Open-plan Kitchen Designs That Blend in With the Living Space
Want your kitchen to fit seamlessly into an open-plan room? Take a look at these ideas
With more of us choosing an open-plan layout in our homes, designers are finding ways to help our kitchens blend in.
Flat-fronted cabinets that fade into the walls, units that resemble period furniture, and walls lined with texture and artwork are just some of the tricks they use to create a kitchen that feels more like part of the living space than a functional room on its own.
Flat-fronted cabinets that fade into the walls, units that resemble period furniture, and walls lined with texture and artwork are just some of the tricks they use to create a kitchen that feels more like part of the living space than a functional room on its own.
Create a recess
This one-wall kitchen has bags of storage and, with so much cabinetry, you’d expect it to take over the space. In fact, it does the opposite. The pale units line the walls, but recede into the background.
There are a couple of clever tricks that help it to do this. Firstly, the line of floor tiles visually moves the cupboards further back from the wooden floor. Secondly, the central units are recessed, pulling the kitchen even deeper into the wall.
Looking for a kitchen designer or fitter? Find professionals in your area and read reviews from previous clients.
This one-wall kitchen has bags of storage and, with so much cabinetry, you’d expect it to take over the space. In fact, it does the opposite. The pale units line the walls, but recede into the background.
There are a couple of clever tricks that help it to do this. Firstly, the line of floor tiles visually moves the cupboards further back from the wooden floor. Secondly, the central units are recessed, pulling the kitchen even deeper into the wall.
Looking for a kitchen designer or fitter? Find professionals in your area and read reviews from previous clients.
Take inspiration from architectural features
The steel-framed doors in the dining area are the starting point for this elegant scheme. The kitchen replicates the contrast of white walls and black lines, with its jet black island and minimal white wall cabinets.
The wall units have a barely there feel about them, and the extra-tall units on the left are just as recessive.
To tie in the spaces even more, the designers have lined the wall with the kind of attractive black wall lights you’d usually find in a living space or bedroom.
10 stylish ideas for using Crittall-style doors inside.
The steel-framed doors in the dining area are the starting point for this elegant scheme. The kitchen replicates the contrast of white walls and black lines, with its jet black island and minimal white wall cabinets.
The wall units have a barely there feel about them, and the extra-tall units on the left are just as recessive.
To tie in the spaces even more, the designers have lined the wall with the kind of attractive black wall lights you’d usually find in a living space or bedroom.
10 stylish ideas for using Crittall-style doors inside.
Join with joinery
The use of wood in this kitchen is key to helping it become part of the whole space. The designers have used a simple palette of white and grey throughout, but natural finishes tie all the areas together.
The white, minimal kitchen cabinets fade into the background, merging with the walls and floor. Beautiful timber joinery has then been incorporated to add a feature to the room and harmonise with the natural elements elsewhere.
The use of wood in this kitchen is key to helping it become part of the whole space. The designers have used a simple palette of white and grey throughout, but natural finishes tie all the areas together.
The white, minimal kitchen cabinets fade into the background, merging with the walls and floor. Beautiful timber joinery has then been incorporated to add a feature to the room and harmonise with the natural elements elsewhere.
Curate a display
A smart way to make your kitchen feel like part of the living space is to display things as you would in your sitting room. In this walnut kitchen, for example, a long shelf provides space to curate attractive objects and artwork.
The cooking area feels less like a utilitarian space, and blends in with the open-plan room as a whole.
Find beautiful tableware you’ll want to display in the Houzz Shop.
A smart way to make your kitchen feel like part of the living space is to display things as you would in your sitting room. In this walnut kitchen, for example, a long shelf provides space to curate attractive objects and artwork.
The cooking area feels less like a utilitarian space, and blends in with the open-plan room as a whole.
Find beautiful tableware you’ll want to display in the Houzz Shop.
Highlight texture
It’s all about the marble surfaces in this cookspace, rather than the cabinetry. Pale, flat-fronted units line the bottom of the walls and help to frame the marble above.
These surfaces combine with other interesting elements, such as the light fittings, to shift the emphasis away from the cabinets.
It’s all about the marble surfaces in this cookspace, rather than the cabinetry. Pale, flat-fronted units line the bottom of the walls and help to frame the marble above.
These surfaces combine with other interesting elements, such as the light fittings, to shift the emphasis away from the cabinets.
Shift the balance
If you want your wall units to fade into the background, it helps to give the eye something else to focus on. Here, the blue island and base units provide a low framework for walls that look more like a living space than a functional kitchen.
Simple shelves and wall lights sit either side of a central metallic splashback behind the cooker. The joinery reflects the period features in the room, which helps the kitchen to blend in even more.
Tell us…
Are you planning a kitchen that blends in with the rest of your space? Share your ideas and experiences in the Comments section.
If you want your wall units to fade into the background, it helps to give the eye something else to focus on. Here, the blue island and base units provide a low framework for walls that look more like a living space than a functional kitchen.
Simple shelves and wall lights sit either side of a central metallic splashback behind the cooker. The joinery reflects the period features in the room, which helps the kitchen to blend in even more.
Tell us…
Are you planning a kitchen that blends in with the rest of your space? Share your ideas and experiences in the Comments section.
Each part of this broken-plan room has its own area, but the designers have given the whole space a connection by using the same finishes throughout.
The fronts of the wall units are covered in a natural timber that reflects the brown tones of the sideboard, shelving niche and exposed bricks opposite. There’s more wood in the room beyond, too, helping the kitchen to tie in and feel part of the whole.
To reinforce the look, the island is a clean white, which merges with the walls in the rest of the space.