Open Plan Living Inspiration From Central Coast Kitchens
When building or renovating, many homeowners place open plan living high on their lists of essential features. Open plan living is commonly included in coastal design layouts, which we take inspiration from in our Central Coast Kitchens.
In addition to offering plenty of space for entertaining guests (without relegating yourself to the kitchen), an open layout also feels incredibly spacious, more airy and more welcoming.
The Central Coast Kitchen style has a number of important factors to take into account before commencing a build. Here, we’ll go over some of the most crucial advice for creating an open plan home.
Clear zones
Despite your desire for an open floor plan, it’s essential to keep a distinct separation between your kitchen, dining area, and living room in your design. This prevents everything from fusing together and turning into a complete mess.
Changing the flooring can help provide a visual break. Use rugs and mats to create defined zones – a high-pile rug in the living room space shows that it’s clearly different from your kitchen (where you’ve placed a waterproof mat).
The secret is to create a space that can be divided into various areas using a barrier, like sliding pocket doors or barn doors. A chaise lounge placed between your living and dining rooms will act as a visual barrier.
Arrange furniture strategically. Install a bookcase, partition, or half-wall to divide spaces while including interesting (and functional) elements.
Cohesive look and feel
While you want separate areas for living, eating, and cooking, you also want to design the space so that it looks cohesive from one end to the other.
Pick complementary colours for your Central Coast Kitchen. By using a consistent colour scheme, you can give open-plan areas a sense of flow and cohesion. Use a painted panel, a standout wallpaper design, or a statement rug to create “break out” areas, but make sure to use a colour or material that will connect the spaces.
Choose a theme and some colours, then use them consistently throughout your space. In this way, even though your spacious room is divided into several areas, nothing will ever feel like an awkward add-on.
Use lighting to emphasise different areas
An open-plan area needs a good lighting plan to help create different zones. Consider dimmable lighting in a separate relaxation area as well as a combination of prep and entertaining kitchen lighting ideas.
Lighting comes in three main categories: ambient lighting, which provides general illumination throughout a space; task lighting, which you can use to accomplish specific tasks; and accent lighting, which is used to draw attention to specific features and establish mood and atmosphere.
Every room in your house has a different lighting need. For instance, the kitchen needs plenty of good, practical task lighting for chopping and preparing food, while the living and dining rooms need some low-level mood lighting for unwinding or hosting guests. With the right lighting, you can designate zones that will help to define each area and accommodate a variety of uses.
Room to move
Take into account how you’re going to use the space when designing the layout. Consider where you would like to eat and where your guests will sit while you prepare the meal. Breakfast bars and other short-term seating should be placed far enough from the work area to prevent obstructions while still being close enough to allow for easy conversation.
If you frequently entertain outdoors, place your dining or living spaces close to the backyard door so that you and your guests can go easily from inside to outside.
You can serve your guests quickly if you place your kitchen next to the dining area, and it also allows people to unwind in the living area without being disturbed by the kitchen’s noise.
Keeping things clutter-free
While you might not be able to close the kitchen door on the mess, there are some straightforward design solutions you can implement to keep clutter hidden (or to prevent it from forming at all!).
Integrated appliances slip seamlessly away for a minimalist feel. Make your dishwasher drawer the same material and finish as your cupboards, or install your fridge inside a large cupboard of its own. The less that’s on display, the more welcoming your space will be.
A butler’s pantry gives you a wealth of storage space inside your Central Coast kitchen. Store away large or bulky items so they don’t crowd your bench and line of sight. If you don’t have this option, store big items in drawers with slimline handles or push-to-open features.
It’s natural to want to go all out when redesigning a space, adding extra seating, brand-new cabinetry, and massive lighting fixtures. But rather than going overboard with your design budget, consider your actual needs first. Install only what you require, and we guarantee you’ll see how less really is more.
Trends come and go, but good design lasts forever. If you’re thinking about renovating your Central Coast kitchen, our team of experts has years of experience in future-proofing kitchens through clever design. Contact us now to speak with one of our designers and receive a quote for your project.
