Ultimately, what matters is that the kitchen and dining (and/or living) room become one space, eliminating possible barriers
Do you like the open space image? Is your kitchen or living room small? Do you imagine doing open space, but have doubts? In my opinion, this solution responds mainly to the dynamic that has been observed, both of family and guests, when they come to our home. The habit of the kitchen being full of people, sometimes snacking, sometimes helping, is, in fact, the result of this space being, more and more, a living room, meeting room or social room.

First of all, it is necessary to understand that this term means that kitchen and living room are part of the same room. This has been a very common trend, and is increasingly gaining more space and appreciation.

The first advantage of this layout is related to space optimization, especially when we are talking about compromised spaces by their areas. The fact that we are literally opening up these rooms, immediately expands and frees up the environment. This arrangement generates a much more airy, lighted, and even informal atmosphere. Another advantage is the ease of socializing, interacting, and communicating, whether with family or even at dinner parties with friends and/or guests.

As there is no beauty without a catch, if you have the habit of tidying up the kitchen later, remember that now the mess will be much more exposed, which “will force a more immediate tidying up.

However, another disadvantage and perhaps the most annoying is associated with smells and noises, since the kitchen is fully exposed. Although it is an excellent solution for people who are not in the habit of cooking, or even cooking meals at home, it is inevitable to control smells with the best hood.

Besides the pros and cons, when assuming that you are going to opt for an open space, it is important to keep several points in mind, such as prioritizing furniture that contains storage, so that we don’t have brooms and buckets in sight. It is also important that the image is identical in both spaces. So, if you imagine having a futuristic kitchen and a living room with older pieces, you have to think very carefully so that the final result is pleasant and inviting. In terms of walls and ceilings, you should combine the colors of the two spaces in order to create division or continuity. If you don’t feel comfortable combining several colors, if you don’t want to risk too much, opt for only three colors that you can easily harmonize between the kitchen and the living room. The ideal is to coordinate a warm, a cool, and a neutral color.

Basically, what matters is that the kitchen and the dining (and/or living) room become a single space, eliminating possible barriers. The challenge is great, but pleasurable, since at the same time we create fluidity between the living room and the kitchen, we have to separate them through distinct details, such as an island in the kitchen, or a table, which connects both sides, or even with different colors on the kitchen wall and a wallpaper in the living room.

Think carefully about your needs, weigh up the pros and cons of each kitchen style, and get inspired!