Thinking about updating or remodeling your kitchen to make it more modern? There are lots of choices out there and chances are you may have come across the concept of an open kitchen. Some people love the idea of an open kitchen and others may not have the same opinion. If you belong to the first category, there are certain pros and cons of an open kitchen that you need to know before you go all-in with the idea. Although the concept of an open kitchen is popular in Western and European countries, its popularity in Bangladesh is also growing day by day. That being said, here is what you need to know.
Open kitchen vs Closed kitchen
Before you decide, you need to understand the difference between the two. An open kitchen is usually incorporated with the adjacent rooms (e.g. living room or dining room) in the house and is open from all sides or has no more than one wall. If you prefer to cook in private or don’t want to show off your kitchen, an open kitchen might not be ideal for you.
However, if you prefer to cook openly or want to have a stylish and seamless experience, opting for an open kitchen can be great. But, in our country, most people usually lean towards a closed kitchen either because they find it more convenient or because of the lack of proper understanding of the concept. Besides, since an open kitchen needs regular upkeep and the budget for designing one is a little higher than that of a closed one, people don’t think it is worth the extra effort and money.
About the open kitchen
The idea of an open kitchen gained popularity in the early nineties. Everyone loved the concept as it exudes an open vibe and is more welcoming. It is a place where both cooking and cleaning crews of the family can get on in conversation and can also serve as a hangout place. As mentioned before, an open kitchen is usually connected with the living room or dining room, therefore it is important to give it the same amount of attention when decorating your house.
There is no specific measurement for this type of kitchen but it is ideal that you allocate at least 100 sq.ft. of space. Also, opt for a kitchen range hood or kitchen hood; it is a must for an open kitchen to operate smoothly. Otherwise, the entire house can suffer from excess heat, smoke, and other issues. Upkeep is also very important, especially for an open kitchen. There are both pros and cons of an open kitchen. You just need to be aware of these before you go all in.
Advantages of an open kitchen
The biggest advantage of having an open kitchen is that it is open. So there is no shortage of light and air. This type of kitchen is also more functional and stylish. Installing and managing appliances is a breeze in an open kitchen. Cooking is more entertaining as you can engage in conversation with your family members. In such an environment, getting help from your family member by doing the dishes wouldn’t need much convincing. This is rare in a closed kitchen. Besides, when guests come, you can keep them entertained and cook at the same time. Another great advantage is that if you have beautiful utensils, you can showcase them. And since the options are endless, you can also decorate the kitchen seamlessly to make it look more graceful with the rest of the interior.
Disadvantages of an open kitchen
One of the major drawbacks of an open kitchen is that you can’t hide any kind of clutter. That means you have to be very careful and put everything back in the right place every time when you are cooking. Otherwise, it can get noisy and the vibe will change from welcoming to “I don’t want to go near it”. Another problem with an open kitchen is that you can’t control the smell and noise escaping into the rest of the house. As the kitchen is connected to the entire space of your living room or dining room, the smell can spread. Also, there will be less space for storage as well. Besides, implementing an open kitchen is not easy on the wallet. If you are concerned about affordability, an open kitchen wouldn’t be the best choice.
There are both pros and cons of an open kitchen. That is why a little bit of research is necessary to determine whether you want it open or closed. We tried to give you comprehensive information on the pros and cons of an open kitchen in this article. We hope you find it useful and don’t forget to let us know your opinion in the comments section below.
