Open plan kitchen designs have surged in popularity, thanks to their ability to enhance the sense of space and sociability during cooking and social gatherings.
By combining the kitchen, living and dining areas within a single room, you create a welcoming space that truly becomes the heart of the home. However, with more open space, there’s more to consider when designing your kitchen.
In this guide, we’ll explore open-plan kitchen design ideas to help you create the perfect space.
A key advantage of open plan kitchens is the ability to extend natural light throughout the space. By carefully designing the kitchen around windows and opting for light-friendly designs such as high ceilings, skylights and glass doors, you can make full use of the open plan layout to create a bright and inviting environment.
This contemporary Cornish home invites the light by using a stunning, oak-framed picture window designed to also allow uninterrupted views of the stunning coastal setting.
In an open-plan kitchen, it’s important to maintain a seamless transition between living and cooking spaces. Integrated kitchen designs help maintain this flow, ensuring consistency in colour scheme, materials and design elements throughout the space. This approach not only enhances the visual appeal but also helps create a sense of calmness throughout the home.
The neutral colour scheme is echoed throughout this Berkshire Queen Anne house kitchen. The cabinets, from Martin Moore’s New Classic collection, are hand-painted in ‘Palladian White’ with blue accents woven in across the kitchen and dining space to create a harmonious design.
Incorporating panelled doors is a clever way to build a cosy and welcoming atmosphere within open-plan kitchen designs. Open plan designs were often viewed as modern spaces, but they are perfectly suited for more traditional homes through the use of cupboards with panelled doors. Panelled doors and soft heritage paint colours bring a timeless character. When designing this Yorkshire townhouse kitchen, we opted for a linear layout to draw the eye to the stunning Georgian windows and incorporated traditional elements such as the mantel and door panelling.
Introducing a bold colour such as blue as a statement shade in your open plan kitchen can define the area, while adding vibrancy and depth. Whether it’s through cabinetry, a feature wall, or decorative accents, blue can complement the openness of the layout and bring a dynamic visual element to the space. We love the use of blue in this Georgian manor kitchen – the size of the room allows for darker blue shades to take dramatic effect whilst the lighter-coloured worktops and white walls lift the overall scheme.
A kitchen island is not only a functional addition that provides extra countertop and storage space, but it also serves as a social hub where people can gather. In an open-plan kitchen, an island can help define the cooking area without closing it off from the rest of the space, enhancing both usability and social interaction.
For example, in this Georgian apartment kitchen, the island unifies the two sides of the galley kitchen, which in turn separates the kitchen from the dining area, all whilst maintaining an openness to the space.
Integrating a comfortable living area within the open-plan kitchen allows for more interaction and sociability. Furnish this area with integrated bench seating, sofas, soft rugs, and drinks cabinets to make it inviting, ensuring that it complements the kitchen’s design while providing a relaxed space for family and guests.
Open-plan kitchens are perfect for this, allowing for greater flexibility with the space. Take a look at this luxury boutique development kitchen that embraces open-plan living with a combined kitchen and seating area.
While embracing the openness, it’s also practical to separate the hard-working, utility spaces, such as laundry rooms and pantries, to protect its place as the social hub. Where space is at a premium, clever design solutions such as creating a pantry behind a half wall and sliding doors can conceal these spaces when not in use while still keeping them easily accessible. This can help maintain a sense of balance in the home, keeping practical areas separate from living spaces.
When designing an open-plan kitchen, it’s important not to overlook ventilation. Investing in a good extraction system will help maintain the air quality throughout the open space, making the environment more enjoyable for everyone. Opt for a quiet extractor as noise is an important consideration in open-plan spaces.
Built-in seating is a great way to add more functionality to your open-plan kitchen. It can be integrated into the island or positioned against a wall with a table, creating a perfect dining or working spot that saves space and complements the kitchen’s layout. You might even opt for a range of seating options, adding flexibility to your open plan design.
We love how this statement kitchen integrates built-in seating across its large kitchen island.
While open plan kitchens thrive on spaciousness, using visual divides can help delineate different areas without obstructing the view. Techniques such as different flooring materials, step changes, or decorative panels can subtly separate spaces while maintaining the overall flow of the area.
This Woodland Property incorporates a statement glass screen to define the kitchen area, separating the kitchen space whilst maintaining the open design.
Open plan kitchen designs are the perfect way to create a multi-functional space that is as stylish as it is practical. By carefully considering design elements like lighting, colour, and layout, you can create an inviting kitchen that meets the needs of your lifestyle while enhancing the overall feel of your home.
Enjoy the seamless flow of an open layout with Martin Moore kitchen design. We have the expertise to bring your vision to life, with a diverse range of kitchen collections to help inspire your design. Each kitchen is tailored to meet the unique needs of your lifestyle and space.
Explore our custom kitchens or book a design consultation today to get started.
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