Open Floor Kitchen and Lounge Concepts:
Transform Your Space for Epic Parties!
A big miss we find in kitchen and lounge open concepts is that many designs do not consider how the floor plan will be experienced when the crowd in numbers goes from every day family size to filled with extended family and friends. Let’s start with a little visual to fully grasp the sentiment.
Christmas Parties.
Imagine the table twinkling and beautifully decorated, a spread that makes you wonder if the hosts are in fact actual full time chefs or it has been catered. Guests who are all merry and bright, children running amok because they are so happy to be together and it’s the holidays from school. Music that you would otherwise dig….
And yet, all you can keep thinking of is your exit strategy.
When this happens to me, it’s not because I am shy, it comes down to flaws in the design. Every time.
Yes, the open concept provides spaciousness to otherwise small designs, it also facilitates the cook’s visual and audible access to rooms beyond.
However, increase the voices and movement of people and open plans quickly become painful and chaotic. Confusion in how to settle into a space and various competing noise levels can create stress in our brain. When the fight or flight response is activated in you or your guests, it creates the opposite experience of the virtues that gatherings amongst friends and family can provide.
The open flow can in fact create confusion as to where to commune. Bottlenecks almost always happen at the exact spots people are trying to get by with hot plates. We see this happen regardless of U, L, or Asymmetrical kitchen configurations. An indication that spatial flow and human organisation considerations have not been realised (or thought of). When your guests do not feel physically at ease or comfortable, no matter what efforts you have provided to create a magical experience, will simply not compete. When you have to forever ask people to move so that you can open the oven, you too will feel uneasy and will quickly regret your design.
Looking back in design history, there is something almost fairytale romantic to the idea and design of multiple rooms. Multiple ways to gather, space provided for smaller, quieter conversations. Separate spaces for particular themes to the evening, beverage and dining room, reading room and dance room. Closed kitchen for the mess and differing smells to be contained. Let’s incorporate the good from the historical designs and mitigate where open concepts fall short.
This post will cover:
Spatial Organization and Seating Beyond the Kitchen
Kitchen Islands and Dining Table
Sound Insulation in the Design
Spatial Organisation Beyond the Kitchen
Consider using “break up designs” that can create different themes and separations within an open plan. This will naturally attract guests who are drawn to the built in comfort and aesthetic appeal.
Open Book Shelf
Wooden Dividers
Seating Beyond the Kitchen
A sunken living space is a visual dream and it provides the same type of drawing in effect that an outside fire pit can create.
Sunken living room spaces are not always an accessible design and are quite costly when sought to achieve in a remodel. You can mimic the cosy impact in how you arrange and choose your couches. Two couches that face each other with ottomans on the side or a u shaped couch with one or two seating equivalents, that allow for ease into the space.
Adding ottoman chairs are great because they are a comfort for those in the crowd that don’t always feel at ease plopping up elbow to elbow next to others on the couch.
Additionally, any moveable seating can be used to create an additional theme of seating to an open plan when hosting. For example the mid century reading room can be recreated as an intimate sitting space, which caters to the quieter spoken or hard of hearing folks.
Kitchen Islands
The placement of your kitchen island significantly affects the ease of movement and can create or alleviate bottlenecks. If you’re planning to add bar stools, ensure they don’t interfere with the pathway to your cooking appliances. In some homes, skipping seating on the island can enhance its functionality for storage and free up space for easier navigation. If space is available, consider placing a sink on the island while positioning the stove top and appliances on a nearby countertop or a second island. This setup keeps the island available for food prep and cooking and allows it to be converted into a serving area during gatherings.
Dining Table
When space is an issue a dining table that extends directly off of an island or wraps around the end of an island is a great way to maximise room to move around the food and beverage stations you might set up in hosting.
When space permits, selecting dining tables for their visual appeal paired with mood lighting can draw people away from the kitchen area. Additionally, if a dining table is easily movable and the pendant lights can be adjusted upward, this enhances movement and flow. It can also transform an informal gathering into a dance space.
If your dining table is alongside a wall, consider banquet seating into the design. This increases the amount of seating available and is a natural draw due to its cosy appeal.
Sound Insulation
The sound factor we will discuss for hosting purposes is airborne: bouncing off walls, ceiling and floors and passing through windows and doors. Some materials will reflect sound, causing echoes, while others absorb it, dampening noise. When you host, the mounting voices and the music that plays can only be enjoyed if there is absorption of the noises and sound embedded in the housing design. Furniture, rugs, plants and wall coverings will help to absorb sound but sometimes there is a critical loss of sound insulation in the walls and ceilings. When sound surpasses a pain threshold, if your guests cannot hear others or they must shout to share communication you can be assured this will negatively impact the overall experience in your party. No matter what other comforts you have provided.
If this is the case to your home walls and ceiling, here are some elements that you will have to consider to mitigate this discomfort. Do not underestimate how poor sound insulation can kill an otherwise great vibe.
Acoustic Panels that can be added to the ceiling or wooden slats directly onto walls
Drop Ceilings with extra sound absorbing materials imbedded within
Mass Loaded Vinyl a material that you can put below flooring that acts as a sound barrier between rooms
Fibreglass Insulation Traditionally used for thermal insulation but is a super sound insulator as well. The fibres trap sound waves, dampening noise as it passes through walls or ceilings.
Foam Insulation Boards These boards, often made of polystyrene or polyurethane, can be fitted in walls or under floors. They act as barriers that stop sound in its tracks. Their rigid structure and high density make them a reliable choice for soundproofing, especially in homes where space is limited.
Check out our upcoming blog post on all things sound insulation for a complete detailing on how to sound insulate your home for its everyday enjoyment, creaking stairs, bedroom privacy, kitchen noise dampening, which will contribute further to your acoustic enjoyment.
Conclusion
When designing your open kitchen and lounge, think about how it will align with your lifestyle and that of your family, beyond just daily activities. If you are someone who loves to host killer parties, consider how your open floor plan can enhance guests’ comfort (and consequently your own) in sharing your space.
Kitchen renovations are among the most costly home improvements, and when done to suit your varying needs, will serve you well for multiple decades.
Let the festive open floor design planning begin.