In the age where gluttony isn’t a sin, but in fact even celebrated, the kitchens where this tempting sin takes shape are also taking centre stage in the design of a house. When initially the kitchen used to be all neglected and left alone in a corner, today its design and interior are not a subject to be taken lightly, in fact sometimes even the entire process comes to a standstill until a unified decision with regards to the kitchen is arrived at. So, if you too are stuck in choosing between an open kitchen and a closed kitchen, give this a read!

With regards to an open kitchen, apart from the fact that it has been in trend since the past few years, this layout comes with multiple benefits.

COMPANY when you cook:

With an open kitchen, the flow of interaction between the one who’s in the kitchen and the others, increases. It allows the chef/cook to be part of all the fun and banter when there are guests at home, and they’re not the ones left feeling left-out and bored in the kitchen.

More LIGHT, SPACE & VENTILATION:

In an open kitchen, owing to the lack of enclosing walls, automatically there’s more natural light (apart from its own), from the other rooms pouring in it. It also makes the room more airy, and makes it appear larger and spacious, owing to the fluidity between transition between rooms, and thereby more welcoming to everyone.

Looks GREAT:

Just like out of the picture from a celebrity’s home, an open kitchen allows you to give your house that glam look and enhances its aesthetics; wherein all your crockery, cabinets, and super-smart appliances can be shown off!

Easy MOVEMENT:

Open kitchen layouts let you move and easily access different areas of the kitchen, making the entire cooking process more convenient and also enables you to be a great host to your guests at the same time.

DESIGN flexibility:

Customization and design changes are easier to make in an open plan layout. Personalise the kitchen, add or remove features as per your preferences, to ensure you have the kitchen that meets your needs.

Increased SAFETY:

Having an open kitchen lets the person keep an eye on things around, for instance ensuring the kids or pets don’t get into any mischief becomes easier if they’re actually visible. Also, evacuating the kitchen becomes easier in cases of emergencies, in this layout.

Maybe INCREASES PROPERTY VALUE:

Considering open kitchen layouts are all the trend, it automatically makes your property more appealing to a prospective buyer.But while there are these amazing PROs, there definitely are some CONs to having an open kitchen.

Keep it CLEAN. AT ALL TIMES:

The biggest disadvantage of an open kitchen could be the fact that you cannot just finish cooking and leave the dishes for the next day. Being visible at all times, a messy kitchen is not something you could greet your guest with!

NO PRIVACY:

If you are someone who treats cooking like an art, and prefer being left alone while doing it, away from the prying eye of the ever-hungry souls of your pets and children, then an open kitchen will definitely not give you that.

Everyone can SMELL WHAT YOU’RE COOKING:

The open layout is no good at containing the different food aromas that emanate from the cooking process. The smells end up wafting into the other rooms and even stay there if the house lacks proper ventilation.

They can also HEAR THE COOKING:

At least once during the lockdown and WFH you must’ve experienced the disturbance of the noises coming from the kitchen, right? Well in an open kitchen that’s a definite thing whenever you are entertaining guests, and may also affect the day-to-day life in the adjacent rooms.

Less STORAGE SPACE:

Forget the upper cabinets in this layout, as there are no walls. Automatically storing the larger storage vessels or jars have no place to be kept hidden. Also, the design option become limited with respect to arranging all the appliances in the kitchen.

HIGH ENERGY COSTS:

Often the temperature control becomes different in this layout, especially during the cooking time. Also, the excess time needed to cool or heat the space adds to the energy usage; automatically increasing energy costs.

More COOKING TIME:

The more you’re seen, the more you would indulge in chatter, be it while you’re entertaining guests or just cooking for the family; which implies you’d be wasting a lot of time and all the cooking processes would take more time.

Also, if your open kitchen merges directly with your living room, it is not considered to be Vaastu compliant.

Now considering the closed kitchens, almost every con of the open kitchen can be gotten rid of in this layout. And vice-versa, every pro of the open kitchen layout becomes a con here. Thus, it all boils down to your personal preferences, your budget, and the space availability. So, make sure you choose right, since refurbishing a house isn’t something that comes cheap.