Deciding whether to partially open kitchen

[Anonymous]

We are redoing the kitchen in a our rambler-style home. The main space has an L-shaped living and dining room with the kitchen in a square in the corner. We are trying to decide if we partially open up the wall into the living room but I am torn. I don't want the whole space to be overly casual and I like some separation due to kitchen noises, messes, etc. I also don't necessarily want kitchen stools on the edge if my living room I don't think (the open part could include a counter with stools - current kitchen is not big enough for any kind of seating). However, when I see houses with a nice open space I do enjoy it.

Any thoughts on websites with pictures or how else to decide? TIA.

[Anonymous]

I hate when the open part of the kitchen is a "bar" with its back to the other room.

I'd work on opening it a different way - can it be a U shaped kitchen where the open part of the U faces the living room? If there's space, you could have an island (short side to the living room), or I adore a kitchen with a table in the middle. I think that would be lovely open to a living room, especially if you went for more furniture-y cabinets.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, PP. Yes, it would be a bar with the stools backing to the living room which is my hesitation. After the renovation, we would have room for a small island with two stools inside the kitchen. Then the question would be do we keep the wall to the living room solid all the way or open up the corner to the living room and end the wall at counter height.

[Anonymous]

I don't relate to the need for open kitchens in any degree. When I am working with knives and hot food I do not want any distraction. I hate open concept houses too.

[Anonymous]

We opened a piece of wall between our family/TV room in our center hall colonial. That way my husband and I can supervise my kids and talk to each other when one of us is cooking and the rest are watching TV in there. There's still separation and you can't see the kitchen from the front door (I like open concepts but am not a fan of this aspect).

[Anonymous]

Thanks, PP. Is the wall open to counter height or all the way? Did you add stools, etc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, PP. Yes, it would be a bar with the stools backing to the living room which is my hesitation. After the renovation, we would have room for a small island with two stools inside the kitchen. Then the question would be do we keep the wall to the living room solid all the way or open up the corner to the living room and end the wall at counter height.

Wait, stools inside the kitchen like this?


I like that okay. What I don't like is this:



In other words, I wouldn't do either option you described I think. I would get rid of the entire wall, make sure the flooring is the same, and design a U-shaped kitchen without cabinets or half walls in the middle of the opening. In the middle of the U an island, or table, or nothing, as suits the space.

[Anonymous]

Some more examples:

[Anonymous]

Thanks PP. We cannot get rid of the entire wall because it has appliances on it and we don't have the room to move them anywhere else. We can open up the corner or leave it to the ceiling. That second picture is helpful as I don't like that look either. I could do a partial opening and maybe add shelving to the panel that is adjacent to make the opening look nice.

[Anonymous]

Can you open to the dining area rather than the kitchen?

[Anonymous]

No due to the placement of the oven. This kitchen corner is in between to two so it could serve as a staging/serving area for the dining room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. We cannot get rid of the entire wall because it has appliances on it and we don't have the room to move them anywhere else. We can open up the corner or leave it to the ceiling. That second picture is helpful as I don't like that look either. I could do a partial opening and maybe add shelving to the panel that is adjacent to make the opening look nice.

There's probably room for the appliances somewhere else, depending on how you arrange things.

[Anonymous]

We explored moving them but it isn'y feasible. The kitchen already has three doors - one outside, one to dining and one to hallway - so there just isn't the space.

[Anonymous]

In that case I would leave the wall and consider making the doorway a larger, cased opening. As large as possible.

[Anonymous]

always open a kitchen, open floor plans are desirable for living and resale, people on here are idiots