Everything You Wanted to Know About An Open Plan Kitchen-Dining Combo
We all know open plan living is a consistent style winner. They’re certainly instagram gold as this recent post illustrates. But they’re also a touch ubiquitous. Search open plan kitchen on Pinterest and you get a litany of pics, many of them virtually, if not exactly, the same.
So, what if we switched things up a bit? I’m not saying fully open plan living. But what if we went with a kitchen-diner combo instead? Here I will take you through some of my most pin-worthy images to help ignite your imagination for your own open plan project.
The open kitchen can do a lot to make a narrow space feel wider. Here’s some tips and furniture suggestions to make it even more spacious.
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Here a beautiful white marble island serves not only as an additional work surface and place to sit, but helps to lighten and lift the entire space. The decor, cabinetry, flooring, walls and art is kept tonal- this serves to highlight the brass of the lights, making something truly special.
If you want to create something similar, but don’t have quite enough space, try to incorporate as much lighting and natural light as possible and play with light and dark shades of natural materials. The light surfaces will help to bounce light around the room, making it feel bigger, whilst the darker items will serve to ground the scheme.
Remember to keep at least 1.2m between facing cabinets so you can open both doors/drawers at the same time!
This image features on so many of my mood boards for projects. It perfectly combines materials, light and shade, with a litany of detail. Crittall doors and screens are such interior goals, but coming back to the kitchen, how fabulous is that wall of units?!
Rather than the usual layout, here they are partially recessed in to the wall so they float above the floor and drop a gentle shadow to the edge. This means that the square outline of the cabinets becomes a focal point in its own right. This colour is mimicked further along the wall and underneath that gorgeous concrete island, bringing the room together.
Own your style - commit to your focal element
Commitment might sound a bit strong for a kitchen, however, if you want to nail a space then owning your style will serve you well. The best way to do this is committing to one focal element.
This can be a colour, a material or even a finish, but run with it.
For me, I go for natural materials in tonal shades for anything built in or expensive. This tends to age well. For centuries, we have used these materials in the best homes and they look great to this day. With this back drop it is easy to refresh the space with an accent colour on the wall or some decorations.
Remember, we all get bored of our living spaces from time to time so, to prepare for your inevitable desire to switch things up, I'd highly recommend staying away from timely trends that will be hard or costly to change.
Next it is worth considering the added, more temporary touches to a space. These are inexpensive and interchangeable to keep the room feeling fresh and current.
If you're looking to follow trends when it comes to colours, patterns, and decorative details, try to do this in an affordable and fixable way. For example, you could use wall stickers or cushion covers to add interest to a room. As a result, you won't regret anything when what's 'in' changes.
The dining space is equally as important as the kitchen
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Dining chairs or stools need not be boring. Here the stools have bronze bases with a woven fabric seat, and is accessorised with a sheepskin- how chic! Again, these natural materials look classy and effortless in front of the wooden cabinets and marble top backsplash.
We can’t all afford brass breakfast stools or marble tops, so here’s a selection of what can be done for less. Click on the images to check them out for yourself- most are less than £100!
Sources, From Top to Bottom:
Title and first image: via Extreme Design
Second image: nix home, via our Pinterest board
Bronze barstools image: home and decor club via our Pinterest board
Do it for less Ideas: Clerkenwell super matt fitted kitchen by Howdens , Marble dining table and velvet barstools are both from Cult Furniture, Ashton wall and ceiling light by Next.