Tips for Transforming Your Traditional, Walled-Off Kitchen into a Modern, Open-Concept Design
The modern kitchen is no longer just a room for food preparation and cleaning tasks: it has evolved to become a hub for social activity and the heart of the home. If you're considering tearing down the interior walls separating your kitchen space from an adjacent living room and/or dining room so you can achieve an open-concept kitchen design, there are things you can do to create a fluid living space between your kitchen and its surrounding areas.
Here are some useful tips for opening up your closed-off kitchen.
Facilitate interactions between guests and home cooks
A closed-concept kitchen design doesn't encourage guests to enter the kitchen and disturb the cook. It provides the privacy and silence that cooks may need to keep their cool in the kitchen. Open kitchens, on the other hand, are intended to invite guests into the heart of the home by allowing cooks to interact with their guests as they go about food preparation.
When converting to an open-concept kitchen, it isn't enough to just tear down a few interior walls: think of ways to keep the cook in touch with guests. For example, facing the cooktop to the living room or dining room will allow the cook to integrate meal prep with the goings-on in the adjacent areas, such as watching popular local TV shows.
Add an island to your kitchen
Before you convert, you should understand that fewer walls translate to less countertop workspace, cabinet storage, and room for kitchen appliances. For this reason, you should look for ways to create more functional space in your new, open kitchen.
If your current kitchen doesn't feature an island due to its closed-off design, getting rid of those restrictive walls can present an opportunity to add one. Kitchen islands can serve many different purposes including prep, cooking, serving, storage, washing up, and of course, entertaining.
Make sure you mull over the purpose your island will fulfil before installing it. Also, think about the size of your island: you don't want it to be too small for the intended function or so big that it makes your kitchen space feel cramped.
Converting from a traditional closed kitchen to an open kitchen is a great way to modernise the style of your home while adding a sense of spaciousness to it. It can also help to increase the resale value of your home. That said, it can be a major undertaking that requires careful planning and proper execution to pay off well. Consult a local kitchen renovation contractor to increase your chances of getting the desired project results.
For more information, reach out to a kitchen renovation service.