Recently, we designed an old apartment with a closed kitchen that the client wanted to open up to the living room area. A few months later, we worked on another interior project of a flat with an open concept floor plan. The kitchen there needed to go away from the formal living room space.

Two projects with two different ideas. After all, which option is the better one – a closed kitchen or an open kitchen? What are the pros and cons in both cases and what can we do to deal with any problems that may arise?

Closed kitchen

The kitchen is often a messy place. However, chaos can easily be confined to a more limited area and hidden away if the kitchen is an independent room in the house. The same can be applied to distinct cooking odors. That way we can enjoy a more peaceful formal dining and living room areas. Multiple furniture layout options are also worth considering in a closed kitchen space. A separate kitchen is closed between four walls, and more walls means more options to set cabinets and appliances around the room.

When the kitchen is away from the living areas in the home, daily chores can get lonely and boring. Greater walking distance from the dining area could be another disadvantage of a closed kitchen, as the serving routine can get tedious. Another thing to consider is that breaking the living area into different independent spaces usually means getting more, yet smaller rooms. Getting a more spacious and open living space may be a problem in that case.

How do we deal with all that?

It is a good idea to set up a sitting area to have a break or get some company. A tiny table or a bar counter with a couple of stools could do the trick. Getting a TV in the kitchen is another way to entertain. If the kitchen is way too far from the dining room, serving could be made easier with the help of a wheel cart. That way all meals and drinks could be easily taken to the dining table at once. It may be possible to get the pros of a closed kitchen and a large living room at the same time – the two areas can be separated by a set of folding or sliding doors that can close off the kitchen area entirely or have merge with the living room.

Open kitchen

The greatest advantage of having joined kitchen and living room is the opportunity to get a much larger interior space. Here in Bulgaria apartments are typically small, and the rooms are pretty tight, so any chance of getting a larger living area is welcome. Shared spaces are also great because they can accommodate various activities and make it possible for household members to spend more time together even if everyone is busy doing their own thing. Plus, any housewife would enjoy a short walking distance between the kitchen and dining areas

Having a clean and tidy cooking area at all times is a difficult task and the biggest issue in open kitchen designs. Limited kitchen layout options could be another problem especially in newly built local residences that are often way too tight. That could cause severe difficulties in cooking and storing. It is impossible to stop noise and odor from going all over the place in an open-concept living space, which can be disturbing and affect personal comfort in a bad way. On a different note, household heating costs are expected to get much higher in a large room. It may be possible to save money on warming up a small closed kitchen by not turning the heater on at all, but that is just not the case with open-concept living spaces that are used throughout the day.

What do we do about all of this?

It is not impossible to conceal the mess in our open kitchen corner – a bar-height unit between the kitchen and the living room can hide the actual worktop area from side viewers. The same can be achieved with the use of large bookcase as a room divider. A good range hood can be a powerful ally in our fight with cooking smells. There are many options to choose from by different brands. Heating on the other hand would not be such an issue if the whole place is insulated, and the windows are energy-efficient. The whole space would also feel much more cozy if certain floor finish materials, such as floor tiles, are kept to a minimum. Having more wood and carpets inside is a sure way to inspire a sense of comfort and warmth.

What about you – would you prefer a closed kitchen versus an open-concept living space? Explore more closed and open kitchen design ideas on our portfolio page.