Open up your kitchen and give yourself a stunning free-flow living space which will bring light and air to your home. Gone are the days of separate dining areas and formal living rooms. The 21st century house is a much more open plan affair. Advances in insulation, double glazing, and central heating means that homes are warmer than ever before, and it is now possible to have an open plan house without the bills costing you a fortune. Our way of life has changed significantly over the last few decades, many families now include two parents who work full time, and the desire to spend non-working hours in the home has never been greater. By opening up your kitchen and integrating it into the rest of your house, it is now possible to interact with your family from the moment you walk in. Of course, extractor fans have also been instrumental in the popularity of the open plan kitchen. A century ago it was often essential to keep food smells away from fine clothes. Now, however, with the advent of extractor fans, it is possible to cook even the most pungent of foods and still have the aroma removed from the area within minutes. Open plan kitchens are also perfect for entertaining, you need never abandon your guests as you finish preparing their meal, and as for the best parties beginning in the kitchen? Now they can flow through the whole house. So what are the best features to include when you design your perfect open plan kitchen? Here are our top tips to help you on your way

1. Define Your Areas

   No matter how you look at it, your kitchen is first and foremost a food preparation area. This is something you need to bear in mind if you have, or are likely to have, young children. Kitchens contain a million fascinating and interesting things to do, like pouring crunchy cornflakes on to the floor and emptying the contents of the cleaning cupboard into the dog bowl. If you’d rather this didn’t happen to you, it may be worth designing your kitchen in such a way that it can be shut off from the rest on the living space with a childproof gate. A peninsula unit is a great way of sectioning the majority of the kitchen from the rest of the living space, without spoiling the free-flow design.

2. Choose Units Which Make Your Kitchen Work for You

   There are a large number of people who now work from home. If you are expanding your kitchen into your study area, why not consider choosing units which will work equally well in a home office? Alternatively, if you are likely to need to change the arrangement of your living space at some point in the future, why not opt for free-standing units, and leave your options open.

3. Take the Opportunity to Re-plan Your Space

   It is likely that, if you are altering your kitchen to become an open plan living space, you will be removing walls. This may be a good time to re-think the layout of your home. If your kitchen would fit better in another area of the house, now would be a perfect time to move it. Don’t be afraid to discuss this with your builder, most kitchen relocations simply require minor adjustments to the plumbing and electrics.

4. Consider an Island Unit

   One disadvantage of opening up the house in this manner is that you invariably lose the wall space on which to hang cupboards. An island unit will not only gain you cupboard space, but will also provide you with fabulous additional work space.

5. Take the Time to Plan

   The beauty of open plan living is that there are no hard and fast rules. Life should just flow, so the kitchen will naturally flow into the dining area with the sitting area beyond. As with everything in life, this will all look effortless, but only if you plan it to be that way. One of the best pieces of advice we can offer is plan your design and then step away for it for at least 48 hours (preferably a week) and look again. You’ll be surprised at how many tweaks you wish to make.

6. Co-Ordinate

   Take time when selecting your furnishings. Co-ordinating furnishings can really help to make the whole area flow, an ultra-modern kitchen with a farmhouse dining table and high backed sofa may work for you, but it’s never going to win any style awards. On the other hand, a space age kitchen with a glass table and black leather sofa could look incredibly stylish. Add a splash of colour which runs through each area and you will bring your areas together nicely.

7. Choose integrated appliances

   It may seem a strange thing to say, but given that you’ve just opened up your living space to include the kitchen, the next thing you’re probably going to want to do is hide it. Opening up your kitchen is about making life easier, not advertising your dishwasher. Consider using built-in appliances, and why not think about having an island unit with a raised breakfast bar? This style of unit is great for concealing dirty dishes when you have guests.

8. Choose Your Lighting Carefully

   Your kitchen is not going to blend into the rest of your home if you have it lit like a supermarket aisle. Choose practical lighting for when you are cooking, and install mood lighting with a dimmer switch to add ambience to dinner parties.

Whatever you do, remember that above all else, this is your home and you want to live in it. While it is possible to create a room that looks like it’s been pulled from the pages of a glossy magazine, you are far better to create a space which works for you.