The concept of open plan living has been the beacon of twenty-first-century homes for the past decade or so. What some people thought of as a fad has become a staple of new houses everywhere. The idea of having a separate living room, dining room, and kitchen is now seen as old hat. People now want larger spaces that are more versatile, airy, and spacious. The epitome of open plan living is the elusive and large kitchen diner. You don’t have to move house to achieve one; instead, focus on the space you do have and consider reconfiguring your floor plan to accommodate your newfound love of all things open plan.
Extend
The chances are that you will need to extend to create your new kitchen diner. Merging two rooms together could be done by knocking down a wall, but you may risk the space feeling too small. Instead, build out into your back garden and submit plans to your local planning office. You don’t have to do this alone. A custom home builder will hold your hand all of the way, from the design stage, all the way through to the building. They can help you plan your kitchen layout decide how far out you need to go with your extension and help you stick to your defined budget. It’s a messy job to extend, but once complete, you will have added the much-needed space you require to make a success of your new kitchen diner.
Units
A new kitchen deserves new units. If you aren’t keen on splashing out a small fortune for your kitchen, consider heading to showrooms that have ex-display models on offer. These kitchens will have been ogled by plenty of potential buyers but they will be in perfect condition and they may be up to half the original recommended retail price. You could grab yourself a bargain. If your units are sound, you might just want to swap the doors. However, for most people, more units will need to be purchased as you are creating a larger gastronomic space for your culinary creations.
Decor
Consider the style you are after for your new kitchen diner. Do you love sleek, minimalist lines? If so, a high gloss finished with push drawers and wooden flooring throughout may suffice. If you adore the country kitchen vibe, you might prefer a shaker style kitchen, a wooden worktop, floral tiles, and some hard oak laminate to generate a more idyllic cottage feel. Forget about emulating the look on the covers of interiors magazines and go for something that you love. You will be living with this look for a decade or more, so don’t go for something popular at the expense of a feel that you love. You need to be comfortable and happy in your newfound open plan living space.
Kitchen diners are the new hubs of our homes. Here, you can have coffee with a pal, watch the kids do homework, cook up a storm, and relax with a book. Get it right, and you could be enjoying an open plan living for years to come.
