Open plan kitchen ideas

© Chris Snook

Open plan kitchens have long been a popular choice for modern homes for their airy feel and their ability to create more sociable spaces for household members. We’re exploring what exactly open plan kitchens are, why they’re so popular and we’ll also be using our free AI Scrapbook tool to show you how you can visualise your own open kitchen transformed into a brand new design in seconds.

Benefits of open plan kitchens

• Sociable space in the home: Open plan kitchens are a fantastic way to bring all members of your household together in one area whether you’re on cooking, homework, work or chilling duty.
• Enhanced natural light: Because open plan kitchens reduce walls and barriers between kitchen and living spaces, the amount of natural light that enters the space is unobscured and enhanced. This, in turn, can emphasise the sense of spaciousness in your open plan kitchen.
• Boost property value: Open plan kitchens are a highly sought-after feature for potential homebuyers. When we asked over 2,000 what they would spend a given £10,000 on in their homes, the majority of people opted for their kitchen (specifically open-plan kitchens). Given this logic, adding an open plan kitchen to your home is likely to increase the property’s value for the long term.

Open plan kitchen layouts

There are a range of different open plan kitchen layouts that you can choose from to suit your space. Here are just a few of the most popular styles:

• The kitchen island: Introducing a kitchen island into the centre of your open plan kitchen is a great way of creating a focal space in the room which is perfect for families who love to dine together or enthusiastic home cooks who love having friends around for dinner. Aesthetics aside, a craftily designed kitchen island can be the answer to your storage woes, create additional seating for when you have guests around and even double them up as a WFH desk. Kitchen island layouts are typically more suited to large kitchens with plenty of available space.

© Veronica Rodriguez

• L-shaped Kitchen: L-shaped kitchens connect both cupboard and apliance surfaces in – you guessed it – an L shape. It tends to be a great option for smaller kitchens where space is at a premium and you need to maximise the little storage or preparation space you have.
• U-shaped Kitchen: If you follow the same logic as the L-shaped kitchen, you should be able to envisage a U-shaped open plan kitchen. U-shaped kitchen layouts are practical and efficient, providing plenty of room to move around in.

To learn more about different kitchen layouts and how to choose the best one for your home, read this article.

Handy open plan kitchen features

Open plan kitchen designs can offer the opportunity for introducing plenty of nifty features into your space that are guaranteed to boost the room’s functionality. Here are just a few to consider including if you’re looking to transform your kitchen space:

• Clever storage solutions: Open plan kitchens without adequate storage are at risk of quickly beginning to appear cluttered as there’s very little room to hide in such an airy space. We recommend speaking to your designer or architect about including smart storage solutions like pull out drawers and appliances built into cabinets. In addition to this, we recommend a good old-fashioned clear out of anything you no longer need.
• Kitchen islands: As we’ve touched on before, kitchen islands can be a real asset to household members’ lives. Not only do they offer up the opportunity for smart storage, a social space and extra seats – they’re also the perfect desk to work from home on and can even be tactically placed to create a gentle sense of separation between different zones (this is sometimes referred to as ‘broken plan living’).
• Lighting: Any room can be made more exciting by choosing the right lighting for it. In open plan kitchens, you can afford to get pretty creative with the type of lighting you choose for the space. Pendant lighting over a kitchen island, for example, can create a warm ambience that’s perfect for cosy dinner times once you’ve put the kids to bed. Spotlights, on the flip side, offer a practical and targeted stream of light that’s perfect for tasks like chopping, peeling or even de-boning a fish – depending on how confident a cook you are!

Your kitchen, transformed

Using our free AI Scrapbook tool, you can take real images from your own open plan kitchen and reimagine the space in a completely different style. We’ve shared real-life images from the Resi project portfolio below so you can get a feel for what it does.

From this:
© Chris Snook
To this:

From this:
© Chris Snook
To this:

If you’re looking for inspiration for your home renovation, try out the AI Scrapbook tool for yourself today (and don’t worry, it’s totally free!). Alternatively, book a free advice call with one of our experts to discuss your ideas.