How to build an open plan kitchen
Human connection is hugely important. A clever design that merges where people cook with where they eat, sit, work, or chat can be a great way to bring the whole household together.
And if you like to cook for guests, why not cook with them – rather than be in another room while they socialise? An open plan kitchen is a great way to ensure that you’re always part of the action, not just a cook who moonlights as a waiter.
Bottom line: an open plan kitchen opens up a whole new world. A more spacious, stylish and convenient world you can share with your friends and loved ones.
But it takes a lot of thought, time and skill to design a space that really works. Here are five thoughts to consider when designing an open plan kitchen:
What is an open plan kitchen?
Technically speaking, an open plan kitchen is any kitchen that is not walled off from the rest of the house. But a truly successful open plan kitchen is a space that seamlessly ‘connects’ to the rest of the house; a sort of pipe which helps daily life flow.
Oftentimes, this will necessitate a lot more than knocking down a few walls. It will require you to rethink the actual layout of your kitchen. Might an L-shape, a U-shape or a galley work best? To think about where the sunlight tends to fall, how much storage you need, and how people will likely move through, and make use of, the room.
Where to position key elements
When opting for an open plan kitchen, you’re essentially merging multiple rooms into one, so there are additional elements that need to be considered. For example, you don’t want to put the TV near where people will want to study – or the pantry inconveniently far from the fridge. Don’t put a noisy dishwasher right next to a dining table or said table where it might impede an exit. (Or better still, don’t buy a noisy dishwasher in the first place. NEFF dishwashers are so extraordinarily quiet, it can sometimes be hard to believe that they’re even on.)
The all important kitchen island
While, again, every space is different, the best designs often involve a kitchen island. Another essential for an open plan kitchen are kitchen islands. Not only are they a stylish and practical way to separate the living from the cooking areas, they can be a great place to bond with your kids while they tackle their homework, or ‘attend’ a Zoom meeting while you’re making a stew. Or better yet, why not add a sleek NEFF induction cooktop on your kitchen island and open up a generous amount of space for a larger sink or other appliances.
And if you’d like your kitchen island to not have a rangehood hovering overhead, it’s certainly worth checking out the NEFF Vented FlexInduction Cooktop. Thanks to a built-in ventilation system that gets rid of steam and smells before they can spread around the kitchen.
Using flooring to blend and zone
Ripping up and replacing kitchen benches provides a great opportunity to rethink your flooring. The best option may simply be to replicate what you had before, especially if the tiles or floorboards match those in your living room to the whole space together.
But don’t be afraid to create a contrast, and ‘mark off’ the kitchen zone with a change of flooring. Patterned tiles can be a fun addition to what all too often feels like a ‘work’ area, though remember that any selection you make will need to stand up to a great deal of foot traffic and spend some of its life covered in spilled drinks and food.
Let there be (natural) light
Natural light doesn’t always come naturally. To maximise it, you might need some more windows, a few French doors or maybe one or two skylights. Strategically placed mirrors can also help to add dimension and the illusion of more light to a space.
Such additions may seem quite costly at first, but they are nearly always worth it. Natural light is one of the key perks of open plan living: fewer walls by and large tend to mean fewer shadows, lower electric bills, and more serotonin and Vitamin D.
Embrace colour
Open plan kitchens need to be practical – but that doesn’t mean they can’t be cheerful and fun. Different, yet complimentary, colours can be a great way to zone off the different parts of your kitchen.
You might like to choose a neutral tone for most of it (like white, wood, black, or the NEFF graphite grey range for your appliances), then find some stand-out hues so as to make certain ‘zones’ pop.
Invest in appliances you can live with
So just as you wouldn’t spend a fortune renovating your bedroom, and then just decide to make do with a lumpy, old mattress, it makes no sense to economise on the kitchen appliances that will quite literally form the key part of your daily cooking.
For starters, we recommend snapping up this built-in fully automatic coffee machine. Not only does it look sleek and beautiful, and make coffee that tastes even better, it grinds and brews both quickly and quietly. Pre-set your favourite coffee so suit your tastebuds and make your open plan kitchen the perfect place for your morning routine or to host coffee catch ups.
And while you’re at it, why not streamline your bench space by exploring the option of an oven with built-in microwave functionality. Exquisite to look at and easy to use, the elegant range of built-in microwaves tick all the boxes.
Have we got your creative juices flowing? Then click here to find out about other NEFF oven features.
You can attend a free NEFF demonstration near you to learn more about the full range of NEFF products and see these in person for yourself to best understand how they can bring your dream kitchen to life.
About NEFF
NEFF is a German-engineered kitchen appliance brand, with a product range that includes ovens, cooktops, rangehoods, coffee machines and dishwashers designed to make life in the kitchen a daily pleasure. For people who love to cook, NEFF gives you the tools to create meaningful connections, express your creativity and make memories. Because real life happens in the kitchen.
Learn more about NEFF here.