Open space: how to combine kitchen and living room

An open-space kitchen and living room combo is an interesting mix, more and more popular every day: let’s learn how to zone it properly!

What’s happening to our living room? It’s been progressively disappearing for years, and soon won’t exist anymore. True, most houses and apartments built in the previous decades tend to have a separate space solely dedicated to entertainment and relax; but, as more and more people move out of detached houses and move into apartments in big cities, all the new architecture projects tend to unite kitchen and living room. In short, the future is open-plan and open-space apartments. Part of the reason for this is, of course, the space available: an open-plan apartment will take up much less space than one divided into lots of rooms. But the other reason is simple conviviality: joined together, kitchen and living room are perfect for socializing. Still, nobody likes confusion! So let’s take a look at a few smart ways to zone and organize your open-plan apartment.

Would you like to see more kitchen layouts by Nolte? Click here!

Bright panels to cover your wall shelves

A smart way of tricking the eye and making it believe the room is larger than it actually is, is by covering your wall shelves! There are several ways to do this. One is to literally close shelves and all the storage space inside sliding panels: basically, you’ll end up with many invisible cupboards you can open whenever you need to. This is an excellent solution also if you want to limit how many items are actually on display in your open-plan kitchen. A tip? Be creative! Choose bright colors. Not only will they make the whole room look more lively, but they’re also going to make it look wider.

Check out more by Torchetti!

Align your table horizontally to the kitchen units

In fact, placing the dining table perpendicularly to the kitchen units is a big mistake you should avoid. It’s not always a mistake: with a huge kitchen, you’re more free to do whatever you please with your furniture. On the contrary though, a limited space calls for a more mindful planning. What we’re trying to say is, a parallel table will do you a few favors. First of all, by creating a double-act, it will make the room seem longer. Secondly, it will actually trace a first distinction between the kitchen/dining area and the relax/entertainment are. Finally, it’s going to turn out as a super handy kitchen island you will use for food preparation.

A classic, timeless design by Valcucine

Give round tables a chance

A round table is a perfect solution, since not only does it look cozier than a rectangular one, it’s also smaller! Still, you’ll easily accommodate up to four people around it, and maybe more if you skooch over. Besides, a round table creates a nice focus point that will immediately trace a distinction between the kitchen area and the living room. We recommend a lightly colored one: as usual, keep in mind the golden rule according to which a paler shade will always optically increase the space, while a dark one, like in the picture below, will create a cozier atmosphere.

Would you like to see more colorful creations by Bazartherapy? Click here!

Double up

It is crucial to really think about what kind of furniture is going to help you bring out all the potential of your space. Our tip? Try looking for furniture that will double up! What do we mean? Furniture that can perform more than one function! This type of furniture will always be your best ally if you live in an apartment. Take your dining chairs, for instance: why get a chair that’s only fit for sitting at a table, when you can splurge a bit more coins on a comfortable chair you can also employ as an armchair for your living room? Or as a studio armchair to place in front of a desk, if you work from home?

Take a look at more refined designs by Sollos!

Use storage space to separate the areas

As much as a moveable screen is an excellent solution for informally separating different areas, we wouldn’t recommend it here. True, it takes up close to zero space, but first of all, you want to keep an open dialogue between the kitchen and living area of your apartment: you should be able to see every part of the space. A smart way of separating, maintaining a dialogue between the spaces, and make the most of what you have is using storage space as screens. For instance, an open shelving system is an ideal solution! Instead of placing it against the wall, it will go behind the couch thus being halfway between the kitchen and the impromptu living room.

Would you like to see more by Portuguese brand Galula? Click here!

The drawback of this solution is that open shelves have an innate tendency to become really messy. Of course, you might be the Monica Geller of the situation and be ultra-tidy by nature, but, if that’s not you and you have a feeling your open shelves right in the middle of the room will soon look like a complete mess, opt for a cabinet! Just make sure it’s exactly as tall as the sofa behind which you’ll be placing it.

Why don't you check out more by Ritzwell?

Employ different lighting solutions

Another great way of tracing a clear distinction between the kitchen and the living area is by employing different types of light. Our suggestion? Well, as far as the kitchen and dining area goes, ceiling lights -- chandeliers, pendant lights -- are most definitely the best pick. They will take up no space and are perfect to be placed right above the dining table. Statement lights will also add a lot to the personality of the room, so feel free to go bold with either color or form… or both!

You can find more by Flos here

For the living room area, we recommend floor lamps instead; you’ll probably spend quite some time reading on your couch or favorite armchair, so the best and most functional solution is an arched or curved floor lamp that will shed a light on the pages you’re reading.

Would you like to see more luxurious designs by Hermès? Click here!

Be compact

Yes, we know: there are so many beautiful, comfy, huge sofas out there, and of course, you’d love to get one too. But alas, the harsh reality is that we need to come to terms with the fact we may not actually have the space for huge furniture. So you should be realistic here, and be as compact as you can! Adequately sized furniture will go a long way to making the space feel much larger. Plus, small doesn’t necessarily equal shabby or uncomfortable: just make sure to select a richly cushioned sofa, upholstered with high-quality fabric, and voilà! Your living room will be flawless.

You can find more furniture designed by Minotti here