Consumers looking for open-plan kitchens ★★★★★

Published on: 29/10/2010

As the kitchen has now become the hub of family life, many homeowners are knocking down walls in order to create open plan living and dining areas, according to one interiors expert.

Writing for the Canadian Press, Melissa Rayworth said many of today's modern homes are now being built with this in mind, as the old 70s and 80s trend for separate living rooms and kitchens becomes a thing of the past.

"Many owners want the flexibility of an open plan," she stated. "Kitchens are frequently merged with other rooms to create a larger, more inviting family area."

However, she said that before families undertake remodelling projects that wil open up their kitchens, they should think carefully about whether or not it will be practical.

"With a flowing floor plan, noise is harder to contain," she pointed out. "If a child is doing homework at the kitchen table and needs quiet, you can't close a door to keep out the sound of a television in the family room.

"And keeping pets and toddlers in one place becomes more difficult when you can't simply close the kitchen door."