Family flourishing begins in the kitchen, the heart of the home. It may sound cheesy but you’ve heard the expression before “The kitchen is the heart of the home”. Well, in so many ways it is true. And that is why open floor plans have become so popular over the past five years because the kitchen can now extend into other areas of the house.
Thanks to Joanne Gaines, this phenomenon of removing walls and opening up spaces is here to stay. When clients come to us wanting a kitchen remodel, they dream about taking a wall down between the kitchen and living space. They want to interact with their family while cooking dinner, watch their kids play while getting breakfast ready, enjoy entertaining with friends around the island and fireplace. These dreams can become realities when the floor plan is opened. In most kitchen remodels, removing a wall or two, changing a window or doorway opening is very common – and it doesn’t have to be scary. AFter all, the kitchen is the most used space by all members of the household. It is a place to eat and communicate. It is a very high trafficked area. Therefore, when the floor plan is more open, it allows for functionality and peace for everyone.
When you begin the kitchen designing process with your kitchen designer, it is important to express your dreams and wants for your new space. If your kitchen designer is certified, and experienced, they will be able to walk you through what is feasible within your budget. For example, there may be a wall that you want to take out, but that wall may be load bearing. This simply means that the house is structured in such a way that the wall is necessary unless beams are put in place in the ceiling to support the home. Removing a load bearing wall will be an investment. However, it is up to you to decide whether it is worth it for your family.
Ask your kitchen designer if they can draw renderings (like the one above) that can show realistically where you would put a couch or other furniture pieces in the room if you want a more open floor plan. This will help you visualize your space to make a more educated decision about your investment.
Another way to see the future footprint of your kitchen is to examine an aerial view of your kitchen. This will help you and your family see how you can use your kitchen daily. It is obvious that we will never spend physical time in the air over our kitchen. However, this perspective can help you map out the kitchen’s functionality and open concept. It can prompt you to think about what daily life will look like, how you will entertain and host, the traffic patterns that will take place and in the end, help you decide if the open concept is fit for your family’s needs.
In 2022, popular kitchen trends are still showcasing open floor plans. Most kitchen remodeling and design work today include kitchen islands. Kitchen islands are an amazing way to open your floor plan, allow for more seating, countertop space and storage. You can’t go wrong with a kitchen island and most of our clients who do not currently have a kitchen island, have it on their dream kitchen list.
