The Best Floor Plan Tips for Open Concept Kitchens
Open concept kitchen floor plans can increase home value as well as the functionality of the kitchen. Whether you have a large kitchen or a small kitchen, the design deserves careful thought. How can you make your kitchen open with ample storage and seamless flow? How can you create an open concept kitchen layout without starting from scratch? No matter your vision or obstacles, a professional designer can help you come up with brilliant open-plan kitchen layout ideas. You may have been hoping to avoid a designer to save money, but the truth is a designer can save you money. Keep reading to learn more about creating an open concept kitchen.
Why is the floor plan important for open concept kitchens?
A floor plan is critical for any type of remodeling project. Before you hire a general contractor to renovate your kitchen, having a floor created by a professional kitchen designer will help to make the process of remodeling seamless. The floor plan that you ultimately choose for your new kitchen can have quite an impact on your lifestyle, daily activities, and the overall appearance of your home.
An open concept kitchen floor plan will generally have more open space and be larger than a closed concept kitchen floor plan. The kitchen lacks the walls that typically separate it from the other living spaces of the home. If there is a divide between the kitchen and living space, it typically comes in the form of a large island that can provide additional seating, storage space, and an additional surface for food prep and cooking. An open concept kitchen floor plan is not only larger with more space, but it creates more light and allows for more socializing between the person cooking and the rest of the friends or family who are in attendance.
https://levansdesigngroup.com/blog/right-floor-plan-for-your-remodel/
What are the different open concept kitchen layouts?
When you ultimately decide that you would like to renovate your kitchen into an open concept kitchen layout, you may be surprised to know that there are many different types of open concept kitchen layouts to choose from. Here are just a few examples of the dozens of open concept kitchen layouts currently being used in homes across the United States.
- Open concept kitchen to the living room: Having an open kitchen that is adjacent to your living room allows for muti-tasking. For example, you could be cooking breakfast and watching the television at the same time. You could be cooking dinner and still be included in the conversation that your friends or family are having. This allows for social interaction while you attend to tasks in the kitchen.
- Open concept kitchen to dining area: Having an open kitchen that flows into the dining room is a convenient setup that is perfect for those who love to entertain. Make sure you leave plenty of space between your kitchen island and the dining room table to keep the look and the feel of the open concept floor plan spacious.
- Open concept kitchen to dining/living room: Another option is to have an open concept kitchen floor plan that contains an island that separates the kitchen from the living area with a dining area off to the side.
- Open concept kitchen to den: If your kitchen opens up to a den or family room, you want it to be comfortable and make it look cozy.
- Open concept kitchen with large island: Most open concept kitchens will have an island. Having an island that is large and strategically placed can do wonders for creating additional work, seating, and storage spaces.
These five open concept kitchen floor plans are among the most commonly used by homeowners in the United States. If you are unsure what kind of plan would be best for your home, you may want to enlist the help of a professional kitchen designer who can help you visualize what the different floor plans would look like in your home.
How big should an open concept kitchen be?
The minimum size guidelines for an open concept kitchen floor plan depend on which floor plan you go with. For example, if you are looking at an open kitchen that flows into both a living room and dining room, you may want a minimum of 115 square feet to ensure that it does not feel overcrowded. If you have less space, then you may want to pick an open kitchen floor plan that only flows into a living room or a dining room, but not both.
How do you create a floor plan for an open-concept kitchen?
When you are creating a floor plan for an open-concept kitchen, there are a few details that you may want to consider. Here is our list of some of the best tips to remember when creating an open-concept kitchen floor plan.
- Use area rugs: Using a large area rug can help you distinguish one room from another in your open concept floor plan.
- Keep furniture away from the walls: To create a more inclusive and inviting space, make sure you do not spread your furniture out too far and place them against the walls.
- Repeat colors or materials in each of the rooms: Using a particular material like wood or marble in each of the rooms can help to create a cohesive aesthetic. Also, make sure to use a similar color scheme in each of the rooms as well to prevent awkwardness in the overall design and look of your home.
- Consistent flooring is key: Make sure the flooring you choose for each room in the open concept floor plan is either the same or similar. Use area rugs to create separation between the rooms.
When you are creating an open concept floor plan there are plenty of unwritten design rules that you need to be aware of before implementing the plan. These are just a small sampling of some of those rules. Before creating your own floor plan for a kitchen renovation, be sure to do your research to prevent any fatal design errors.
What are the best floor plans for small open concept kitchens?
If you have a small kitchen, you may want to avoid trying to do too much when creating your open concept floor plan. Do you have the space for a kitchen island? You should be able to have at least 42 to 48-inches of open space on each side of the island. If you do not have open space, then maybe an island is not a good idea.
Another option for an open concept kitchen floor plan is to place the kitchen adjacent to a large sliding glass door. By incorporating the large glass door into the floor plan, you can bring the outside into your home and make your kitchen feel much bigger than it actually is.
What are the open concept kitchen layout tools online?
There are several free and subscription-based online tools that you can use to design your kitchen. You can use these tools to create your own open-concept kitchen layout for little or no money. A popular open concept design software can be found at Skipp.co.
Where can you get a professional designer to plan custom kitchen lighting layouts?
Kitchen lighting is one of the final touches that can change the entire dynamic of your kitchen. While lighting may be an afterthought, it’s best to think your plans through from start to finish before starting your remodel. At Skipp, you can work with a professional designer to create a kitchen with custom lighting that fits in your budget. Skipp makes kitchen renovations simple while saving you up to 40% on your entire renovation. From the comfort of your own home, you can make a 3D design of your future kitchen with the help of a professional designer.
Conclusion
Designing an open concept kitchen floor plan deserves the help of a professional designer. While you may try to save money by only working with a contractor or even trying to DIY your project, a designer can work to your advantage. A contract may have ulterior motives or be incentivized to push certain decisions on you, while a designer starts by consulting about what you want and then helps you create the plan. Once you know exactly what you want you can move forward with finding a contractor or laborers and collecting estimates.
