Who doesn’t love an open-plan kitchen?
Open floor plans are some of the most appealing, stylish, and trendy spaces, and they’re often on homeowners’ wish lists. The modern homeowner’s dream home is usually an airy, bright, and uncluttered space with few dividing structures.
An open floor layout – when designed with attention to detail and according to the homeowner’s needs and lifestyle – is something to be desired. However, achieving a well-put-together open plan is difficult because these spaces usually present several design challenges.
This article compiles the most common mistakes people make when designing an open-plan kitchen. Read on to learn how to avoid them and ensure you design a space that serves your needs.
Failing to research
You have no excuse to go blind into redecorating your home without knowing what the project should imply and what steps you must follow to create a well-balanced space. The last thing you want is to break down the walls and have no clue how to arrange the space to make it look cohesive and welcoming. Pinterest and Instagram should be your best friends during the research phase because they provide extensive knowledge on the project and could serve as a starting point.
The Internet also offers a wealth of resources you can use to learn more about how to create an open-plan space that meets your needs and preferences.
If you still have questions after researching the subject, it would be worth discussing with an interior designer to provide some recommendations.
Mixing flooring
You tear down the walls to create a spacious area that serves multiple purposes hence the chances for them to have different types of flooring are quite high. So, during the planning stage, you should take into account that the next thing you must do after taking down the walls is to remove the flooring from both spaces and install a new one. A mix of flooring will make the place feel disjointed and prevent you from creating a flow. You want to create an area that feels intentional, andthe flooring works as a consistent base, so make sure you pick a solution that matches different purposes. You can later use rugs to delineate a zone from another.
It would be great to use lighter flooring because it gives the open space an airy feel. And where do you count that you can easily identify the spills in the kitchen area, so you’ll have no issues keeping the home clean.
Lack of zoning
The area might lack walls to separate the zones, but you still have to delineate particular zones because they have different purposes. For example, the kitchen is a functional space, while the living room is mainly used for entertainment and socialisation. So, it would help if you delineated the zones to make the home feel more inviting and allow you to easily do daily chores. You could install anopen-plan kitchen islandto divide the kitchen from the living room because it can be used as both a cooking point and a socialising area and won’t affect the flow of the space.
With open-floor spaces, it’s crucial to create visual anchors and focal points for each area. The kitchen island, table lamps, and area rugs usually do the trick and define the purpose of each space.
You put the furniture against the walls
With small rooms, you must put the furniture close to the walls to create the impression of larger spaces. However, you must keep in mind that this is an open floor space, so you arrange the furniture and decorations differently than in traditional dwellings. For example, if you put the sofa against the wall, you will make the space look sparse and cold.
The solution is to install the furniture toward the middle of the room, and instead of getting an L-shaped large sofa, opt for two placed opposite each other. Suppose you must work with a smaller space; you could pair the sofa with a couple of armchairs. This layout facilitates the flow and allows you to separate the areas visually.
You don’t install enough lighting
There’s no use to a spacious room if it’s poorly lit. It will look dreary, confined, and smaller than it actually is. Unfortunately, homeowners usually don’t put muchconsideration into lighting, and they have an unpleasant surprise toward the end of the project when they realise that the space needs a more complex lighting scheme. Lighting sets the space’s ambiance, and it’s crucial to make the plan for the lighting scheme in the first stages of the project.
Decide where to place the furniture and position the lighting around it. Work with an experienced contractor to identify the key spots for electrical outlets, fixtures, and connections.
Keep in mind that an open-floor house has fewer walls than a traditional one, so you can’t rely solely on wall sconces. It would help if you also had overhead lights and individual stand fixtures. Your space needs table lamps, hanging lights, floor lamps, under-cabinet lighting, and wall sconces.
Lighting will also help you delineate the zones and create a sense of intimacy and coziness, so choose it carefully.
Combining styles
Creating well-defined zones when designing an open-floor space is essential, but using different styles will make your house look chaotic and prevent you from feeling comfortable. Also, when youmix styles, you break the visual continuity, vital for open-floor spaces, and make the house look claustrophobic and cluttered.
It’s paramount to maintain the visual coherence and flow of the space by using the same decorative style for the entire house. Pick a design that works for the entire space or two complementary styles with small differences between their characteristics.
It’s easy to purchase whatever furniture items and decorations you find appealing, but when put together, they’ll make the house look messy and crowded.
Final words
If you are new to the whole open-plan design concept, this article might help you get started and create a space that fits your needs.
