Open kitchens: the pros and cons!

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Modernisierung einer 70er-Jahre-Villa, Dr. Schmitz-Riol Planungsgesellschaft mbH Dr. Schmitz-Riol Planungsgesellschaft mbH Kitchen
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Open-plan homes are so in right now but how do they really work, in terms of modern, stylish and usable kitchens? One of the busiest rooms in your home, a kitchen naturally houses a lot of people and activity while also creating odours and steam, so how will all of that translate into a wider and totally open area? Contemporary interior designers are huge fans of the open trend, so they MUST work, but we need to find out all about the pros and cons of this idea, so let's get educated!

Pro: they make great use of the space.

This one is a given. If you have an open home, you will be able to design a fabulous kitchen with very few limitations. Choose a spot that makes the most sense and you'll be able to enjoy a seriously custom design that works with the wider room.

Pro: they encourage communication and interaction.

An open home is a communicative one and given how many people naturally gravitate towards the kitchen area, you'll be bale to enjoy regular company as you slave over the stove. That's never a bad thing!

Pro: they naturally look luxurious.

Have you ever noticed that the larger and more open a room is, the more luxurious and expensive it feels? We have and that's another massive pro point for an open kitchen design. Talk about serious bragging points.

Pro: they give you plenty of storage options.

The larger the space you have to play with, the more creative and unique you can get with your storage options! Want a vintage sideboard to come into play? That's not possible in a fabulous built-in kitchen, but in an open design, it's a piece of cake!

Pro: they work in any size.

Even if you only have a small room to play with, such as a studio apartment, an open kitchen will look amazing. You simply just scale back the number of cupboards and get clever with your appliance selections and you still have style on tap!

Con: they can resonate a lot of smells.

Kitchens are a naturally odour-filled space, we all know that and though a tasty spaghetti bolognese always makes out mouths water, we know we wouldn't want our sofa cushions to smell of garlic for weeks to come!

Con: there's no privacy.

A little company can be fun in the kitchen but if you're trying to concentrate on a really touch to follow recipe, you might not love the fact that you can't just shut everyone out for a few hours. Peace and quiet is a good thing when you are trying to master something!

Con: they need to be kept far more tidy.

In an open home, a messy kitchen will be a real drag! All eyes will be drawn to piles of dirty dishes, badly stored food packets and cookware, so you need to stay on top of the cleaning and organizing and we all know that here is no fun to be had with cleaning every single day!

Con: floor maintenance will be more intensive.

An open home always sees a lot more traffic, as people feel less constrained to certain areas and meander more. The problem with that is the fact that your floors will need extra care, cleaning and maintaining! Chore!

In conclusion…

If you don't mind the idea of a loud, pungent and sociable kitchen being part of your home, you should definitely consider an open design. If, however, you know that a little privacy goes a long way with you and that cooking odours drive you insane, step away from the open design drawings! Both open and traditional kitchens look wonderful, so it does come down to your personal preference! 

For a little more open home thought, take a look at this article: Open-plan designs that will have you knocking out walls today!

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