Open plan kitchens can be stunning and attractive in any home. From the most contemporary, to rustic or country kitchens, an open plan layout, combining the kitchen and dining area can be a fantastic centre piece for your home. But to make your open plan kitchen more effective, you will need to consider zoning for different areas. Splitting the room into sections, or zones, can help to ensure that you get the most from your open plan kitchen, from any area. But what are these zones, and how can you create different areas within one room? Well, here at MLS Kitchens, we are Manchester’s leading kitchen design professionals, and this is our guide to zonal planning for your open plan kitchen.
Zonal planning for your open plan kitchen
Zonal areas in an open plan kitchen can help to distinguish the mood and atmosphere when using different parts of the kitchen. These areas will probably include:
- food preparation and cooking areas
- eating and relaxing areas
Food preparation and cooking areas
No matter how you design your kitchen space, the area for cooking and creating food will be the most important. This is after all, the primary purpose of the kitchen. You will need enough space for kitchen storage, as well as your appliances in this section. P shaped and L shaped kitchen areas can be effective for open plan kitchens, as these shapes naturally separate one area from another. You can separate this zone from the dining area by using a kitchen island to create a physical barrier. But for less obvious divisions, you could try different lighting, and even different flooring.
Eating and relaxing areas
Designing this zone is more a matter of style and visuals, than practicalities. One thing to bear in mind is what you will be looking at while eating. If you have a great view of the dirty dishes and pots and pans, you will find it hard to relax. So try and arrange your seating, so that it faces away from the kitchen.
For more information or advice, get in touch with the professionals today, here at MLS Kitchens.
