fun in the living room. And that is so unfair!
In the fast-paced life of today’s world, people barely get time to have get-togethers and parties. And when they do have plan in-home meetups, the cook has to miss out on all the catching up because they are cooped up in the kitchen giving food some last-minute touchups. But with open plan kitchens, cooking space meets the living space which allows in-house chefs and sous chefs to remain part of parties while working their magic in the kitchen.
The modern world is all about multitasking. Likewise, modern architecture is all about creating multipurpose, versatile spaces that blur the boundaries between rooms in a house. And open space kitchens are the perfect example of a contemporary architectural wonder that blends different spaces within a home.
Open space kitchens are excellent at creating a shared area in a home, but that is not the only thing they are good at. Here are three reasons why open space kitchens are the way to go when building or renovating a kitchen.
Open Kitchens appear Bigger
Closed kitchens make a house congested. Due to the walls demarcating a closed kitchen, the entire area around the kitchen appears crammed up. However, open kitchens make a home look bigger and more spacious than it might actually be. So, if you have a small apartment or house, but you want it to appear roomier then turn your kitchen into an open-plan space.
Open Kitchens keep Families together
People belonging to the pro-open kitchen camp believe that open kitchens are great because they bring families together. With open kitchens, parents can do the meal prep while the kids laze around in the living room; all the while staying close to one another. And at times when a family has guests over, it can invite them to the hub of activities and socialize while finishing up the meal prep.
Open Kitchens allow Natural Light in the House
Since open kitchens do not have any pillars and walls separating the cooking space with the rest of the house, natural daylight can easily enter the house and illuminate the entire place unfettered. For people who like to enjoy the sunlight all around their home, open kitchens are the ideal kitchen solution.
Although open kitchens have multiple benefits, homeowners can still be hesitant to try the modern architectural specimen for fear of exposing the not-so-pleasant workings of the kitchen to the rest of the house. It is undoubtedly a valid concern, but it shouldn’t stop homeowners from getting an open floor kitchen because with a bit of structural manipulation one can have an open kitchen while having an undercover space to hide all things nasty. Yeah, that’s right! If you are afraid of presenting a messy kitchen to the guests, then you can reach a middle ground between a completely closed off kitchen and an open kitchen.
How can you do that, you ask? Let’s find out!
The Middle Ground
If you want to have an open kitchen, but you also want a hidden space to keep the dirty dishes and burnt pots stashed in, then you can install a scullery under the disguise of a kitchen island. A scullery appears like a kitchen island from the front, but it is open from behind and has ample of space underneath the countertops, which is excellent to conceal kitchen clutter.
You can even install a dishwasher, cooktop, wall oven, and smack sink bar to make the most out of your in-kitchen scullery. But if that’s not something you’d be comfortable with then you can choose any of the following options to get the best of both the kitchen worlds.
Foldable Doors
If you don’t want to completely tear down the walls of your kitchen and bare it to the rest of the house, then you can put in foldable doors. They allow you to interact with people and indulge in chit chat when you want to, and when you have a lot going on in the kitchen, and you don’t want anyone to witness that, then you can cordon it off by shutting the foldable door.
A Raised Bar or Eating Counter
If you wish to hide your workstation, but you don’t want to cut your kitchen off from the rest of the house then you can incorporate a raised easting counter at the edge of your kitchen island. Having a raised bar would allow you to do your culinary business in peace while only putting out dishes that need to be served.
A Half Wall
A half-wall is probably the most effective way of having a physical and visible boundary between your kitchen and the rest of the house without completely isolating the kitchen. By having a half wall, you can do all things culinary without feeling as though your kitchen is exposed to the world while staying part of all the family meetings and get-togethers.
Open kitchens are one of the best creations of contemporary architecture. They amalgamate different spaces in a house and allow inhabitants to enjoy a wholesome experience of shared living. If you want to make memories and enjoy your time with loved ones, then you should tear down that wall that separates your kitchen with the rest of your life. Let different facets of your life mingle.
If you need more information on open space kitchens or if you want to remodel your kitchen as an open plan kitchen, then reach out to us today. We at (company info) are expert at turning outdated closed kitchens into chic open spaces.