The great thing about working with kitchens is that they are incredibly diverse.
There are so many different kitchen designs and they all offer a different dimension to your home. Open plan kitchens allow you to have more open space whereas a close kitchen can often work well in a larger property. You can buy replacement kitchen doors for both open and closed kitchen designs however the style that you choose can have a big bearing on how good your kitchen actually looks.
What we want to explore is whether or not open-plan kitchens are still stylish. They may have seen a drop in popularity in recent years however there are still many homes that make use of an open planned design.
So, what is an open plan kitchen and are they still en vogue? The Kitchen Warehouse team have taken a look.
Why Did Open Plan Kitchens Become Popular?
Open plan kitchens started to really hit the mainstream in terms of being fashionable roughly 20 years ago.
The reason was that more people were spending time at home. Cooking and preparing food was no longer seen as a private affair. A separate kitchen and dining room was a pretty standard set up for most homes however it created a disjointed feel to the flow of the home. Open plan kitchens came in and changed all this. They opened up the home and allowed a single space for cooking, cleaning and eating.
It also meant that families could spend time together in one place. The kitchen became an integral component of family life where everyone could eat with one another and it played a big role in boosting family life.
How Are They Useful For Your Home?
Open planned living removed the formality of meal times. It created a relaxed and informal atmosphere where meals could be prepared quickly and eaten in the one space which reflected the fast-paced environment of modern life.
In the UK property space is a premium commodity. Our homes tend to be smaller than in many other countries due to our cramped cities so an open plan kitchen allows a home to feel a lot bigger than it is. Open plan kitchens are also a great way to promote social living. Instead of one person cooking in one room and the rest of the family sitting in another, it allows everyone to be together. In fact, open plan kitchens make cooking and serving much easier as well as it negates the need to carry food etc… to different rooms throughout the house.
Aside from the practical aspects of an open plan design, it is also a good way to keep an eye on all the family, especially young children. 
The Merits Of Closed Kitchens
That being said, not everyone agrees with the advantages of open plan kitchens. They have slightly fallen in popularity in recent years and closed kitchens have made a comeback.
Closed kitchens cut down on cooking spells. In an open plan design, the smell of food can waft through the rest of the home and this can be particularly problematic in the winter time where you can’t open windows as often. One of the other issues with open plan kitchens is the noise and this is where closed kitchens have an advantage. Cooking and preparing food can be a noisy affair and if everyone is in the same space then the noise levels can really rise which can actually make cooking harder. There is also an issue of privacy. Someone people like cooking on their own without any distractions and this can be somewhat difficult when it comes to an open plan design. Closed kitchen architecture has a better set up if you want some privacy in the kitchen.
A closed kitchen design also looks a lot neater than an open planned style. Open spaces tend to look messier and if tidiness is something that you crave then a closed kitchen may be more suitable for your home.
Open Plan Kitchens Comeback
The majority of people still seem to move towards an open plan layout. While it does have its drawbacks such as a lack of privacy, noise issues and can be troublesome when it comes to cooking smells a closed kitchen doesn’t seem to fit in with our fast-paced and sociable lives. Open plan kitchens have the edge of their closed counterparts for couples and families because it allows everyone to be in the same space and actively encourages family life in a way that just isn’t possible with a closed kitchen design.
More new builds are coming with open plan kitchen designs than ever before. In fact, a poll recently showed an overwhelming majority of people preferred an open style even with the slight drawbacks that it can have.
So, what do you think? Are open-plan kitchens making a comeback? Would you prefer a closed or open plan kitchen?
We would love to hear your comments on the issue so let us know what would work best in your home, or get in touch today by visiting our contact us page or by calling us on 01765 640 000.
