5 Design Tips for Creating an Open Kitchen Layout

One of the most popular interior design trends today is the open-concept layout. Not only does it make a home look and feel more spacious, it also can be functionally practical too. For many homeowners, there’s no need for a separate dining room or walled-off living room – if you agree, you may want to seriously consider remodeling your home to incorporate an open kitchen layout.

If you’re curious how to begin or would appreciate some inspiration, here are some design tips compiled by our team here at RTA Wood Cabinets to help you create the open kitchen of your dreams:

1) A Sociable Chef

How can you layout your kitchen so that the cook is able to interact with the rest of the family and any guests you may be entertaining?

In a traditional kitchen, the chef (or whoever is busy working to prepare a meal) is literally walled off from everyone else, making it difficult if not impossible to socialize with others while performing kitchen tasks. An open kitchen layout can transform this dynamic.

One recommendation is to make sure the stovetop and a significant amount of counterspace faces toward the living/gathering area. This way whoever is cooking can fully participate in the social interaction while still preparing all the food. A thoughtfully laid out kitchen island or peninsula can often make this possible.

2. Conversation Corners

Once your space is open, you can experiment with new ways to create small gathering opportunities within the larger space. Rugs can often be useful to define a little conversation corner.

For example, maybe in one section of your open layout you have a rug with a sofa and some chairs around it. This can be distinct from another mini area that has a piano with some benches. This layout approach offers the best of both worlds, as everyone can gather together and also break off into smaller groupings.

3. Kitchen Island Life

As mentioned previously, a kitchen island in the right place can help a cook socialize more. But there are several other good reasons to incorporate one into your open-concept layout.

A kitchen island can add aesthetic drama to a space, often serving as a focal point in an open kitchen layout. The choice of colors, materials, and the shape of a kitchen island can set the tone for the whole feel of the space.

Also, a kitchen island can add functionality by giving you more storage, more seating, and/or more kitchen prep space.

Traditional kitchens often don’t have space for a kitchen island - however, once you remove living room or dining room walls to open up the space, you probably will find you can extend the kitchen and finally get a kitchen island.

4. Maximizing Multi-Use

One major advantage to the open-floor concept is that you can now use space for multiple purposes. For example, the seating around your kitchen island can be used for eating (a kitchen or dining room function) as well as for relaxing and watching tv (a living room activity).

In order to maximize the multi-use potential, spend time thinking about how you want to use your space and what kinds of furniture and accessories you desire. To help create a unified feel, find a way to be consistent with colors or patterns or materials, such as whitewashed wood throughout.

5. Cohesive Cabinetry

One of the challenges with an open kitchen layout is making sure everything comes together and feels of one piece, so it’s not just a jumble that ought to be separated by dividers or walls.

The cabinetry you choose can be one important factor to make sure everything comes together into a cohesive design. For example, you can choose a style of cabinetry to hold all your kitchen items, and then continue with that same design for storage throughout the open space.

An open floor plan may not have nooks and crannies to hide away your possessions, but you can make use of the full vertical space of the walls you do keep by incorporating a combination of open shelves and closed cabinets to store your belongings.

If you’re interested to find out more about cabinets for your open kitchen remodel, call RTA Wood Cabinets at: 800-788-7575.