Especially when it comes to a brand new condominium or a planned home, the question quickly arises: should it be an open or a closed kitchen? The open design is often the favorite and for very good reasons, as we would like to show here. Of course there are also disadvantages. Not everyone will find it a disadvantage at all.
Advantage No. 1: The room appears larger
Nowadays, open kitchens can generally be found in both small and large apartments and houses. Nevertheless, this variant offers the advantage, especially with a smaller footprint, that it can make the kitchen or the entire room appear larger.
At the same time, the room not only appears more spacious, but also friendlier. This is especially the case when glass elements are used in parallel that allow more light to pass through.
Speaking of light: remember that light from window fronts illuminates the entire room. Small kitchens often have the problem that there is hardly any space for windows. Because you would rather use it for cupboards to gain more storage space. An open kitchen will usually be much brighter than a closed one.
Advantage No. 2: The space can be used better
An advantage that is not always immediately obvious, but is even more convincing when you look closely: an open kitchen means more space is available! This is mainly due to the fact that there are no hallways. Even corners that are difficult to use disappear at the same time as the walls.
This is an advantage that should not be underestimated, especially when it comes to smaller apartments, as it can offer additional storage space and more freedom of movement.
In other words: The room not only looks larger and airier. You actually gain space that would otherwise be taken up by walls or that couldn’t really be used.
Advantage No. 3: It becomes more comfortable
The advantages of an open kitchen should never be underestimated, especially when you have guests! Cooking, eating and socializing can be combined in a beautiful way. The result: the cook no longer feels left alone, but is in the middle of the living area. Many families turn cooking in the open kitchen into a happening. The keyword “living room kitchen” immediately comes to mind. The transitions become fluid.
This also makes it possible to help in a relaxed manner and at the same time to chat about the day’s events. Preparing meals is integrated even more into everyday life and family life can be taken to a new level.
Of course, if you prefer to do your laps in the kitchen alone and undisturbed, you could also see that as a disadvantage…
Disadvantages of the open kitchen
Speaking of disadvantages: The walls also serve as storage space and storage space. If an open kitchen only has two walls or even just one back wall, this becomes more difficult. But that shouldn’t necessarily be a reason to rely on a closed kitchen. In this case you have two options:
- Make sure you use the available storage space as best as possible. You will be surprised at the places where you can gain additional space. Please also read our article “28 practical tips for small kitchens”. Much of this will also apply to this situation.
- Get creative and place some objects and utensils elsewhere. Since the kitchen and living area merge into one another, everything no longer necessarily has to be stored in the kitchen itself. This is particularly suitable for bulky and rarely used things.
Another disadvantage: Of course, smells no longer stay in the kitchen, but will spread throughout the entire open space. Whether you personally see this as a disadvantage at all depends on your personal taste and also what and how you cook. Anyone who constantly uses a frying pan faces a different problem than someone for whom the steamer is the most important tool. In addition, you can provide relief through ventilation as well as through particularly powerful extractor hoods. There are now also models that can be integrated into the hotplate or sunk into it.
Who is an open kitchen suitable for?
Otherwise: An open kitchen suits practically every interior style – from Nordic and cool to rustic and warm.
If you are in the process of completely remodeling an apartment or house or furnishing it from scratch, you should think about an open kitchen if you…:
- …place great value on a pleasant connection between cooking and living.
- …want to support your family life through more communication with each other.
- …want to make better use of the available space.
An open kitchen ultimately offers many advantages and also a lot of light and airiness. In many cases, the disadvantages can be overcome with a little skill and imagination.