The kitchen is the heart of the home so by creating an open plan area that combines the dynamics of cooking, eating and living, adds real value – not just in terms of monetary worth, but in terms of quality time too. Whether a small breakfast bar in a W1 pied à terre or a 12-seater table in a cavernous loft apartment, it’s a space that will be used from breakfast through suppertime and beyond and one which feels distinctly more contemporary and urban than a formal dining room.
In the zone:-
Think carefully about where to define your areas of activity. You don’t want guests in your way while you’re preparing food but you do still need to be able clink glasses with them. The kitchen island is a good way of naturally dividing the space and if you choose one with a tall backsplash (which can also support a breakfast bar) it’ll hide the preparation clutter and dirty dishes too.
Try to position the eating area as close to natural light as possible. If you live in a house the optimal view is over the garden. If budget allows you could open up your kitchen to the outside space by installing French windows or floor to ceiling glass – a dramatic contemporary statement. If you live in a flat position your table next to a window. If your kitchen/diner is big enough to allow for a separate ‘living area’ try to anchor this space with a focal point such as a fireplace or sofa and coffee table. If space is more limited you could introduce a nook or alcove to the plans. This is a great way of creating a little privacy in an otherwise busy room – ideal for homework, office work, reading or chatting on the phone.
However you arrange the room just make sure that people at the table can pull their chairs back freely and have room to move around without traversing obstacles.
The rules of light:-
In the kitchen/diner you can reinforce the notion of separate ‘zones’ with distinct lighting for each of the areas, for example in the cooking and preparation area of the kitchen you’ll need task lighting. You can also adjust track lights to illuminate a particular area and angle spot lights over say, a painting. In the dining area low-hanging pendants on dimmer switches will create atmosphere, particularly if combined with low-level lighting. If there’s an area that’s often used for reading or working, a funky anglepoise lamp will work perfectly.
Style advice:-
This is the area of your home with the highest footfall and passing traffic so it needs to be easy to keep clean, particularly if you have children. Use paints which are wipeable and if your chairs are upholstered make sure the covers can be easily removed and washed. Steer clear of carpets – where lots of food is being served the inevitable spillages will happen. And try to harmonise the styling of the kitchen and eating areas. The rustic Tuscan themed dining area will jar unhappily with an industrial stainless steel kitchen, but add a glass table and white leather chairs to the mix and it’ll work perfectly.
The air we breathe:-
The smell of cooking is delicious in the kitchen but not so great in the bedroom so to prevent odours wafting from your open-plan into other areas of your home you’ll need effective ventilation ducted through the roof or exterior wall. A cooker hood with a strong extractor fan is an essential investment.
Declutterbug:-
If you’re knocking a wall down to create a new space you might have to sacrifice some high level cupboard space. If so choose an island or a peninsula which can offer up valuable cupboard and drawer storage. Do bear in mind that in the open-plan space all your clutter, preparation, utensils and foodstuffs are in full view of your guests so be ruthless with what what’s allowed worktop residency.
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In the zone:-
Think carefully about where to define your areas of activity. You don’t want guests in your way while you’re preparing food but you do still need to be able clink glasses with them. The kitchen island is a good way of naturally dividing the space and if you choose one with a tall backsplash (which can also support a breakfast bar) it’ll hide the preparation clutter and dirty dishes too.
Try to position the eating area as close to natural light as possible. If you live in a house the optimal view is over the garden. If budget allows you could open up your kitchen to the outside space by installing French windows or floor to ceiling glass – a dramatic contemporary statement. If you live in a flat position your table next to a window. If your kitchen/diner is big enough to allow for a separate ‘living area’ try to anchor this space with a focal point such as a fireplace or sofa and coffee table. If space is more limited you could introduce a nook or alcove to the plans. This is a great way of creating a little privacy in an otherwise busy room – ideal for homework, office work, reading or chatting on the phone.
However you arrange the room just make sure that people at the table can pull their chairs back freely and have room to move around without traversing obstacles.
The rules of light:-
Style advice:-
This is the area of your home with the highest footfall and passing traffic so it needs to be easy to keep clean, particularly if you have children. Use paints which are wipeable and if your chairs are upholstered make sure the covers can be easily removed and washed. Steer clear of carpets – where lots of food is being served the inevitable spillages will happen. And try to harmonise the styling of the kitchen and eating areas. The rustic Tuscan themed dining area will jar unhappily with an industrial stainless steel kitchen, but add a glass table and white leather chairs to the mix and it’ll work perfectly.
The air we breathe:-
The smell of cooking is delicious in the kitchen but not so great in the bedroom so to prevent odours wafting from your open-plan into other areas of your home you’ll need effective ventilation ducted through the roof or exterior wall. A cooker hood with a strong extractor fan is an essential investment.
Declutterbug:-
If you’re knocking a wall down to create a new space you might have to sacrifice some high level cupboard space. If so choose an island or a peninsula which can offer up valuable cupboard and drawer storage. Do bear in mind that in the open-plan space all your clutter, preparation, utensils and foodstuffs are in full view of your guests so be ruthless with what what’s allowed worktop residency.
www.jaipurpropertyclub.com
Tweet
blog directory
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