Open kitchen concept - a quick guide

Nowdays, in design there is tendency towards full opening of the living area. The benefits are obvious, but there are also some drawbacks, so make sure you know the basic design rules and that your decision is based on a good balance of pros and cons.

The open floor plan is great for a variety of reasons. First of all, it looks good and gives a sense of airiness. Moreover if you have a family of for or five, plus pets, the openness of the design will sure make it easier for everyone to spend some valuable time together. The concept of a kitchen open to the living room is utilized by owners of small apartments, where the open plan simply creates the illusion of a bigger space.

What you need to keep in mind is to leave the view unobstructed. Why open up the space if you plan to divide it again by some folding screens or curtains? Successful open plan designs are all about a sense of airiness that comes from the lack of barriers for the eye, but also from the choice of appropriate furniture.

Key factor in open-plan environments is to try to avoid furniture which is too tall or heavy as compared to the furniture in the living room area. If you choose bulky upper cabinets, they will not only close in on the room and make it look smaller, but will also draw too much attention. Of course you can use upper cabinets but they should be simple in terms of style and color.

Next thing that you should know is that defining feature of most open-plan environments is a kitchen island, which acts as some sort of a border between the cooking and lounging areas. Sometimes it is also a breakfast bar or a rectangular dining table.

Furtermore, you need to be careful with open shelving. Too many closed upper cabinets can make a room seem smaller. There are pros and cons to using open shelves in just about any room, but when it comes to open-concept designs, they need special consideration.

Another thing that you should know is that floors are the backbone of an interior, and it's especially truer in open-plan arrangements. Whether you go for wood, tile or stone be sure to use rule of thumb for open areas and as much of one material as possible. Continuous flooring brings the sense of unity and spaciousness into the overall design.

Another advise is to be consistent in terms of style, as open plans need an overall stylistic coherence, so that all areas interact with each other without individually standing out.