If you’re building a home or considering renovating your current home, then you have a lot of decisions to make regarding its structure. Open plan kitchens have become more popular in recent year. As the kitchen is the center of a home, having an open space is a great option. However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with downsides. Before you make a decision regarding your home’s structure, consider the advantages and disadvantages of this kitchen renovation.
1. Easy Movement and Interaction
An open layout allows you to interact faster and easier with guests and family members in the kitchen. If you have guests over and want to socialize with them while you’re finishing up in the kitchen, you won’t feel left out. This is often a great option when you want the kitchen and living or dining area to flow seamlessly together.
2. Increased Light
One of the biggest changes that you notice in an open kitchen is that your kitchen seems brighter. Walls are going to block the light which is why it’s important to have appropriate lighting in the kitchen. However, an open action kitchen will allow for both natural and artificial light to be present. You can also alter the lighting design in other areas to help illuminate the kitchen and give you more light naturally.
3. Cleanliness
Having an open kitchen doesn’t automatically lead to a cleaner kitchen, but you’ll notice that you have increased visibility. This will make it trickier to ignore dirty dishes and messy countertops. The open plan makes you more of a minimalist in general which can help to decrease clutter and mess naturally. While you may find that this takes some getting used to, most people enjoy that their kitchen looks better throughout the day.
4. Lack of Privacy
Do you ever want to enjoy cooking on your own? Many people find that while they enjoy being social in the kitchen, there are also times when they want to shut out any other noises and just focus on what they’re during. A closed kitchen can allow you to focus on cooking tasks. However, in an open kitchen, you can be distracted by conversations happening in the adjoining room, the television, and any other noises in the area. This, for some, may be a disadvantage.
5. Smells All Around
When you’re cooking something great like fresh cookies, then you probably will enjoy having this scent wafting throughout the house. However, there are probably times when you don’t want smells to go through your home. Have you been cleaning the kitchen with bleach? Chances are that you’ll be able to tell in other rooms as well. Also, any burned food or foods that are stronger-smelling are going to be present throughout the rest of the home. This won’t be as much of a problem in a closed kitchen.
6. Uncontrolled Heat
When you think of ovens and other hot surfaces, you probably know that cooking is going to heat up the room. While having an updated HVAC system usually takes care of this fairly well, what you don’t have a super efficient system? This means that higher temperatures in the cooking kitchen are going to be transferred to the other spaces. In the winter, this may actually be an advantage. However, when you’re dealing with a hot stove on a hot summer day, you may wish that you had a closed kitchen space.
7. Greater Noise
When you’re cooking, you may find that you make a fair amount of noise. From washing dishes to setting the timer for the roast you’re making, kitchens are a surprisingly loud place. Not all of them may be appreciated by family and guests in an open-plan layout. Also, if you’re trying to be quiet in the morning and you have bedrooms close to the kitchen, it may be harder to avoid disturbing people.
All of these advantages and disadvantages of an open plan kitchen don’t necessarily mean that it’s a completely bad or good decision. However, if you’re considering a kitchen remodel, think about how changing your kitchen layout could be a positive or negative factor. Once you have an idea of your priorities, you can make an informed decision.
