We recently remodeled our kitchen and living room into an open-concept layout. We felt cramped in our previous design, although we had enough square footage to open up the whole thing. We finally decided on a semi-open plan kitchen-living room combo. After all the construction dust, the project was a success, and we’ve got a lot of inspiration in the process that we’ll share with you in this blog post.
Open floor plans are great for socializing and making the most of your living space. Moreover, with semi-open concept kitchen and living room layouts, you can still sense defined areas without sacrificing any social aspect.
Whatever elements you decide on, there are many ways to make semi-open kitchen designs look stylish and inviting! Please look at our photos for inspiration and prepare to cook up some cozy nest designs for your house or apartment!
Open Kitchen and Living Room Ideas
01. An Open White Kitchen with Island Seating
An open white kitchen and living room layout with a kitchen island and large glass doors bringing in all the natural light. Aren’t the floors just amazing?
02. L Shape Kitchen Living room Combo with Island Cooking
White and Blue tone kitchen and living room with L-shaped island with seating and cooking. Blue sofas and island chairs complement all the light colors in the open space for some much-needed contrast.
03. The Ultimate Open Kitchen Living Room Design
A large living room with low-profile grey furniture makes the ceiling look even higher. Two-tone kitchen with high cabinetry and a wooden finish, sink-in kitchen island with a seating area.
04. Minimalist Open I Shape white Kitchen potted flower decor
The butcher block countertop and wooden dining table complement this kitchen so well. The shiny floor and multicolor dining table rug make a subtle statement.
05. Kitchen Flowing into Open Living Room Design
A small u shaped kitchen layout with all the thrill and none of the fill. This Kitchen and living room combo features a kitchen island with seating and minimal wall cabinets. This design will satisfy most people with the way the kitchen flows into the living room and the living room flows into the dining room separate from the kitchen.
Semi-open kitchen design ideas
One of the best ways to design an open kitchen with separation for privacy is by utilizing a broken plan layout or some soft room divider.
This plan layout consists of two parts: the main cooking area and another smaller space nearby, such as an office or dining room.
The broken plan allows maximum flexibility and improved flow between different areas while providing adequate privacy, unlike fully open kitchens.
Consideration for semi-open and broken plans
When designing an open kitchen with broken separation, several options exist.
6. Half-wall separation
One of the most popular is creating a half wall between the cooking and adjacent areas. This half-wall provides just enough separation to maintain privacy while allowing views to the other side.
7. Glassdoors to close the living space and open it as needed
8. Sliding Glassdoors to Separate the Space
Another option is sliding doors or curtains to provide flexibility and privacy. Sliding doors can be pulled shut when extra privacy is desired and opened up when necessary, allowing for a more practical solution than a traditional door. These sliding doors separate the Kitchen from the living room.
9. These Sliding doors separate the Bedroom and The Living Room
Glass separations are perfect for those who prefer natural light flooding their open kitchen but need adjustable levels of privacy throughout the day.
10. I Can’t Get Enough of this Sleek partitioned Kitchen and Dining Room With Some Industrial-Style Flair Too!
In addition to visual separation, broken plan layouts can also use clever storage solutions that take advantage of wasted space due to limited walls in an open kitchen layout.
11. Incorporate a kitchen island
Kitchen islands are often used in broken plans so that all available surfaces are used well. This allows for extra countertop workspace and storage solutions, which you can use for appliances or food items that don’t fit on standard shelf heights in cabinets or pantries.
Other creative solutions may include deep drawers for pots, pans, utensils, or wall-integrated shelves. Both offer added convenience without compromising on space efficiency.
With its increased flexibility compared to traditional closed floor plans, broken plans can provide both functional storage solutions. Moreover, they can also be an aesthetically pleasing environment that looks great and feels spacious and inviting – making them ideal for any modern home!
Advice!
Open kitchens and semi-open kitchen plans are increasingly popular due to their ability to create a spacious, inviting atmosphere without sacrificing design. However, there are pros and cons to open layouts. One of the drawbacks to having an open kitchen layout is a lack of wall space.
Maximize living space
To maximize your kitchen’s storage potential, you should use every inch of available space. That includes base cabinets and the little wall space you have.
Base cabinets are a great way to get extra storage in your kitchen without taking up any wall space. You can find various sizes and styles with built-in drawers and shelves for storing pots, pans, dishes, utensils, and more.
They’re also ideal for heavier items like blenders or mixers since they keep them off the countertop. When choosing your base cabinets, look for options that offer ample storage space but are compact enough to fit in a small kitchen.
Use shelving or open cabinets
Shelving systems are essential for maximum efficiency when utilizing existing wall space in an open-plan kitchen. Floating shelves are ideal as they can be placed anywhere on the walls without taking up much room — perfect for tight spaces like corner nooks or tiny alcoves between appliances.
If you opt for larger shelves, you can use them as extra countertop surfaces while providing plenty of storage below them.
Mount your cabinets to ceiling height
Lastly, use high ceilings when designing an open-plan kitchen layout fully. Whether hanging pot racks from the ceiling or mounting tall upper cabinets to the ceiling line, you can turn what would otherwise be wasted vertical space into functional storage areas for everything from cookware to pantry items and spices.
Utilizing all available square footage is vital if you want your open-plan kitchen design to be both functional and stylish!
Final Words
Open kitchen layouts lead to more air quality issues, such as smoke, cooking smells, and humidity. To help maintain a healthy home environment, invest in a quality air purifier and kitchen vent hood to reduce air pollutants.
