Tip For Creating An Open Plan Kitchen
- May 10, 2019|
- News|
- Darren Clarke
The most popular spaces for installing bi fold doors in homes in Stockport is undoubtedly in big, beautiful open-plan kitchens. Kitchens have quickly become the new living rooms of the home, often actually incorporating living rooms into them, in that they are the go-to place for spending time as a family and entertaining. Our move towards having these spaces larger and without dividing walls makes it the perfect space for this, but there are a few simple things, according to Real Homes, to think about when designing this space to make sure it works to its best effect.
First up, and it’s all about the windows and doors. Bi fold doors will give you lots of natural light, but if you’re working in a large space, light from just one direction will start to falter as you come to the furthest points from it. Keep extra windows in mind for planning where possible, or if you’re working in a single storey extension, sky lanterns and roof lights will help to bring great natural light to the centre of the space.
At night time, your lighting scheme really needs to be able to stand up the multi-functional nature of your space. Task lighting, such as down-lighters, are essential in the kitchen for cooking and cleaning, but they need to be supplemented with ambient lighting so that your space can be enjoyed while dining and just spending time there. Too bright or too intense lighting will kill the feeling of comfortableness in a space in an instant.
Though we talk about open-plan spaces, you need to think about how the space will be broken up and demarcated into zones. This can be on a large scale, from the structural cues that divide the kitchen, dining and living spaces to within the actual kitchen itself. Kitchen islands are popular not only because they look great, but they help to zone a kitchen from the rest of the room. Prioritise all your cooking equipment on the wall side of the island and keep the other side of the island for entertaining with seating for guests.
Think about the flow of your kitchen also, especially when it comes to how you cook in it. With a lot of space to play with, making sure that you streamline processes is key. Think about, for example, the distance between the sink and the dishwasher – having to trek a rinsed dish across the kitchen is not a great idea, but also something just as simple as the spice rack being located close to the cooker for easy seasoning.
There’s also a concept in design known as a broken plan which you may want to consider. It retains certain aspects of open-plan living, such as being able to see the whole open space, but creates zones through physical barriers. These could be pieces of furniture, which forge a path for how you use the space, changing the levels with steps between, or even just using interior doors or windows, which don’t block the open plan quality, but add a sense of closeness when using individual spaces.
