Open-plan & eat-in kitchens

Open-plan kitchens, where the kitchen, dining area and living room share the same space, are hugely popular. If you're looking for ideas and tips for open-plan kitchens, you'll find them here.

Planning & design of open-plan kitchens Make the kitchen a living space Ideas for an open-plan kitchen Creating a modern kitchen experience

Content

At a glance

An open-plan kitchen makes the living space appear more spacious
This type of kitchen also creates a setting conducive to communication
Freestanding cooking islands with a hob or sink are a popular design element in open-plan kitchens
As well as choosing suitable and functional kitchen furniture, good lighting is important

Planning & design of open-plan kitchens

The open-plan kitchen with a bar or built-in dining area is a popular choice. It comes with numerous benefits and can be beautifully implemented with the right planning. Are you looking for planning and design ideas for your open-plan kitchen or eat-in kitchen? We'll show you how you can turn your dream home into reality.

Initial considerations when kitchen planning

The advantages of open-plan kitchens

Coordinated taps and fittings for the open-plan kitchen

Creating a coherent furnishing concept

Make the kitchen a living space

In the past, the kitchen was the room where people cooked. Today, kitchens also serve as a social hub. The trend is towards cooking together with family or a partner. An open-plan kitchen with an island offers plenty of space for this and you won’t get in each other's way when preparing food! And if you are concocting meals on your own, you can always keep an eye on your children as they play. Unsurprisingly the eat-in kitchen is also fondly known as a family kitchen, the heart of the home.

Do you like to invite friends round for dinner? An open-plan kitchen is ideal for this - whether you’re planning a delicious evening meal, a cosy coffee party or a kitchen party! Your favourite people can keep you company and chat with you as you prepare the dishes. The kitchen becomes a vibrant living area.

Creating the right atmosphere

For you to feel comfortable in your open-plan kitchen, you need to create the right atmosphere. To achieve a well-balanced overall look, it’s important for the open-plan kitchen to coordinate with your living room. Or you can be creative with the colour scheme. Open-plan kitchens are usually flooded with light, so furniture in darker colours is often used. You can introduce some industrial chic with concrete worktops and matching metallic accessories. However, warm wood colours and pastel shades are also popular in modern kitchens.

The floor covering also plays a role. While some opt for vinyl flooring, others choose floor tiles. These are robust and easy to clean. Villeroy & Boch offers a wide selection of tasteful kitchen tiles that set the tone in the room.

Cook and enjoy together

A living space with an open-plan kitchen is a wonderful way to spend time with family or friends while doing what you need to do in the kitchen. Afterwards, everyone can enjoy a delicious meal together at the beautifully laid dining table. If your open-plan kitchen with living area is rather small, a bar counter is an alternative. This is also a great place to dine.

Tip

Regardless of size, an open kitchen with a counter invites people to chat and interact. Various activities can take place here in this inviting, modern, open-plan living environment, and are no longer confined to separate rooms.

Ideas for an open-plan kitchen

A modern, open-plan kitchen-diner doesn't need a lot of space. You should estimate a floor area of around 30-40 square metres. If you only have a small space available for your open-plan kitchen, adapt the furniture to the available space. Otherwise, you have a wide range of design options: everything is possible, from one- and two-module kitchen designs to G-shaped kitchens or L- and U-shaped kitchens.

Creating a link to the living space

Besides cooking, you will be spending your days in your open-plan kitchen/living room. To make your kitchen feel homely, the shapes, colours, and materials should be coordinated. This will help you perceive the open-plan kitchen as a functional extension of the living space, and not as an out-of-place feature.

Also plan enough storage space to keep your work surface tidy. The advantage of an open-plan kitchen with a counter is that the hob disappears behind it, as does any dirty crockery! This means that they are no longer visible from the dining area and the kitchen/living room always looks tidy.

Incorporating a cooking island and kitchen counter

An open-plan kitchen with an island has its own appeal. The free-standing working and cooking area can be arranged in a single line or in an L-shape. Depending on the model, the kitchen island can also include a hob and sink. However, there needs to be enough room for a kitchen island. In smaller rooms where an open-plan kitchen is to be included, it makes sense to install a kitchen counter to eat at, instead of a kitchen island for washing up or cooking. Tip: When planning the kitchen island, remember that you will need connections to the water and electricity supplies nearby.

U-shaped kitchens are inviting

Do you have a large room and are thinking about installing a U-shaped kitchen? That’s a great idea, as it will offer plenty of worktop and storage space, and will feel very inviting. The interior section of the U should provide at least two metres’ clearance so that you can easily open drawers and cupboard doors. It is also important to ensure that the work areas are as close together as possible. If you plan the kitchen sink in front of the window, you can make the most of the daylight to wash dishes and perform other tasks. A kitchen island can also be incorporated if you have an elongated floor plan. Alternatively, one of the kitchen modules can extend into the room for use as a counter.

Creating a modern kitchen experience

An open-plan kitchen or eat-in kitchen combines a kitchen and a living area. The kitchen is open-plan and flows seamlessly into the dining and living area. Open-plan kitchens create a communicative atmosphere and are ideal if you like to chat with family or guests, or supervise children while cooking.

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