Hello!
Actually... we have already decided how our kitchen will connect to the dining area. But who knows, maybe you have some ultimate tips or ideas
Our kitchen and the living room’s dining area will be adjacent. The shared wall (if it were to be built) would be 3.50 m wide (11.5 ft).
There are basically two extremes:
1. Closed kitchen, meaning just a regular door.
+ no kitchen smells or fewer in the living space
+ no distracting view (for example, when guests come, they won’t see the kitchen mess)
+ more wall space, so more room for kitchen cabinets
- whoever is in the kitchen is basically out of the action (our space isn’t enough for an open-plan kitchen with dining table)
- the living area feels smaller
2. Fully open kitchen, e.g. with a countertop or stove facing the dining area
+ looks nicer, more spacious
+ sometimes shorter distances (just handing over food, no constant running through a small door when clearing the table)
- smell issues
- sometimes visually distracting (see above)
We have now settled on a compromise: a sliding door will separate the kitchen and dining area, and so it can stay open permanently, it will slide into wall pockets on the left and right. That way, about half the width is usually open but can be closed if needed. The only downside is that we lose space for countertops and cabinets in the kitchen. With two windows and the door to the hallway, the walls are quite tight already...
What do you think about this solution? Are there any brilliant ideas we haven’t considered yet?
Thanks and best regards,
Christiane
Actually... we have already decided how our kitchen will connect to the dining area. But who knows, maybe you have some ultimate tips or ideas
Our kitchen and the living room’s dining area will be adjacent. The shared wall (if it were to be built) would be 3.50 m wide (11.5 ft).
There are basically two extremes:
1. Closed kitchen, meaning just a regular door.
+ no kitchen smells or fewer in the living space
+ no distracting view (for example, when guests come, they won’t see the kitchen mess)
+ more wall space, so more room for kitchen cabinets
- whoever is in the kitchen is basically out of the action (our space isn’t enough for an open-plan kitchen with dining table)
- the living area feels smaller
2. Fully open kitchen, e.g. with a countertop or stove facing the dining area
+ looks nicer, more spacious
+ sometimes shorter distances (just handing over food, no constant running through a small door when clearing the table)
- smell issues
- sometimes visually distracting (see above)
We have now settled on a compromise: a sliding door will separate the kitchen and dining area, and so it can stay open permanently, it will slide into wall pockets on the left and right. That way, about half the width is usually open but can be closed if needed. The only downside is that we lose space for countertops and cabinets in the kitchen. With two windows and the door to the hallway, the walls are quite tight already...
What do you think about this solution? Are there any brilliant ideas we haven’t considered yet?
Thanks and best regards,
Christiane
Personally, I would never choose an open kitchen, because especially when you have guests or are cooking particularly strong-smelling dishes, it’s very convenient to be able to separate the dining and cooking areas. The idea of a sliding door is not bad. Why do you need two windows in the kitchen?
Hi,
One side faces south and also towards the street and the access path to the house. So, it’s the area you’d like to keep an eye on, plus the kitchen gets plenty of southern sun.
The other side faces east, and I just love the morning sun. When you shuffle into the kitchen half asleep in the morning and the first rays of sun are already breaking through the roller shutter... that always puts me in a better mood.
With the sliding door that recesses into the wall, it’s inconvenient that about half the wall width is needed to house the door. In theory, there are also sliding doors that slide into or in front of each other, like many shower doors. But the ones we’ve found so far are just too expensive...
Regards,
Christiane
One side faces south and also towards the street and the access path to the house. So, it’s the area you’d like to keep an eye on, plus the kitchen gets plenty of southern sun.
The other side faces east, and I just love the morning sun. When you shuffle into the kitchen half asleep in the morning and the first rays of sun are already breaking through the roller shutter... that always puts me in a better mood.
With the sliding door that recesses into the wall, it’s inconvenient that about half the wall width is needed to house the door. In theory, there are also sliding doors that slide into or in front of each other, like many shower doors. But the ones we’ve found so far are just too expensive...
Regards,
Christiane
Hello Azalee,
this is a matter of personal lifestyle choices that everyone should decide for themselves.
I personally prefer an open kitchen design, what Dr. Alfred Bioleck calls a post-cocile kitchen. The cook faces beyond the stove towards the people, meaning the dining area. This has the great advantage that the cook is not isolated and can continue to interact with guests sitting at the dining table while cooking.
For our house, we planned and implemented it as follows:
Open kitchen (approx. 2.75 x 3.50 m [9.0 x 11.5 ft]) with adjoining dining area (approx. 4.00 x 4.75 m [13.1 x 15.6 ft]). Here, we have a large dining table (1.00 x 2.20 m [3.3 x 7.2 ft]) with seating for about 8 people. From the dining area, there is an open passageway (approx. 2.00 m [6.6 ft]) leading to the adjacent living room.
I don’t find kitchen smells unpleasant; rather, they tend to stimulate my appetite, especially with a nice glass of wine. But as I said, it’s all a matter of personal opinion.
Best regards,
Danton
this is a matter of personal lifestyle choices that everyone should decide for themselves.
I personally prefer an open kitchen design, what Dr. Alfred Bioleck calls a post-cocile kitchen. The cook faces beyond the stove towards the people, meaning the dining area. This has the great advantage that the cook is not isolated and can continue to interact with guests sitting at the dining table while cooking.
For our house, we planned and implemented it as follows:
Open kitchen (approx. 2.75 x 3.50 m [9.0 x 11.5 ft]) with adjoining dining area (approx. 4.00 x 4.75 m [13.1 x 15.6 ft]). Here, we have a large dining table (1.00 x 2.20 m [3.3 x 7.2 ft]) with seating for about 8 people. From the dining area, there is an open passageway (approx. 2.00 m [6.6 ft]) leading to the adjacent living room.
I don’t find kitchen smells unpleasant; rather, they tend to stimulate my appetite, especially with a nice glass of wine. But as I said, it’s all a matter of personal opinion.
Best regards,
Danton
Hm... actually, we also prefer the open design. We would only want to close the sliding door in "emergencies," just to have the feeling of being secure...
Could a raised type of pass-through prevent direct sight into the kitchen? So that the actual opening is only the width of a standard door?
Could a raised type of pass-through prevent direct sight into the kitchen? So that the actual opening is only the width of a standard door?
Hello Azalee,
what dimensions are planned for the actual kitchen and the dining area?
And the questions are: Should no one be able to look into the kitchen, and why? The kitchen is, after all, a workspace where things can sometimes be left out.
Do you want to make life unnecessarily difficult by blocking free pathways?
In smaller rooms, partitions make the space feel even smaller. An open-plan kitchen with generous space doesn’t resemble that at all.
Regards, Danton
what dimensions are planned for the actual kitchen and the dining area?
And the questions are: Should no one be able to look into the kitchen, and why? The kitchen is, after all, a workspace where things can sometimes be left out.
Do you want to make life unnecessarily difficult by blocking free pathways?
In smaller rooms, partitions make the space feel even smaller. An open-plan kitchen with generous space doesn’t resemble that at all.
Regards, Danton
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