How to Make the Open Kitchen an Enjoyable Inviting Space

I asked my friend Line Atallah if she would like to write a guest post about open kitchen living. Line lived with her husband and their two young boys. She recently made the switch to open kitchen and I wanted her to tell us how she made it works for her family. I am glad that she accepted my invitation.

A few month ago, I moved into a new house. Cooking being my biggest hobby, I was all excited about redesigning the kitchen.I was faced with the biggest dilemma, to go for an open kitchen or not.

After many weeks of thinking it over, I made up my mind. I was going for an open concept, no hesitation.
It has now been 3 months I am living the open kitchen concept, and I am loving it.

I love to cook. As a matter of fact, I cook almost everyday and it is my way of relaxing after a long day of work. The open kitchen concept allows me to be with my family, watching the kids while they’re doing their homework, chatting with my husband, and enjoying the view from the window in front of me. Also, it allows me to be with my guests when entertaining at home. I can join in the conversation, while doing what I have to do.

The kitchen was always the hub of our previous houses. By opening it up, it made it a more beautiful and inviting space to gather.

Here are a few tips I share with you today in order to make the open kitchen an enjoyable inviting space, avoiding the disadvantages.

1. Keep the same floor material as the rest of your house. This way the kitchen feel less like a kitchen, and more like an extension of the house.

2. If you’re thinking of building an island, try not to put the sink or cooktop on it. It gives you a nice big working space to plate your dishes, which is the most enjoyable, and cleanest thing to watch when entertaining.

3. Keep some walls or half walls bare, with no cabinets. It makes the kitchen feel breathy and less crowded

4. Opt for a counter-space wide fridge, the look is cleaner and slick, which makes the overall look less of a kitchen feel.

5. If you’re going for stainless steel appliances, and have kids, opt for the kind that doesn’t smudge. I picked the Fisher & Paykel fridge and oven, and it stays clean.

6. Pick a powerful hut that will eliminate smells fast and be sure to ask about the noise level. You don’t want to give your guests a headache! Even though many beautiful designs are out there, I personally picked a built-in hut as I wanted to have a minimalist look and as little clutter as possible.

7. Lighting is very important. Be sure to ask your contractor for dimmers, if you want to host an intimate seated dinner, the last thing you want is the focus on the kitchen mess. By adding dimmers, when you’re ready to sit at the table, you can dim the lights and even add some candles on your island to create a cozy mood.

8. When planning your kitchen’s cabinets, think of a place for your everyday appliances. The less appliances on your counter, the less mess and the easier it is to wipe the counters clean.

9. Pick the biggest and deepest size sink you can afford in the space you have available. I also recommend a sink with no separations. You will love hiding the dirty dishes in it when entertaining. It will keep your kitchen look spotless.

10. Last but not least shop for fun gadgets, like a nice soap dispenser, rag hook inside the lower sink cabinet, sponge holder inside the sink, etc…

I used IKEA to create a modern minimalist design for my cabinets by keeping my costs really low.