Are you sick of spending time alone in the kitchen while everyone else in the rest of the house? Then an open plan kitchen diner could be the perfect solution. This is because with an open plan kitchen diner you will be able to cook, while also spending time with the family while they watch TV, chat or even do homework. Of course, before you transform your living and kitchen spaces into a shared area, there are some factors you must carefully consider. Keep reading to find out what they are below.
Get your layout right
First of all, you need to make sure that you have the right positioning and layout for an open plan kitchen diner. The best position in the home is towards the back of the house, overlooking the garden where possible. Then you will be able to add patio doors to the back of the room and increase the light, as well as the sense of space.
You’ll also want to think carefully about how to lay your kitchen diner out. To do this you need to consider the practicalities as well as the aesthetics. For example, you won’t want your cooker right next to the seating area as this can make it less than pleasant for the people spending time there.
Delineate the space
Even though the point of an open plan kitchen diner is to merge the living and kitchen spaces together, it still makes sense to have some delineation between each one. Otherwise, the space can end up feeling like one big kitchen!
One way of doing this is to use zones. This means varying the materials and furniture you use in each space to make what it is used for clear. For example, it makes sense to have easy to wash and wipe flooring in the kitchen part of your kitchen diner. However, wood or carpet may be suitable for the living area part. However, it is important to remember that the idea isn’t to create a sense of two separate rooms here, but of one space with different zones. Therefore any aesthetic choices you make should echo or at least complement the other zones in the room.
Another great way to delineate the zones is to have something in the middle of them both that aids the transition. The best option for this is a large kitchen island which can be used for multiple purposes such as food prep, as a breakfast bar and even by the kids for doing homework and add a real sense of luxury.
Another great option for bridging the space is a long dining room table. Again this works because it is something that can be used for multiple purposes, by those in either zone. Although, you will want to make sure that it meshes well with the rest of the decor in the space. To that end, investing in a crisp cotton table cloth like the ones available from Richard Haworth is your best bet. After all, you can pick one that matches your color scheme, and that will unite your zones perfectly.
Invest in an extractor fan
Another important part of creating a successful kitchen diner is investing in an extractor fan. Indeed, extractor fans provide many benefits in this type of space, from preventing cooking smells from penetrating the living area, to helping your kitchen gadgets get less greasy over time.
The good news is there are many types of extractors on the market, many of which are designed to be aesthetically pleasing or to even act as a focal point in your kitchen diner designs. Just be sure to check how loud they are first, as you won’t want your conversation to be dulled because the extractor fan is on.
Let there be light
Lighting is incredibly important when it comes to your kitchen-diner. Where possible, most of the light, at least during the day, should come from natural sources. This means making use of large windows, skylights, and as previously mentioned patio doors.
In particular bifold patio doors are a great choice because they allow the maximum amount of light in and can be rolled back to create the sense that the room is blending with the garden. Something that can be truly glorious on a warm summer day.
Construction work
Unless you are already begging with an open plan space there will be at least some construction work that needs to be completed. Common tasks include knocking through walls and installing skylights and patio doors.
Some folks even require an entire extension to be built to house their kitchen-diner. Again this is usually situated on the back of the house and extends out into the garden, so do be sure that you don’t mind losing that outside space to create more inside.
Of course, some of these construction tasks can be DIY jobs. Although you will always need to check that having such features installed is both safe and that you have planning permission before you go ahead. For example, you must never knock through a wall without first knowing whether it’s supporting the structure above it.
With this in mind, many people like to use the services of a professional builder/installer for these tasks to cut down on how long they take and the stress involved.
Don’t forget that storage
Last, of all, don’t forget that even in an open plan kitchen you will need plenty of storage. Indeed, as the entire goal of making an open plan kitchen-diner is to create more space, there is little point in filling it up with clutter. That is why you will want to include plenty of cupboards and drawers to house your items and keep your surfaces clean.
Where possible resist the temptation to go for open shelving too, as while it can make a space look larger, it can also make cleaning it a nightmare, as every jar and packet will get greasy and dusty, which makes it very hard to clean.
