As the place where you make your favourite meals, your kitchen should bring you joy. An open-plan or open-concept kitchen can be the main ingredient for better cooking. This layout has become a popular trend over the years for good reason. It's all about space - space to cook, space to entertain, and space for your family to just be. Explore the benefits of a kitchen design that will make the heart of your home feel modern and fresh.
What are open-plan kitchens?
As its name suggests, an open-plan kitchen has few or even no interior walls. Often, the kitchen's plan flows out into the dining room or lounge areas. The result is one great space where divisions are removed. In recent years, this design trend has gained momentum in new development homes and apartments.
Benefits of open-plan kitchens
Whether you're searching for a new property or considering a remodel of your kitchen, the open-plan design has many pros. These kitchens will transform your living space into a hive of activity and an essential feature of your property.
1. Make interactions easy: Without walls and doors, open-plan kitchens allow family members and guests to interact freely. You can entertain or join in a conversation while cooking. If your kitchen features a long countertop with bar stools, people can even assist in the cooking or chat with you. Plus, it allows you to monitor children or keep track of your surroundings while you prepare a meal in a bustling kitchen.
2. Maximise your space: An open-plan kitchen, like all open-plan designs, creates an open area that can make your home feel spacious. This is helpful if you live in a smaller home. Without the separation, you'll have more room to work and play. And if you do need to create a divide, clever positioning of furniture can help. Or, you can opt for an open-plan kitchen with bifold doors to get the best of both worlds.
3. Let in light and air: Another advantage is that open-plan kitchens create a wide space that lets in more natural light and air. Besides making your home feel bigger and brighter, you can also save on utility costs. You may need fewer lamps and air conditioning units to keep the entire space lit and ventilated.
4. Create a multifunctional space: Your open-concept kitchen offers the opportunity for your living space to cater for multiple purposes. Instead of a formal dining room you may never use, open-plan kitchens can be the place you serve meals, hang out, or entertain. And with more space to play around with, your kitchen can even double up as a laundry room.
5. Reduce your chore time: By creating a better flow between spaces, it can make errands simpler. Whether you're sorting out laundry or presenting a meal to guests, there are fewer doors to open or walls to sidestep. Simply enjoy a seamless movement from one area to the next.
6. Embrace neater habits: With dirty dishes and sticky surfaces in the full glare of you, your family, and your visitors, this kitchen type can inspire cleanliness. Instead of closing the door on messes, open-plan kitchens can make you work harder to keep them clean and looking beautiful.
7. Get a higher return on investment: Because free-flowing kitchens are popular, they can help you sell or let out your property. These kitchens offer an appealing unified overall design where design accents can flow from one space to another. Plus, all the other wonderful benefits mentioned above.
Find your dream kitchen
There's a definite swing to kitchens that create a seamless and social living experience. At Century 21 Sandton, we have a keen eye for finding properties in Johannesburg with trending features. View our properties for sale or properties to let, and you're sure to find the open-plan kitchen that fits your unique needs.