30 Ideas to Open the Kitchen to the Living Room or Dining Room

If you want to start enjoying your kitchen in a more private way, it is a good idea to integrate it with your other spaces, gaining space and light. Opening the kitchen is a good solution for small apartments and produces more spatial fluidity.

Before planning an open kitchen, you should consider the characteristics of your walls to determine if they can be demolished or you will need structural elements that maintain the integrity of the wall.

30 ideas to integrate the kitchen into the living room

Nowadays, the boundaries of the home are more blurred, we can combine different functions to make the most of our square meters. Get inspired by these ideas to enjoy an open kitchen in your home.

Choose the same color palette

To achieve a more unified look between the kitchen and another environment in the home, use the same color palette in materials, finishes and decoration, thus unifying the environments with a personal style.

Integrates through coating

Keep the kitchen walls and finishes the same colour as the dining room or living room so it looks like one unit. White is the most commonly used colour as it increases light and space and is ideal for small homes.

Use the same floor

Another resource to unify spaces with materials is to use the same flooring in the kitchen and dining room. Wooden floors are increasingly used in previously unthinkable areas such as the kitchen or bathroom.

Nowadays there are many material options that will serve both the kitchen and the dining room, it is not necessary to give up functionality to have style. If you prefer, you can integrate a vinyl carpet to protect your floors and decorate your kitchen in style.

Build a kitchen in L

Keep the kitchen countertop to create a boundary between the kitchen and the adjacent room. L-shaped kitchens are ideal for integrating the two spaces in a more organized and functional way.

Or describe a kitchen in the U

This typology also works very well in open kitchens, as it leaves one side free to connect with another area. This type of kitchen makes maximum use of all the kitchen walls and at the same time creates a connecting table between the environments.

Add a small wall

To keep the kitchen unified but out of sight, add a small wall of about 30 cm high to separate one area from the other on the counters. The top of this wall can be used as a decorative support or service hatch.

Add an island

The island countertop is an ideal option to give your kitchen a very modern look and at the same time separate it a little from the dining area. This island can be used as a support surface for cooking or to integrate an element such as a hob or sink.

Add a bar to the allowance

To give the sectional table another functionality, add an area that can be used as a breakfast bar. This way, this countertop surface can be used from both sides and integrates into the spaces.

Use a stick to separate

If your kitchen does not have a dividing table, place a freestanding bar between the spaces, which serves as a divider and an additional support surface. In order not to create a visual interruption in the space, it is better to opt for open bars that allow light to pass through.

Integrate your kitchenette online

If you have a small kitchen on one wall, the best thing you can do to maximize space and light is to integrate it into the next area. This way you will achieve a contemporary look and increase the size of the spaces.

Place a piece of furniture to separate

If you are looking for a solution that separates areas and storage, opt for a china cabinet. This way you can organize all your kitchen utensils in order and give the kitchen some privacy.

Separate the kitchen from the dining room

The best distribution is the one where the dining room is next to the kitchen, thus facilitating the movement of dishes and plates. A good option for open kitchens is to use the dining table as a divider between the kitchen and the living room.

Drop the columns

Sometimes it is not possible to get rid of the partition wall between the kitchen and the dining room, in these cases you can choose to have two columns that act as structural support and separator between the spaces.

You can integrate the columns in an original way, making them part of the kitchen, as in this case they do with the island counter and form a floating bar on the other side of the wall.

Hide parts of the wall

Another structural option to open up the kitchen but still provide visual separation is to keep a section of the walls and a top beam near the ceiling. This way you can create a hole in the wall to integrate the kitchen without weakening the structure of the house.

Just drill a hole

To integrate the kitchen without tearing apart a complete wall, you can choose to create a window that works as a service door to the other environment. In this way, you will let in light and visuality without losing the originality of the spaces.

Create a breakfast bar

By creating a hole in the wall, you can also get a breakfast bar on the other side, keeping both areas more integrated. Take the height of the hole into account, as creating a high bar should be comfortable.

Keep the wall low

This is another option if you are not sure whether to take down the entire wall or just make a hole, hiding part of the wall and leaving a low wall that allows you to combine the spaces, while also giving privacy to the kitchen.

Includes interior window

Add a window to the wall between the kitchen and the living room to visually increase the space without losing the privacy of each. By choosing a window, you can open or close it according to the moment you want to give it and the moment you want to use it.

Choose fixed glass panels

You can use fixed window panels on the kitchen wall, continuing with glass options that provide brightness and integration without completely losing the distinction. In addition, this element serves as a feature of the decoration and brings great style.

Separate with glass doors and panels

Create a glass wall that allows you to separate environments by smell or sound, but still allows for visual integrity and more space and lighting. By using frameless glass, you create much greater visual fluidity.

Choose sliding doors

With glass paneled sliding doors you can keep the spaces separate or combined. It is a very flexible option, which gives you a significant visual spatial increase.

Add glass to countertop

You can choose to place fixed glass panels on the separation table in the areas, so as not to lose integration but also to ensure the separation of each environment.

Change the flooring

A good option to keep the kitchen open but visually separate it from other areas in the house is to change the look of the flooring. You can choose design and color tiles that stand out and give the kitchen a unique style.

Add a lower ceiling

This is a way of creating a virtual boundary that can also be used to cross premises. You can place ventilation pipes, a built-in hood or spotlights in the suspended ceiling, for example.

Create contrast with color

Differentiate the kitchen area with a distinct color and make it stand out no matter how small it is. Choose a prominent color that gives your kitchen a very modern and elegant look without losing the integrity between the spaces.

Integrate the dining room into the kitchen

If your home is small, it is a good idea to combine an open kitchen with a dining room. The best way to achieve this is to create an integrated dining room by extending the kitchen counter with a custom table at a suitable height.

Use the bench as a support for the seat

If you prefer a separate table, you can use the back as a support to create a dining room with armchairs. To make the most of the space, you can create a custom seat against this bench and create an informal dining room.

Organize a large multifunctional space

Add the kitchen to the dining room and living room and you will have a house that looks much bigger and can be enjoyed at the same time. With this idea, a loft-style space is created that allows the integration of the different public areas of the house.

Use the kitchen as a transition area

Open up the space by eliminating the corridors between your kitchen and dining room. You can create a parallel kitchen so that it can function as a corridor and use both walls with counter or storage space.

Take advantage of various walls

If your kitchen communicates with several areas, try to integrate them all with this area. For example, open the kitchen to the entrance hall and dining room. This will enlarge the visuals of the space and increase the light.

Go to the open kitchen

We hope that these suggestions will help you think about how you can integrate your kitchen with the other environments in your home, thus achieving a visual increase in space and light, while creating a more integrated use of the environment.

The most important thing when opening a kitchen is to know how to maintain order, because there will be no way to hide it. Check out these tips on how to organize your kitchen to optimize space and always have it in order.

The decision to open up the kitchen to other spaces in your home will definitely transform it into a gathering and relationship environment at home, which will bring you joy in a more special way.