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Design ideas for small, open-plan kitchens
An open-plan kitchen is one which is more of a kitchen ‘space’ within a larger multi-purpose room, as opposed to a single room dedicated entirely to the kitchen. Though the phrase may bring to mind images of expansive kitchens in large country homes, the open-plan kitchen is not unattainable in smaller properties, whether you are living in a cottage, flat or a pokey London terrace with meagre proportions. Not only does it help to achieve the much-sought-after airy feel, but it allows you to be cooking in the kitchen while also hosting guests, watching over children or even tuning in to whatever is playing on the TV.
Where space is tight, it must be used very wisely. Every nook and cranny can serve a purpose: disused chimney breasts are a very useful spot for a range cooker, while alcoves and corners can be enhanced by either freestanding storage or a built-in breakfast nook. You may need to give up on the idea of a central island, replacing it instead with a dining table which can serve both purposes.
In terms of layout, it is important to clearly define the different ‘zones’ in an open-plan room. Furniture and textiles can be a great way to draw boundaries between these areas. For example, put a sofa between the kitchen-cum-dining area and the sitting area to separate them out, or the simple addition of a rug under the dining table will clearly mark that as the ‘dining zone’. Keep in mind that too much furniture will defeat the object: you don’t want to find yourself constantly circumventing side tables and chairs when navigating from the sitting area to the kitchen. Lonika Chande, who worked with Berdoulat to create a kitchen area, dining nook and lounge space into two modestly-sized ground-floor rooms of a Victorian house in Chelsea, pictured above, suggests furniture that will serve a dual purpose. Her favourites are fireside chairs that can be pulled up to the table for extra seating at the dining table when needed. On the subject of furniture, Lonika is also partial to using a round dining table in smaller kitchens, instead of a rectangular one, as 'the curve is more forgiving’, she says.
Interior designers have a number of tips for making the space feel cohesive despite its varied functions. ‘It’s important to consider the scheme as a whole' advises Lonika. ‘Including fabric in the kitchen space is a great way to link everything up. For example, a pretty blind and warm lighting create a softness and stop the kitchen jarring with the rest of the room’.
We’ve rounded up the best examples from the House & Garden archive to help you find inspiration on how to recreate a harmonious, coherent open-plan space in a small house.
Mark Anthony Fox1/13In a 17th-century Cotswold house by Emma Burns, cabinetry in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Stone V’, the same colour as the kitchen and drawing room walls, houses distinctive ceramic platters by Quentin and Vanessa Bell. Original BTC’s ‘Drop One’ grouping of 11 pendant lights is a striking centrepiece over a dining table made by Petter Southall, with Donghia chairs in a floral fabric by Mulberry.
Dean Hearne2/13When it came to renovating her mid-century house in south east London, Rowena Morgan Cox decided to extend the kitchen area to make space for a dining area, and being a keen host, was keen to keep the spaces open-plan. The L-shape addition incorporates the original border walls of the house and plenty of natural materials. In the kitchen area, Etsy lights illuminate marble-topped Howdens units and ceramics on shelves from Hay. The floor is a vinyl more commonly used in hospitals and schools from Altro.
Chris Horwood3/13In a Chelsea project, Mary and Nicole of Salvesen Graham opened up the space in the living room. They were keen to have separate zones for the kitchen and dining area too. “The desk works to separate the spaces with the sitting room on one side and the kitchen on the other. There also wouldn’t have been enough room to have chairs all the way around the dining table so we designed a bench that could be anchored against the kitchen island for comfortable dining seating,” says Mary.
Chris Horwood4/13A small utility room off the kitchen is packed with storage, meaning the kitchen itself could be kept minimal.
Boz Gagovski5/13For their Hampstead house, Anna Haines' clients were keen that the kitchen should also have space for the children to have breakfast, as well as elegant dinner parties. As such, the joinery needed to work hard and the colour scheme harmonious. In the kitchen, the walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Stirabout’. The tiled splashback is from Balineum, while the pendant light hanging over the island is from deVOL. The island itself is painted in Francesca’s Paints ‘Mullumbimbi Mud’. The bar stools are Pinch’s ‘Avery Counter Stool’, with cushions in ‘New Blue Mesa Stripe’ from Ralph Lauren via Designers Guild.
6/13Opposite the kitchen is a dining nook. The dining table base is from Julian Chichester, with a bespoke oak top made by Anna’s joiners. The fabric used on the banquette is from Rose Uniacke, in the ‘Periwinkle’ colour of her Woven Bottle fabric. The dining chairs are from Pinch, with cushions in ‘North Downs Scalamandre’ by Turnell & Gigon.
Dean Hearne7/13The designer and illustrator Marin Montagut's quaint 19th-century live-work cottage in the Normandy countryside has to work hard to serve many purposes. The kitchen area occupies a corner of a larger reception room - with a dining area on one side and stairs leading to the first floor. While Marin added the stripes in the hallway, he left the kitchen in a deep red, which gives it a cosy, cocooning feel.
Dean Hearne8/13Though not minute in proportion, the kitchen in Alexandra Tolstoy's cottage in Oxfordshire is the first room that you come to on entering, and thus it needs to feel as welcoming as it is functional. A dining table in lieu of an island immediately creates a more informal feel, while a window seat provides a perch for reading.
Kristin Perers9/13Keeping one eye on the purse strings, interior designer Catherine Olley has transformed her Dulwich flat from an abandoned shell into a first family home. Occupying the space at the back of the house, the kitchen-dining room is is heart of the home: the open plan space allows for the large entertaining area the couple had wanted. Catherine has spruced up her Ikea kitchen with custom made doors from Naked Doors, which are painted in Farrow & Ball's Mizzle. The cane insert were added by Catherine. For the tiling, Bert & May's Split Shift tiles were selected. The pendant light is from Caravane.
Dean Hearne10/13The artist Daisy Sims-Hilditch has used every inch of space in the kitchen of her flat in London. The main room incorporates the kitchen, previously a separate and annoyingly poky room. It is the pièce de resistance of the flat, with cabinets in Neptune's ‘Suffolk’ design arranged in an L-shape and running into the dining space at the end. Daisy also installed a charming internal window between the kitchen and the hallway, which allows light to flow into the darker hallway from the kitchen window.
Dean Hearne11/13In the dining area, Italian chairs from Retrouvius lend depth to the pale colour scheme, with walls in Farrow & Ball's ‘Pink Ground’. The antique map was a chance find by Daisy as she walked by Classic Prints on the Kings Road, and saw it in the back of the shop. The size and colour of the frame made it perfect for this space. The floor throughout is Neptune's ‘Savernake’ engineered wood flooring.
Christopher Horwood12/13A warm, retro palette and chic cabinetry designed by Natalie Tredgett with owner Tara Nash create a flexible live-work space in this two storey apartment in west London. The main space of the flat plays host to a kitchen area and sitting room - clearly delineated by a breakfast bar that runs the width of the room, and a sofa facing away from the kitchen. It was Tara who chose the custom-made walnut and birch cabinetry in the compact kitchen, where a wall was removed to open up the space.
Jonathan Bond13/13Once a lean-to, this narrow space in Elizabeth Hay's Devon cottage now houses the kitchen, which feels larger than it is thanks to the lack of walls dividing it from the rest of the room. Little Greene’s ‘White Lead’ paint on the walls, beams and ceiling enhances the bright, airy feel of this open plan space. Elizabeth updated the existing cupboards and shelving with Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s ‘Invisible Green’.
